Supposedly, you are looking for a job and when a prospective employer or recruiter eventually reaches out to you one day, you probably will be willing to talk to them right away. Do not rush. If an interviewer suggests calling you back and scheduling an interview for a later time, take advantage of this opportunity. But be specific and quick with helping the recruiter to set up a time at both your and her/his earliest convenience.

Knowing who you’ll be talking to, this is a chance for you to prepare not just for a conversation but for the particular conversation, which determines a further result. Find a quiet room, have your resume and some notes with questions and possible answers on hand. Not only physical but psychological readiness is important too. On this short conversation depends further success of your interviewing process. Rather than just being caught by surprise and quickly going through the interviewer’s questions, you can take the time to think through details relevant to the job.

Besides, if you take the offer to set up a specific time for your phone interview, it will send a message that you are quite a busy and well-organized person that values time both of the recruiter and yourself.

Moreover, you’ll have some time to figure out whether the job really interests you. By postponing a conversation you can look into the position closer and not only think of possible questions that might be asked but also prepare your own questions pertaining to this particular job. Is it really a right fit for you and vice versa? It always depends on a situation but not every call from a recruiter is worth considering.

If you are desperate at your job search and haven’t got many calls yet, probably, it is not the best idea to ask for postponement. There is certainly a risk that they would never call you back. In this case, while you are unemployed, job search should become your full-time job and the readiness described above should become your daily routine for a while till you find a work.