subject: Polish Your Listening Skills for Interview Success [print this page] Why Great Listening Skills Can Work to Your Advantage in a Job Interview:
By actively listening to your interviewer, you can catch both the verbal and the non-verbal cues. Body language, tone of voice, facial expression and pace of speech can give you strong hints as to your interviewer's intentions and expectations. This enables you provide responses that are appropriate to the situation, for example in asking the right questions or negotiating a salary.
You also create a good impression to the interviewer as someone who is interested and patient, which are qualities to indicate that you can solve problems and deal with complex issues.
By being attentive, you will also earn the trust of the interviewer and establish good rapport and understanding.
How to Improve Your Listening Skills
Like other skills, good listening requires effort and discipline to develop. For one, it is not an inclination that comes naturally to anyone. Unlike the act of hearing, listening is a conscious action that requires practice and is very much a reflection of one's interpersonal skills.
Develop Your Listening Skills:
Listening is a conscious effort that requires one's full attention. Therefore, it cannot be done while one is talking and doing something else. In order to start listening, one has to stop doing other things and remove distractions that are in the way, such as turning off the television or radio.
Body language and facial expression are important in the art of listening. For example, occasional nods in acknowledging what is being said, eye contacts, looking interested or body bending forward or fully facing the speaker are indications of one's interest in the conversation.
Responding to what is being said by occasional verbal responses such as affirmative questions or repeating the information to assure the speaker that you are following the conversation also helps to enhance your interest.
Finally, an open mind allows one to listen better. Most of the time, viewpoints or ideas are turned down or not filtered through because of one's bias or prejudice. Being open and impartial to differing views is the first step to cultivating great listening skills.
Polish Your Listening Skills for Interview Success
