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Learning How to Listen in Job Interview

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When I was a young CPA apprentice looking to change jobs, I was interviewed by an old-timer at one of the fine medium-sized accounting firms. After we exchanged some small talk, he asked me one question: "Mr. Half, when is a sale a sale?"

I'd been out of college about a year and I figured I knew accounting theory as well as anybody. So I. spoke for about ten minutes on the relationship between accounting and merchandise sold. I was convinced as I spoke that the interviewer was going to be impressed by my comprehensive knowledge, so I told him everything-everything, that is, except what he wanted to hear.

"Mr. Half," he interrupted. "All I wanted you to say was, 'A sale is a sale when the merchandise is shipped.'"



I didn't get the job because I didn't really listen to the question. I was so intent upon overwhelming the interviewer with my knowledge, with impressing him, that I heard what I wanted to hear in his question, and not what he asked.

To communicate well you have to listen-really listen. The more closely you listen to the interviewer, the more closely the interviewer will listen to you.

Make sure you understand each question that's asked you. If you're not sure what the interviewer asked, request that the question be repeated. Don't make the mistake many job candidates make of interrupting an interviewer in the middle of a question-of presenting an answer before the question is complete. Let the question register. Think a second or two before answering it.

Make sure, too, that you listen closely to what the interviewer is saying in general conversation. It isn't always easy in a pres-sure situation to pay attention. Your mind drifts; you think about something silly you said a minute or two earlier and in the process lose track of what the interviewer is saying now. Train yourself to look the interviewer in the eye as he or she is speaking-not constantly, but enough to register the fact that you're listening.

Be a responsive listener. Nod. Agree. Shake your head if you've been given a piece of information that warrants that kind of response. Listening is not a passive act-it's active. Stay involved in the conversation and you'll find, as a bonus that your tension level will drop.

A Few Hints on Becoming a Better "Listener"
  • Don't rush the person talking to you. If the interviewer has a slow delivery, don't speed it up, as some people do, by finishing the person's sentence, or by starting your answer before the question is finished.

  • Keep strong emotional responses under control. The minute you get angry, you stop listening. You may have the right to get angry, but keep your focus on what the person is saying, not on how you want to react.

  • Ignore distractions. The secretary walks in while the interviewer is talking to you. If the interviewer keeps talking, don't you break the contact by looking over at the secretary?

  • Don't overdo your attention energy. Eye contact is important, but if you overdo it, you'll make the speaker uneasy and you'll lose track of the conversation. You can indicate responsiveness by glancing down now and then and nodding, to suggest that you're absorbing what's being said to you.
Body Language: Picking Up the Cues

Body language-the psychological signals people give off with their bodies-has been an interest of mine for years, and while I'm not sold on how pure a science it is, it's certainly a useful tool to have with you when you go into a job interview.

The basic idea is to keep an eye on the interviewer's body motions while the two of you are talking. Certain body movements could indicate that you're boring the interviewer or get-ting into an area that's making the person uneasy. As I said, it's an art, not a science, but here are some of the warning signs and the body signals that indicate them:
  1. The interviewer is bored. Look for fidgeting motions, playing with some object on the desk. Tapping the fingers is another sign. When you see this, try to change the subject. Ask questions to get the interviewer back into the flow of the interview.

  2. The interviewer is distracted. According to body language specialists, distraction shows up when the person you're talking to has trouble making eye contact with you. The person stares off to the right or left of you, or else down at an object on the desk.

  3. The interviewer is getting upset. "Defensive" signals include the following: crossing the arms in front of the body; drawing the body back from you; an obvious shifting in the chair.

  4. The interviewer likes what you're saying. Most of the time when the person you're talking to is leaning forward in the chair, it's a sign that you're being well received. Incidentally, this is something to remember yourself just in case your interviewer is a believer in body language.
The Informational Tug-of-War

An interesting informational tug-of-war frequently takes place in a job interview situation. The interviewer, especially in the first or second interview, is reluctant to tell you much about the company and its problems, the feeling being why should a lot of people who aren't going to get the job know about the company's internal problems? On the other hand, your chances of getting the job will increase the more aware you are of these problems and the more you can key your presentation to them.

So, there are two things to bear in mind here. First of all, don't interpret the reluctance of the interviewer to share with you a lot of details about the company as a sign that the company isn't interested in you. Accept the reluctance as part of the game. Second, when you ask questions (see next section), see if you can find out the answers indirectly. An example: "In my last job, I had to work especially hard at making sure that the three or four departments I was working with were communicating with each other. Do you think that might be a problem here?"
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By using Employment Crossing, I was able to find a job that I was qualified for and a place that I wanted to work at.
Madison Currin - Greenville, NC
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