Why you should treat job interviews as a conversation - Laura Autumn Cox

Remember that your interviewer is human. Your interviewer is also someone with worries, concerns and joys, and who probably wants to be liked as much as you do. They may even be nervous themselves – they will be aware that the interview is also your opportunity to assess if they are a good fit for you. No one likes rejection, even employers. And everyone likes to feel validated, respected and appreciated. So do your pre-interview homework. Check out the organisation website and social media platforms. Google them. Read their press coverage. Perhaps there won’t be an opportunity to use all of this information (resist crowbarring), but this knowledge in your back pocket will, at the very least, boost your confidence and potentially allow you to impress and leave the interviewer with warm, fuzzy feelings. Remember, you want them to like you.

Always be authentic. By their very nature, interviews are a little unnatural – mostly affable but with a gladiatorial subtext. You’re there to win. But remember that the you that is sold at the job interview is the you the employer will expect to turn up for work. Inevitably there is an element of performance but be wary of straying too far from the version of you that inhabits 99.9 per cent of your life. People are sensitive to façades. They will recognise if you’re putting on an act, and it won’t endear you to them. Being honest and authentic does not require a script (or for you to adopt a character).

Be a listener. It’s easy to think job interviews are all about what is said, but listening is just as important. Open body language, eye contact and responsiveness are behaviours that you exhibit when you’re talking to a friend or a loved one because you’re genuinely engaged with what they have to say. Apply these behaviours in interview situations, whether you’re listening or replying to a question. Actions speak louder than words, and any brilliance you display when speaking is undermined if you’re staring at your feet when someone else is talking.

Be as interested as you are interesting. Asking questions of the interviewer is a classic piece of interview technique. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to walk in with a prepared list but do cultivate curiosity – be genuinely inquisitive. Where appropriate, weave in questions throughout the interview to encourage conversation – showing interest is endearing. But things such as hours, wage, and other contractual details can be clarified once you’ve got the job.

Laura Autumn Cox is a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that provides communication skills.