Why One Word Answers are Bad News at Job Interviews
It takes a lot of time and effort to get invited to a job interview. Don't blow your chances by being misunderstood by the interviewer. Not many people are aware that giving one word answers to questions, substantially increases your chances of conveying the wrong impression. Active Listening Skill Tips for Interviews During a job interview, a potential employer asks, "Can you take on more than one project at a time?" If you respond, "Yes," you may want to rethink that answer. According to Dynamic Listening: Interview Skills, a computer based training module from Mindleaders in Columbus, Ohio, you should avoid one-word or one-sentence answers. Be specific. And speak money-language. Here's a preferred answer to the question above, "In general, depending upon the type and length of projects, I believe in efficiently handling more than one project at a time. This could save a company as much as 30%." Let's check out the definition of "active listening skills" and learn more to help with your next interview? Active Listening Skills Just as everyday "speaking" is not the same as public speaking; "listening" is not the same as active listening. Active listening means two things: analysis and response to the message being communicated. An active listener maintains eye contact and good posture with a slight lean towards the speaker. During the interview, the listener nods, smiles and takes notes. Be ware, however, that a daydreamer or pseudolistener, can adopt these behaviors. So a listener's physical response does not necessarily mean good listening skills are at work. Nonverbal communication, more than just the nod or smile, is important. Gestures, appearance, timing, voice responses, facial expressions, spatial distance ? all affect how the speaker (or interview) interprets the listener. So a person preparing for a job or work project interview should consider the cultural climate and norms of society of the interviewer. In short, perceived active listening based on nonverbal signals can vary from culture to culture. Especially in this age of such great cultural diversity, be courteous of others regardless of cultural, sexual or societal backgrounds. If you are a woman and get to a door before a man, open it. If your interviewer doesn't speak English very well and looks puzzled at your words, go back and explain yourself again in different words and re-establish a good communication exchange. Note: a major part of active listening is paraphrasing. It's not the same as summarizing. A summary is a shortened version of the original message, focusing on the main point. To paraphrase means to re-state the message in your own words. Active listeners take notes by paraphrasing or restating what the speaker said in their own words, and summarizing main points. A good listener is not the same thing as a silent listener. Good listeners ask questions, even something like, "Is this an accurate paraphrase of you have said?" to let the speaker know that you understand the message being communicated. Roger Clark is senior editor at Top Career Resumes who provide free information to job seekers on all aspects of finding a new job and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics. | | | | RELATED ARTICLES Dont Forget to Say, Thank You One of the biggest mistake for job seeks is to not follow up an important interview with a thank you note to the people who interviewed them. Human Resources experts note that as few as 10% of interviewees take the time to say, "thank you." Let's take a look as why writing a thank you is the right thing to do and list some tips on how to write one. Bullseye Interviewing An interview is much like a blind date. You have sweaty palms, heart palpitations, shaky nerves and a preconceived notion of what could happen. The perfect scenario unfolds in your mind, where you are calm, cool and collected, dressed smartly, totally in control, enthusiastically meeting the other person's gaze and brimming with confidence. However, that idea has begun to unravel, because as of right now, you are LATE, because you got lost, forgot your resume, wore a shirt that is making you sweat and have pulled a muscle breaking in new shoes. As you are being led to the boardroom, you're informed that your possible Superiors will be sitting in. Panic sets in with the realization that this blind date is over before it even begun. We Rejected Your Résumé Today Hi, I am Mr. Employer. Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You? PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially since most modeling agencies won't represent models unless they're 5 feet and 9 inches tall or taller. 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You can find some useful tips within the many threads written on the Corporate Flight Attendant Community message boards at http://www.cabinmanagers.com, but to save you from culling through hundreds of threads I will highlight various standout points and include others that have been shared with me over the past several years by industry insiders: How To Get A Job Writing Speeches Jobs in speech writing are amongst the most difficult to find, but are much sought after. In many cases, the subjects that will deliver them will want to find expert advice on what to say, how to say it, and how to make themselves look good through it. You will not start out with a job in speech writing for the President, though. You will start at a much lower level and work your way up. While many people do not like to give speeches, even fewer people like to write their own. That means that there are some great opportunities out there for those looking. But, where do you look and how do you find them? 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Benefits of Maintaining a Career Portfolio Have you ever tried to contact a past employer only to discover they are no longer in existence or your former manager has moved on and been replaced by someone else? Of course, if you are an avid networker this shouldn't be much of a problem when it comes time to provide proof of your experience, education and accomplishments. A portfolio of your career should be developed and maintained using all documentation of your career history in order to overcome any problems that could arise in proving any aspects of your career. It should also include your most up-to-date resume which will be based on the contents of your portfolio. Include documents pertaining to your education including continuing education such as diplomas and certifications. Have any of your past managers sent memos or emails to you or your colleagues mentioning any of your accomplishments? Were your accomplishments published in the company newsletter, local newspaper or a trade magazine? Annual reviews, award certificates, and documents or articles recognizing your contributions to projects and/or business growth are proof of your accomplishments and major contributions. Be sure to clip the articles, print the emails, save the memos and add them to your portfolio.Document volunteer experience you have gained. Although you didn't receive compensation from volunteer experience, you gained some kind of experience and maybe even recognition for your efforts. Were you able to help an organization overcome a major hurdle that hampered their mission? Did you provide assistance to the members of an organization? Were you instrumental in developing new marketing methods to spread news about the mission? Were you instrumental in the expansion of the organization? Anything that can document your career history could prove to be valuable in your career advancement or job search. In the event you are unable to make contact with a former manager or provide up-to-date contact information to a potential employer, your career portfolio could serve as a means of proving your value to the potential employer. Don't take your career lightly. Document your career and maintain your portfolio. Your children and children's children will also thank you in years to come because they will have proof of your accomplishments and the mark you made in history, too. Diplomats and Spies "The Baratarian pirates also offered their services. Even though an American naval force had destroyed their base on Grand Terre Island in September, the Baratarians rejected British overtures to side with them. (6) {Other accounts make it clear the men were willing to go it alone or against the Americans and yet Lafitte convinced them to support the American cause. I see this as part of the French Masonic or Merovingian/Priory plan that included Napoleon. Lafitte and Joseph Napoleon later tried to break Napoleon out of St. Helena. I think Lafitte was their agent and played any role or side to support their cause first and foremost. They wanted the US to become a real force in the world. Their counterparts in England had declared French Masonry was without a soul. They had formally declared them to be any number of silly things. It continues to some extent to the present. I shall address this more as I proceed but suffice it to say that at some level we have an inner sanctum of people who are playing both sides for fools.} Instead they pleaded with American officials to accept their services. According to one observer, 'this transition from piracy to Patriotism' was due to the influence of Edward Livingston. The pirates had promised Livingston $20,000 if he could secure their acquittal on charges of violating the trade laws,?" 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The Group Interview Sometimes, when going on job interviews, you might end up in a situation where you are in a group interview. A group interview is where you are being interviewed along with several other candidates for the job. Some professions that might conduct group interviews are sales, education and flight attendants. Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used to describe an actress or actor who has a talent for melodrama, characterized by intensely enacted interpersonal conflict and exaggerated emotions. The central figure in a melodrama is the hero, who spins his tale or portrays the justice of his cause in a positive light. Counterparts include the villain and the fool who are ridiculed and portrayed negatively. Factual Employment Screening Part 2 An Employment Screening Outline How to Reach Your Next Job Faster with Fewer Potholes, Roadblocks Complacency damages your career more than lack of qualifications. 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