How To Sound Good In An Interview

Think Youre Not A Smooth Talker You Can Be

Youve done your homework to perfect your resume and cover letter,and kudos, that got you through the door!but now its time to show the interviewer youve got A-grade in-person communication skills.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities found that when hiring recent college graduates, 85% of employers rank oral communication as a very important skill. This means communicating eloquently and confidently.

Easier said than done, right?

If public speakings not your forteand even if it utterly terrifies youthere are some tried-and-true techniques you can borrow from those smooth-talking TEDx-type speakers to make you feel and sound more confident during your moment in the interview spotlight.

Strengths Of Remote Interviews

The key strength of remote interviews is accessibility. Many online programs will help you record remote interviews, and remotely performing your interview removes many of the barriers that can hinder an in-person interview, like scheduling and location. Remote interviews take up less of the interviewees time. Distance won’t be an issue, so you are able to interview more people in different locations. Plus, in a pinch, you can always record a phone call as the interview.

Remote interviews are also cheaper to perform than in-person interviews, as they eliminate travel costs, and interviews can be performed much closer together than they can be in person. In addition, remote interviews enable both parties to maintain social distancing.

Finally, remote interviews remove the need to plan for and set up at interview locations, which can save both time and money.

For Telephone Interviews Use A Wire

If you must use a phone line, make sure its a landline with the wire that goes from the receiver to the phone and from the phone into the wall not a cordless phone.

A true landline is the best way to assure a reliable signal and no break-ups or cut-outs. If you ignore this tip, it is highly likely that the podcaster will be forced to edit large chunks of your comments simply because your cordless or cell phone will render your sound inaudible at the worst possible times, and thats something you as the guest cant detect until its too late.

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How To Sound Good In Your Next Podcast Interview

While Ive lost count of how many radio interviews Ive coordinated going back to when I worked in broadcasting and then through my career in public relations, it wasnt until I became an avid listener of podcasts and launched one of my own Shaping Opinion that I realized two things.

First, a podcast interview is an entirely new and different animal and two, the PR field in general may not understand the differences.

This is based on my interactions with public relations pros Ive dealt with through my work as a public relations pro, but also more recently on the other side of the mic as the producer and host of a podcast.

Before getting into whats different about podcast interviews, lets find common ground on whats not new or unique. Podcast interviews in form and in function are like radio interviews. You participate as an interviewee, either in person or on some combination of phone or mic from a remote location.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

Thats what I thought. But todays communications climate and the wide range of technical options for connecting has created an atmosphere that quite frankly can turn a simple podcast interview into a potential disaster.

If you look at most recording studios the one thing they all have in common is a calculated design to eliminate any and all factors that could interfere with a recording session. In the real world, the burden to eliminate distractions is on the podcaster and the guest to take measures to prevent problems.

Know How To Answer The Weakness Question

If youre like most professionals, you probably dread getting the whats your biggest weakness question. You dont want to give a non-answer like I care too much. But you also dont want to give an answer that might make the recruiter doubt your qualifications for the job.

Fortunately, this question is not as difficult as it sounds this is where you will use your newfound storytelling prowess.

First, pick a weakness that has little to nothing to do with the position for which you are applying. For instance, if youre applying for a food-service sales position, you might acknowledge that youre not great at making spreadsheets. In most sales positions, this skill isnt that necessary.

But you shouldnt stop there. After speaking about this weakness, tell the recruiter what you have done to overcome or mitigate this weakness. Maybe you took a few online Excel classes or had a friend show you the ropes. You want to show them that you are willing to work on areas that you are weak in. See? Easy.

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How Did You Hear About This Position

Employers want to know whether you are actively seeking out their company, heard of the role from a recruiter, or were recommended to the position by a current employee. In short, they want to know how you got to them.

If someone recommended you for the position, be sure to say their name. Dont assume that the interviewer already knows about the referral. Youll probably want to also follow up with how you know the person who referred you. For example, if you and Steve worked together previously, or if you met him over coffee at a networking event, mention it to give yourself a little more credibility. If Steve works at the company and suggested that you apply for the job, explain why he thought youd be the perfect fit.

If you sought out the role yourself, be clear about what caught your eye extra bonus points if you can align your values with the company and their mission. You want to convince the hiring manager that you chose their company, over all other companies, for a few specific reasons.

Lastly, if you were recruited, explain why you took the bait. Did this role sound like a good fit? Does it align with the direction you want to take your career? Even if you werent familiar with the organization prior to being recruited, be enthusiastic about what youve learned and honest about why youre interested in moving forward with the process.

Keep Your Hands Off Of The Table

If youre doing a podcast interview face-to-face but not in a studio setting, you will have to pay attention to your hand movements. We all tend to make hand gestures when we talk, and if there is a table or desk in front of us, we may subconsciously tap the table or desk.

You probably dont realize youre tapping, and to the naked ear you may not hear it. But the podcaster should hear it in their headphones and say something. If nothing is said, those quiet little taps on the table will sound in the final production like you were hitting a bass drum every time you made a point.

The best rule of thumb is to sit close enough to the mic as possible and make a conscious effort not to touch the table or desk during the interview. The only exception to this is when you are in a setting where the microphone is suspended above the table or desk, preferably with a shock mount.

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The Most Powerful Words To Use During Your Interview

The words you use during an interview can make a big difference. Consider the difference between these two responses:

• “I helped brainstorm ideas for campaigns.”
• “I generated ideas that were used in award-winning, successful campaigns.”

Both answers are reasonable. But where one conveys significant accomplishments and makes a strong, positive impression, the other response is a bit bland and forgettable.

Let’s dig in to see why the second response is more powerful. To start, the word “helped” is vague. To an interviewer, this could mean that you presented a list of powerful ideasbut it could also signify that you were a near-silent participant on a conference call to discuss the campaign. The second option uses a more active verba person generating ideas is deeply involved in the project. Plus, powerful adjectives are added not only did you come up with ideas, but they were good ones!

Your words during an interview convey an impression of you and your abilities. Make it a positive one.

As you practice for your next interview, keep word choice in mind. Here are five broad types of words and phrases to integrate into your interview answers.

Tips For Before The Interview

In the days before your job interview, set aside time to do the following:

1. Start by researching the company and your interviewers. Understanding key information about the company youre interviewing with can help you go into your interview with confidence. Using the companys website, social media posts and recent press releases will provide a solid understanding of the companys goals and how your background makes you a great fit. Review our Complete Guide to Researching a Company.

2. Practice your answers to common interview questions. Prepare your answer to the common question: Tell me about yourself, and why are you interested in this role with our company? The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the roleits your personal elevator pitch. Review our guide to answering

Tip: You should come prepared to discuss your salary expectations. If youre unsure what salary is appropriate to ask for, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator for a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.

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Tips on responding to “Tell me about yourself:

Related:

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How Do You Lock A Worksheet To Prevent People From Editing It

Its possible to password protect worksheets in Excel. This is useful if you have a table of data that, if changed, would impact other dependencies, and for other reasons like user hierarchy authorizations. To demonstrate understanding, provide a simple explanation of how to complete this process.

Example:An easy way to do this is using the menu bar. Go to Review, select Protect Sheet and enter a password when prompted.

Ways To Strike The Right Tone In Your Job Interview

You can read a million different pieces about nailing a job interview. How to avoid making common mistakes. How to prep for bizarre interview questions. Even what you should wear to get the gig. But one thing thats rarely addressed is tone.

While the word tone often refers to the voice, more broadly it refers to the way you sound when you speak and the feeling people get about you. Your tone is an expression of vocal and word patterns. Its a subtle reason why an interviewer might be turned off and not hire youor why they might be drawn to you and make you an offer. Follow these six guidelines and you will come across as a polished, confident, and compelling candidate.

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What Is Your English Level Take Our Short English Test To Find Out

Make sure you get there early

Sounds simple, doesnt it? Its advice that applies to any interview being late is not a good way to impress the interviewer but its especially important for a second language interview because being calm is important to make sure you are able to focus on speaking well and expressing yourself clearly.

Prepare well but dont write a script

Its usually easy to guess what kind of information an interviewer will want to find out in a job interview in English but you can never be 100 percent sure. Make sure you know all the vocabulary to describe your background and work experience but dont practice it as a script the interviewer may ask the same question in a number of different ways and its important to make sure your answer is absolutely answering the question, not just giving some related information.

Tell the interviewer what he wants to know

Again, answer the interviewers questions rather than just giving him some related information. The whole reason for the interview is that the interviewer wants to find out more than is written on your resume. If you just repeat the information on your resume, there is no reason to be in the interview at all.

Add in your extra details

Think of some examples

Be polite and friendly but not too informal

Focus on what you are saying

Do you have any more interview tips to share? If so, let us know about them using the comments section below.

Good Call: Sound Advice For A Successful Telephone Interview

Helen Menhenett

You might think the best thing about a telephone interview is that, like a radio presenter, you don’t have to worry about how you look.

But, an interview is still an interview even if you don’t have to go to their offices. You need to be as prepared and well presented as you would be for a face to face interview.

Initial interviews by telephone are more common than they used to be. It’s an inexpensive way to screen candidates in the initial stages of a recruitment campaign. The recruiter may just be looking for a confident manner and intelligent responses to some set questions. But don’t take anything for granted. You may find you are on the phone for an hour and a half and are expected to answer detailed questions about previous roles and achievements.

Don’t allow yourself to be caught on the hop. If you’re not able to make some quiet time when they call then set a time for the interview to take place. You have to be a bit more organised about the telephone interview because it’s on your home turf. Make sure you won’t be interrupted and be sure to charge your phone in advance. Keep a copy of your CV by the phone and all the other relevant information you might need. Prepare and compose yourself in advance. If you sound confused and disorganised you might not get a second chance.

Helen Menhenett is head of research at outplacement provider, Fairplace

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How To Improve Your Conversational English So You Sound Natural

Many clients tell me that they worry about sounding natural in interviews. Its common for non-native English speakers to worry about their English including their grammar, their sentence structure, and also whether they sound comfortable and natural when they speak. If youre going to an interview in English, you probably have an intermediate English level or above, but you might still worry about how youll sound. You might be comfortable with your English in most situations but be more worried about your interview because, as you know, interviews are special situations that require good conversational English. How to improve your conversational English so you sound naturalLearning English isnt something you can do over night. Sounding natural in English also takes time. If you have a solid intermediate level in English, you can begin to work on sounding like native speakers, in other words, sounding natural. Long-term way to sound more natural in EnglishWork with an English teacherThe best way to learn to sound natural is with an English teacher, because to improve your conversation skills you need to have conversations with someone, preferably someone who can point out your mistakes.

Video advice: Job Interview Conversation in English | Job Interview Question and Answer in English | CHIT CHAT

Four Ways To Practice For Your Job Interview So You Sound Prepared But Not Overly Rehearsed

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In my 20+ years of recruiting, most candidates dont prepare enough for their job interview, so overwork is not a common problem. If you are looking for a job and not currently doing any interview practice, you want to do some preparation ASAP and not worry about sounding overly rehearsed.

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However, every once in a while, I run into candidates who have answers so readily available that they sound more like actors delivering a monologue than potential colleagues having a conversation in the moment. Remember that a job interview is at its essence a person-to-person conversation . You are with a potential future colleague, so you want to relate and communicate with that other person, not talk at them.

You dont have to stumble over yourself to sound spontaneous. You want to prepare so you sound articulate and knowledgeable about what you are saying. But you dont want to be so overly rehearsed that you sound fake. Here are four ways to practice for your job interview so you strike that balance and sound prepared but not overly rehearsed:

Practice in different mediums, not just in-person

Try at least five different ways to introduce yourself

Spend time on actions that build rapport

Develop performance triggers so youre good from the start

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Want To Sound Emotionally Intelligent In Interviews Avoid These 6 Expressions

Nobody will tell you thats why you didnt get the job. But an apparent lack of interpersonal skills is often the underlying reason candidates get passed over.

6. Im ambitious: Id like your job one day You may be well versed in interview skills, but its easy to let drop a phrase or a comment that inadvertently signals you may not fit in. Nobody will tell you thats why you didnt get the job. Yet, an apparent lack of interpersonal skills is often the underlying reason candidates get passed over. People skills are in fact one of the top requirements of most jobs todayand interviewers listen hard for any telltale sign that you may not work well with people. To avoid ruining your chances of getting that second interview or coveted job, be careful not to use the following six expressions that may betray a poor relationship with others. 1. My talents were not being put to good useWhen talking about your last job, beware of dissing your employer by saying your talents were not fully used. Its easy to fall into this trap, because youll want to give a reason for your departure. But saying your employer didnt put your skills to good use signals more than a touch of resentment. In the same vein, avoid saying your contribution was not recognized, or your skills were not a good fit with the job.

9 questions to ask in a job interview that make you look smart Its always smart to ask some intelligent, thoughtful questions at the end of every job interview.