How Well Do You Listen During Job Interviews?
By: Mick, October 1st, 2007
On Friday, I had a meeting about affiliating with a real estate brokerage that was kind of like a job interview. Well, kind of like it in that there were two of us sitting across from one another at a conference table and we were discussing me working for their company. But it wasn’t quite an assessment of my abilities or experience. More of an explanation of their company and my explanation of why I wanted to affiliate with them. But whatever. The point is that I noticed how valuable it can be to pay close attention to the subtleties of the questions being asked of you and the person asking them.
Normally, when people go for job interviews, they are nervous and have rehearsed their anticipated responses so thoroughly that they often don’t really answer the questions being asked of them. As a result, questions are poorly worded and understood, answers are muddled and the interview process turns out to be a real pain in the ass for everyone involved.
I think a better approach for everyone is to approach the job interview as a conversation, as opposed to an evaluation. Of course, the conversation is evaluated after the fact and decisions are made based upon the drawn conclusions. But, especially for the interviewee, I think it is best for the nerves and best for the sake of effective communication to approach a job interview as a conversation with an equal. Albeit, a very respectful and professional conversation.
Listen carefully to the questions and pay attention to the interviewer’s facial expressions, tone inflections, and manner of speaking. As you engage a person in this way, you tend to get drawn into the conversation. A more natural and productive communication is usually the result.
Tags: how to relax during a job interview, job interview as a conversation, job interview tips, job seeker tips
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October 4th, 2007 at 11:01 am
Excellent point, Mick… and one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Everyone focuses on how to give answers. I rarely see anyone giving advice on how to listen to the questions. And have you noticed that good listening skills are getting rarer these days?
Nice blog!
October 4th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Bonnie,
I totally agree that good listening skills - and even good reading comprehension skills - are fading in our world.
Thanks for the comment!
February 9th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I too agree, as an English teacher, parents are not teaching their children the worth of listening. I hope there is a grass-roots expedition to get both back into our society. Otherwise, we need to look at what will happen to our country. I cant tell you how many of my 6th graders(public school, which I will never send my kids to.) are unable to spell. Its really sad. There is a problem with “the system”!!!
February 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
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July 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 am
What people often fail to realise is that an interview is a two-way process. You’ve prepared yourself in a way that you hope will impress the interviewer, but the interviewer has also prepared himself/herself in a way that they hope will impress potential employees. If you don’t like the person interviewing you the chances of you accepting a position within the company are slim.
Thinking of it in this way always made me less nervous in interviews, and when asked if i had any questions i didn’t see it as a test. I saw it as an opportunity to find out things i genuinely wanted to know and to put the interviewer under pressure - Why is this a good company to work for? Where does the company see itself in 3 years time?