Get Hired
How To Get Hired:
Step 7
Learn to Love Listening
Part 7 of a 10 Part Series
Friends and acquaintances often ask me for advice on how to get hired at their dream job. I’ve compiled my top 10 easy tips for this How To Get Hired blog series, where I’ll explore the best ways to ace your interview—in detail—one tip at a time.
Let’s ensure you make the most of your face-to-face interview time!
Tip 7: Be All About the Manager and Their Company.
No one wants a potential candidate to come in for a job interview and talk solely about them-selves. Every employer is looking for candidates who work well with others, perform strongly as part of a team, are collaborative overall and are excellent listeners.
This is where women really excel. As women, we are typically interested in hearing about oth-ers; this puts us in a natural position of strength in an interview.
First, ask about the interviewer.
This is a strong approach that works wonders. Remember the connection points that you found in tips 2 & 3? Now it’s time to utilize them to more closely align yourself with the hiring manager.
People like to talk about themselves; give them this opportunity! Women are generally strong listeners that don’t often come across as arrogant—yet again, a huge advantage! The more you get the hiring manager to talk about themselves and their life, the more they will like you.
Second, use the mirroring technique.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as saying, “I can only imagine how hard it is to meet with so many candidates and still try to stay on top of your responsibilities. I’m really hoping to show you how I can fill this position so you can move on from this added work load of interviewing.”
Mirroring is a useful tactic to help you make the meeting better for the manager, as well. If the manager is soft spoken, you may tone down your voice a little bit to more closely match theirs. If they are excited and loud, you may mirror them in that same regard.
Remember: This is not about changing who you are, but utilizing your listening and mirroring skills to connect to the person interviewing you.