The purpose of a job interview is to get acquainted and to learn about one another. Employers evaluate how you qualify for the job. You help them (and yourself) with this evaluation buy being prepared and able to sell your skills and experience through effective communication.
The object of a job interview is not to “tell” the interviewer about yourself. It’s to communicate to the interviewer the three things: your ability, your willingness, and your suitability.
Communication is not just about talking
We all know how to talk, but most of us have never fully mastered the art of communication. You talk with your mouth, your hands, and your posture. Talking is saying something to somebody else. Communicating is interacting with that person, or those people you’re talking with. It’s being sensitive to the feedback from these people that tell you whether what you’re saying is making any impact or not. You don’t become an effective communicator overnight. You work at it. You can master this difficult art.
The onus is on the candidate
Communication competence (verbal and non-verbal) is a key issue in attending job interviews. It must be fully understood and accepted that the candidate is the one to sell himself. Total or partial failure of communications may result from errors of encoding, choice of channel, decoding and noise (distractions and irrelevant information/data). The effectiveness of the communication is assessed on the extent of the understanding achieved by interviewers. It is obvious that the onus of successful communication lies squarely on the candidate. You need to develop your listening and questioning skills, and master the art of non-verbal communication.
Active Listening
Learning to actively listen during conversation is an aspect of communication that relate directly to the job interview. Job candidates need to improve- if not completely master -this area. 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 questions 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. I will readily admit it isn’t always easy in a pressure situation as job interview to pay attention. Your mind drifts; you worry 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.
How to Improve your Listening Skills
You can improve your listening skills by
(i) allowing others to have their own say
(ii) paying attention to non-verbal messages
(iii) avoiding interrupting the other party
(iv) avoiding getting too emotionally involved
(v) recognizing the feedings and emotion of others
(vi) clarifying questions by restating your understanding of the other persons position
(vii) showing the other person you want to listen
(viii) indicating to the other party that you’re listening through non-verbal/prompting words like ‘yes’, ‘that’s true’, ‘hun-hun’, ‘and go on’, etc.
(ix) 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.
(x) 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.
What to Find out
One more thing: why are you attending the interview?. There are certain things you must find out at interview- part of your own objective for choosing to honour the interview. You need to find out
(a) What the job entails
(b) What skills will be required to do well on the job
(c) Whether you would like to work with the people as exemplified by the people interviewing you
(d) If it is possible to persuade them that you are unique and better the other 14 people attending the interview for this particular job position
(a) If it is possible for you to persuade the employer to pay you the salary I want or need.
You can ask them (a) and (b) directly, in the course of the interview. You will have to observe and read between the lines to find answers to the other questions. Of course you have a role in these – communicating that you best match the requirements of the employer with your skills.
By Anonymous
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Job-Interview—Communications-Objectives-and-Issues&id=2199881
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