One-to-one, face-to-face Interview
An interview is usually the final stage of applying for a job position. This is your opportunity to show the potential employer who you are. The nature of the job interview may change based on the position or industry that you are seeking employment in. For example the image to your right might represent an interview for a position in a office and is unlikely to represent an interview situation for a labourer. This needs to be considered when preparing for your interview. |
During the interview process, both parties (the Interviewer and Interviewee) are seeking to gain information from one another both via verbal and non verbal communication. During the interview, the interviewer will have prepared questions that he/she will ask. However in many situations questions will eventuate from the discussion at hand. This page will explain what is involved in one-to-one, face-to-face interviews and how to best handle these situations.
Communication
Communication in interviews is not only restricted to verbal communications such as words. We must also consider the messages you send with non-verbal communication. Both your verbal and non-verbal communication can affect the outcome of your interview.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication is the noises and sounds that we call words. Through the use of words we can gain information from one another, however at the same time words can confuse us. Your choice of words impacts on the response of the participant during an interview. One common problem that can arise during an interview is when one participant uses words that the other participant does not understand. This can often occur when a participant is trying to impress the interviewer. This has been given the term "bafflegab". To avoid this use words and language that is relevant to the position you are being interview for. If you are worried about how you communicate, use simple words as this will ensure you are understood and make you feel more confident about what you are talking about.
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Example:
John has an interview for a Personal Assistant role, he wants to make a good impression so goes through the dictionary finding words that he would not normally use to make himself sounds smarter. However the interviewer does not understand and keeps asking what John means. John soon realises that due to the big words he is using the interviewer is struggling to gain the information they are seeking.
Voice Modulation
Voice modulation is the way you use the tone and volume of your voice. To achieve good communication in an interview situation, we must adjust our voice tone and volume to match that of the other participant so both parties feel comfortable in the company of the other person. To do this the interviewee can mirror the interviewers verbal tone and volume. This allows both parties to feel as though are on an equal level.
Listening Barriers
Listening is a key aspect of an interview for both the interviewee and interviewer. However barriers to listening do exist. These may include:
Focusing on a personal agenda is when someone is speaking to you and you drift off into your own thoughts, thinking of something that interests you. This distraction prevents you from taking in what the speaker is saying.
An information overload can often occur during an interview process, this is when you stuggle to understand everything that is being said. This can also be a result of baffle gab as we spoke about above. During an interview you may be given a scenario and then asked a series of questions about how you would handle the scenario. You may be overloaded with what is being asked that you struggle to remember the scenario correctly.
External noise, Interviews are best held in a enclosed room separate from any other noise. External noise can interrupt interviews and hinder the communication between the participants. In an informal interview this sometimes is unavoidable as the location is not always set in a isolated area.
Criticising the speaker is often a subconscious action by the listener. When the listener is superficially criticising the appearance, weight, clothing etc of the speaker this distracts the listener away from the information the speaker is sharing.
John has an interview for a Personal Assistant role, he wants to make a good impression so goes through the dictionary finding words that he would not normally use to make himself sounds smarter. However the interviewer does not understand and keeps asking what John means. John soon realises that due to the big words he is using the interviewer is struggling to gain the information they are seeking.
Voice Modulation
Voice modulation is the way you use the tone and volume of your voice. To achieve good communication in an interview situation, we must adjust our voice tone and volume to match that of the other participant so both parties feel comfortable in the company of the other person. To do this the interviewee can mirror the interviewers verbal tone and volume. This allows both parties to feel as though are on an equal level.
Listening Barriers
Listening is a key aspect of an interview for both the interviewee and interviewer. However barriers to listening do exist. These may include:
- Focusing on a personal agenda
- Information overload
- External noise
- Criticising the speaker
Focusing on a personal agenda is when someone is speaking to you and you drift off into your own thoughts, thinking of something that interests you. This distraction prevents you from taking in what the speaker is saying.
An information overload can often occur during an interview process, this is when you stuggle to understand everything that is being said. This can also be a result of baffle gab as we spoke about above. During an interview you may be given a scenario and then asked a series of questions about how you would handle the scenario. You may be overloaded with what is being asked that you struggle to remember the scenario correctly.
External noise, Interviews are best held in a enclosed room separate from any other noise. External noise can interrupt interviews and hinder the communication between the participants. In an informal interview this sometimes is unavoidable as the location is not always set in a isolated area.
Criticising the speaker is often a subconscious action by the listener. When the listener is superficially criticising the appearance, weight, clothing etc of the speaker this distracts the listener away from the information the speaker is sharing.
Exercise
Download and print the file below and complete the exercise.
exercise_barriers_to_communication__.pdf | |
File Size: | 36 kb |
File Type: |
Non-Verbal Communication
This is best described as body language, actions or gestures that are used to communicate without speaking. These could be intentional or unintentional.
Non-verbal communication exists in every conversation, be it an interview or a conversation with your friend. We all send and receive non-verbal communication consciously and sub consciously. It is important that we understand how our body language can affect the outcome of an interview. Body Language Take a look at the images to the right. You will notice in the top picture the man in the blue is slouching and not looking at the man who is speaking to him. This is poor non-verbal communication and conveys the impression the man is the blue is not interested in the conversation. The bottom image shows the opposite, the man in the blue is sitting upright and looking at the man speaking to him. He is demonstrating correct non-verbal communication. He is letting the speaker know he is listening to what is being said. |
As most interview situations require the participants to be sitting down, It is important to portray the correct message to the interviewer. Certain movements of your body can portray certain images. If you have your arms crossed this can give the impression that you are not open to discussion. Crossing your legs can give off a defensive impression also or an overly relaxed impression. Sitting up straight is the best stance to ensure you give the correct impression to the interviewer.
Eye Contact
Eye contact is an important aspect of communication in any interview situation. Maintaining good eye contact lets the interviewer know you are interested and being involved in the conversation. The amount of eye contact varies based on the role you are playing at the time. If you are the listener it is better if you hold more eye contact with the speaker as this shows you are paying attention. If you are the speaker you do not have to keep the same level of eye contact. As the speaker you should aim to hold eye contact for 5 to 10 seconds in any period of time.
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Exercise
Download and Print the file below and then complete the exercise.
body_language_exercise.pdf | |
File Size: | 86 kb |
File Type: |
- What is an appropriate dress for the type of interview
- What is the appropriate amount of make up and perfume
- Where is the location of the interview
- Is being clean shaven more appropriate for the interview?
Exercise
Download and print the file below and complete the exercise.
appearance_exercise.pdf | |
File Size: | 74 kb |
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Cultural differences in Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
Cultural differences can play a large role in how we communicate with one another. Having a wide understanding of different communication between differing cultures will prepare you for any interview situation that you may encounter with a person of a differing culture to your own.
The meaning of words is one of the common issues that arise between different cultures. An example of this is the use of the word "College". In America this refers to tertiary education after leaving high school. However in New Zealand Tertiary education is referred to University or Polytechnics and high schools that include, intermediates are referred to Colleges. This could lead to confusing when an interviewer from America is asking about the "College" you studied at, referring to the university you attended in New Zealand terms. |
Non-verbal communication also differs between cultures. Using the example of eye contact we can see the differing views of how this is interpreted. Avoiding eye contact during an interview can have a negative effect on what the interviewer thinks of you as in the European culture making eye contact is a sign of you paying attention. However in Maori and some Polynesian cultures this is seen as disrespectful and avoiding eye contact is seen as a mark of respect to the person speaking.
Body language is another example of how non-verbal communication can vary between cultures. In European culture it is common practice to shake hands when welcoming or meeting someone. However in Chinese culture bowing your head is the accepted greeting practice.
Body language is another example of how non-verbal communication can vary between cultures. In European culture it is common practice to shake hands when welcoming or meeting someone. However in Chinese culture bowing your head is the accepted greeting practice.
Exercise
Download and print the file below and complete the exercise.
poor_communication_exercise.pdf | |
File Size: | 66 kb |
File Type: |
Purpose of Interviews
It is important to understand what the purpose of the interview is you are participating in. Determining the purpose of the interview can give you some direction and insite into what will be expected in the interview. There are three main purposes for conducting an interview:
Information GatheringInformation gathering can be in the form of an interviewer finding out your skills and qualifications or a researcher asking you a series of questions for a research project. In these two examples, one is an informal interview and the other a formal interview however both can contain information gathering.
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Problem SolvingProblem solving can be used in both informal and formal interview situations. Informal problem solving could be a Police officer trying to determine the cause of a car accident, talking to various witnesses. Formal problem solving could be when you are given a scenario in an interview situation. You have to explain how you would solve the given problem in the scenario.
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Both informal and formal interviews can serve more than one purpose, keep this in mind when preparing for any form of interview and ensure you have all the relevant information at hand to answer any questions.
Questions
Now that you have ascertained the purpose of the interview you can start to think of what sort of questions maybe asked. These will be due to the nature of the interview and if it is informal or formal.
Be prepared to answer questions about your education background, employment history and any other experience that will have relevance to the interview.
Below are examples of questions relating to different scenarios:
Be prepared to answer questions about your education background, employment history and any other experience that will have relevance to the interview.
Below are examples of questions relating to different scenarios:
Interview SituationSurvey on television viewing
Police accident report Job performance appraisal |
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You will see that the above questions relate to the specified topic or purpose.
Informational Question
Informational questions require a factual response. This is usually just stating something that you know. For example how much experience have you had working in Microsoft Office 2010?
It is important to answer these questions factually and accompany the response with an example. "My main experience in in Office 2007, however I have recently started using Office 2010 and find the transition to be very easy and I feel confident using the new software."
Opinion-based Questions
These are questions that require you to share your opinion on a situation. For example "What do you believe makes excellent customer service?"
You should always back up why you believe in your answer, e.g. "I believe that having a positive attitude towards my work and the customer allows you to provide the best customer service."
Informational Question
Informational questions require a factual response. This is usually just stating something that you know. For example how much experience have you had working in Microsoft Office 2010?
It is important to answer these questions factually and accompany the response with an example. "My main experience in in Office 2007, however I have recently started using Office 2010 and find the transition to be very easy and I feel confident using the new software."
Opinion-based Questions
These are questions that require you to share your opinion on a situation. For example "What do you believe makes excellent customer service?"
You should always back up why you believe in your answer, e.g. "I believe that having a positive attitude towards my work and the customer allows you to provide the best customer service."
Exercise
Download and print the file below and complete the exercise.
interview_purpose_exercise.pdf | |
File Size: | 92 kb |
File Type: |
Watch this video for an example of a bad and good job interview