Active listening is perhaps the most critical interviewing skill you need to develop. Active listening can be defined as high-level listening in which your entire attention is focused on the person speaking-your body, face, and eyes all confirm you are listening. Through active listening you'll pick up the cues and clues that the interviewer is consciously and unconsciously giving you. If you are well prepared for the interview, you will be able to process the clues to determine the interviewer's needs and biases. This will enable you to respond appropriately to those needs or biases at an opportune time. Attentive listeners are more highly regarded by employers than inattentive listeners.
Do not allow your mind to wander. Not only will you miss key information, but more than one interviewee has been embarrassed by not hearing a question and then having to ask that it be repeated. To be an active listener you must truly want to hear everything the person is saying. Too often people feign listening and simply wait for a break so they can jump in with their opinions. Allow the person to pause, collect his or her thoughts, and then continue. Your willingness to allow the person to continue sends a strong, positive message to the person, and will cause the person to provide you with more information. After you ask a question it is particularly important to let the person know you are actively listening to the response.
Do not be concerned if the interviewer does a lot of talking at the beginning of the interview. That's exactly what you want. You'll have plenty of opportunities to speak. In the meantime, listening carefully will give you an opportunity to learn valuable things about the person, the job, and the organization.
"Listen" with your body. Be relaxed, but don't slouch. You should always be looking at the speaker, but with a gentle look, never a stare. When people speak, they often look away from the listener for 5-20 seconds, but when their eyes return to you, your eyes should be gently looking at them. When the speaker's eyes return to you, they should not catch you looking at your watch, looking out the window, or looking at objects in the office.
As you listen, you should be taking in and interpreting everything. While listening, part of your brain is deciphering the information and deciding what to do with it. For example, employers are often cautious about mentioning serious problems that exist, yet will often allude to them in obscure ways. If you aren't listening actively the words might go right past you and an opportunity would be missed.
The interviewer might indirectly indicate that the company is experiencing high turnover and, thus, is looking for evidence of strong company loyalty. By sensing the need, you could provide evidence that demonstrates you have the kind of loyalty the company desires.
You will approach each interview with your own agenda, looking for opportunities to sell certain skills which you feel are important for the job. You must also be flexible. You may pick up clues from the interviewer that the skills you had planned to emphasize are not as important as some other skills you possess. Only a person who has been actively listening will recognize the need for a change in strategy, then make the appropriate shift.
By concentrating on what the interviewer says, you'll be better able to use the information later in the interview. For example, the interviewer may have presented evidence that the position requires an ability to quickly gain the confidence of customers. A half hour may pass before you have the opportunity to cover that talent. Because you listened, you'll remember.
Do not assume that just because you have years of experience you are a good listener. Most of us have learned how to appear attentive with the appropriate nods, uh-huhs, and an occasional "I know what you mean." You undoubtedly can recognize fake listening, and you don't like it. A good listener makes the speaker feel that everything said is of great interest to the listener and that there is a desire to hear the whole story. Real listening occurs when you hear and understand the words, you properly interpret the feelings behind the words, and the person feels he or she has been listened to.
Control the Content: Not the Interview
Job seekers are sometimes advised to take control of interviews, but using that tactic on an experienced interviewer can backfire. The best advice is to let the interviewer control the questions while you control the content. Controlling the content means that you will be deciding what to say and which examples to give. That is all the control you need.
You can greatly influence the questions by having a resume filled with results. You'll be asked to expand on those results. This will give you wonderful opportunities to add weight to your side of the balance scale.
Develop a game plan and know the points you want to cover and the experiences you want to describe. Then look for the earliest opportunity to "slide" that information comfortably into the interview.
Getting More Information about the Job
Interviewers generally spend several minutes at the beginning of an interview describing the job and its requirements. Too frequently, however, the information you have about the job is still sketchy when the interviewer suddenly asks a really tough question. Without knowledge of where the organization is headed or what challenges it's facing, providing an effective answer will be difficult.
Let's say that the interviewer begins by asking about your strengths without providing you with much background information about the job or the organization. Since you have many strengths and want to emphasize the right ones, it is important to have more information. You could respond by stating, "I've got a lot to offer, but in order to cover just the right points, it would help a lot to know more about the position and what your needs are." This will cause the interviewer to realize that further information is needed. Even after the interviewer gives you more information, you can still ask two or three questions to further clarify the job requirements. Practice how you will respond when such difficult questions arise early in the interview. This will give you the confidence to request more information. The success of your interview may depend on it.
Let Others Speak For You
When you're answering questions in an interview, let what others have said illustrate positive things about you. For example, in response to a question you might say, "My boss felt some of my most valuable attributes were..." Granted, that person is not there to con firm what you've just said, but if you have successfully established your credibility, your statement will be accepted.
Learn To Talk About Yourself
During an interview you will spend 40-60% of the time talking about yourself. Much of that time will be spent describing experiences, but you will also be describing the type of person you are. The inter viewer will try to learn what type of person you are by asking questions like, "Tell me about yourself," and "How would you describe yourself?" or "What would your friends say about you?" The problem with this is that most people spend very little time talking about themselves. People spend a lot of time talking about what they do-the restaurants, plays, concerts, sports events, and vacation spots they've been to-but they rarely discuss the kind of person they are. No wonder interviewing is difficult for most people.
Research the Company
Researching an organization can yield big dividends during an interview. Research can reveal problems or challenges the organization is facing, and can enable you to select in advance appropriate experiences you should describe in the interview. At the minimum you should know what the organization's products and services are, how long they've been in business and something about their growth and reputation. If you're working with a recruiter or agency counselor, they should be able to supply you with valuable information. Even with that help, however, you should gather information on your own as well.
Researching the organization will help you determine whether it is right for you. It will also enable you to answer questions more effectively. Employers commonly ask: "What do you know about us?" Harold, a graduating senior, once suffered through this question. As the very first question, a campus recruiter asked Harold, "What do you know about us?" Harold paused and squirmed. When the recruiter finally asked, "Did you read our recruiting literature?" Harold had to admit he had not, and the recruiter then coldly stated, "This interview is over." Although this was an extremely embarrassing experience, the recruiter actually did Harold a big favor-he never made that mistake again.
Sometimes it is even possible to learn about the interviewer. Check with your contacts to determine whether they or anyone they know is acquainted with the interviewer. Try to learn about the interviewer's education, biases, hot buttons, and general background. Then weave the information you gather into the interview. Do this carefully so you don't give the impression you are merely trying to make a good impression.
