Your Best Interview Strategy – Stop Talking and Start Listening

One of the most powerful tools in your career management arsenal is knowing how to listen. When talking to hiring managers, recruiters, or in an interview, most executives spend most of their time selling themselves rather than listening to what the other party needs. Randy Block advises his clients to listen more and talk less; learn what the hiring manager really needs. Listening closely to a hiring manager and letting him articulate his needs and desires is more powerful than than any other interview strategy.

So with that in mind, I want to share some tips from Executive and Life Coach Sharon Mikrut, which came to me via David Riklan’s SelfGrowth.com. If you are honest with yourself, you will probably admit that your listening skills could use some improvement. So consider these listening tips, not just as part of your career program, but also as part of your interaction with everyone you meet:

1. Make a commitment to improve your listening skills. Effective listening is not a skill we are born with; it takes practice.
2. Talk less and listen more. Almost everyone likes to talk about themselves. When listening to others, you often want to interrupt with an insight or an opinion. Resist the temptation. Let the other person be fully heard. One trick is to repeat every word they say in your mind after they say it. This will help you focus and not to interrupt.
3. Whether in an interview or talking with a friend or co-worker, give them you undivided attention. Don’t be distracted by your phone, television, computer, or any outside distractions.
4. Display objectivity when listening to others. Set aside your own thoughts and comments and remain detached from what is being said.
5. When listening to someone with a different viewpoint, put yourself in their shoes. Try to understand their perspective and seek out some common ground for discussion.
6. Wait until the other person has finished speaking before you respond. Also note that if you are formulating your response while a person is speaking, you are not truly listening.
7. Summarize or paraphrase what has just been said to confirm that you have heard correctly.
8. Depending on the circumstances, take notes to remember important points.
9. As you listen, pay attention to how the speaker is conveying his or her message. Are they loud? Do they talk quickly? What words do they use to express their feelings? Their tone and delivery generally denotes emotion. Be sensitive to how the speaker is feeling.
10. Look for non-verbal signs that contradict what the speaker is saying. For example, are their legs or arms crossed? Do they make eye contact? Are they turned away from you? These are signs that a person is closed to conversation, perhaps because of embarrassment or to avoid confrontation. However, if they smile and look you in the eye with a relaxed demeanor, they are ready to engage.

Practice good listening skills, not just in conversation but on the phone as well. I can always tell when I am having a phone conversation with someone who is multitasking, usually on their computer. You know when people aren’t really listening to what you have to say, and failing to listen shows a lack of respect as well as a lack of courtesy. Being an attentive listener will go a long way to making a positive impression.