What you say in an interview may be determined
by how well you’re listening
It’s often said that good sales people are good talkers. (And let’s not forget that a job interview is a sales presentation.) In reality, the best sales people excel at listening. By listening to their customers needs, true sales professionals will know how their products meet those needs.
Do your listening skills need some attention?
The first step in becoming a good listener is, not surprisingly, to stop talking. As long as you’re talking you’ll never hear what the job is like and what kind of person the company is looking for to fill the post.
A good idea for interviews overall and an especially good idea if you want to become a good listener is to prepare your self to listen and the best way to do that is to relax. When you’re relaxed you can focus more on the person conducting the interview and what they’re saying.
If you’re truly focused you will be able to put other things out of your mind. Don’t think about the job, or the salary, or your age. Instead focus on what the interviewer is saying and from that, what you’re next question will be.
The truly gifted listeners will be able to take what the interviewer has said and repeat it back to them to demonstrate, not just that they’re listening, but listening with concentration, contemplation and understanding. This scenario should impress upon the interviewer that you have a serious, genuine interest in the position and the organization.
One of the most difficult parts of a job interview is to listen so intently that your focus on the job will be unmistakable.