They ask questions to get to know you as a person, your experience, schooling, career goals, how you see your self in the future, and if you have any problems with picking up the phone (cold calling).

A telephone interview is conducted by a recruiter. If they believe that you're fit for a job they refer you to the hiring manager. That's when you'll come in and have a face to face interview with the lead hiring manager for the position. The process takes about 3-4 weeks so it's hard to patiently wait.