Page 78 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Unit 3: Interview Skills

Hands resting casually in your lap rather than arms folded across your chest also are more Notes
inviting. If you normally move your hands around a lot when you speak, tone it down
some. You do not want to look too stiff, but you do not want to look like you are a bundle
of nervous energy.
4. Answering questions: Speak slowly and clearly. Pause before you answer a question. Your
answers seem less rehearsed and it will give you a chance to collect your thoughts. Keep
in mind that a very brief pause may seem like an eternity to you. It is not. Prepare answers
to some basic questions. Do not memorize the actual answers, but become familiar with
how you will answer the questions.

5. Asking questions: Usually towards the end of the interview, the person conducting it will
ask you if you have any questions. You should have some. You should ask about what a
typical day would entail. You could ask what special projects you would be working on.
As in every other aspect of the job search, you are trying to show the employer how you
can fill their needs. By asking about a typical day on the job or special projects, you are
putting yourself in the job and showing the employer how you will satisfy the employer’s
needs. Do not ask about salary, benefits, or vacations, as those all imply “what will you,
the employer, do for me”?

Task Form a panel of interviewers. Five students can do this work. Some students
can become candidates to attend the interview. The selection is for the post
of Marketing/Finance Manager of a medium sized organization. After
sometime, the roles can be exchanged.
3.5 Important Non-verbal Aspects at the Time of Interview

Many interviews fail because of lack of proper communication. Communication is more than
just what you say. Often it is the non-verbal communication that we are least aware of, yet it
speaks the loudest. Following are the top five non-verbal signals, ranked in order of importance,
when it comes to interviewing:
Eye Contact

1. If you have a habit of looking away while listening, it shows lack of interest and a short
attention span.
2. If you fail to maintain eye contact while speaking, it shows lack of confidence in what you
are saying; it may also send the subtle indication that you may be lying.
3. Do not just assume you have good eye contact. Ask. Watch. Then practice.
4. Ask others if you ever lack proper eye contact. If they respond that they have noticed, ask
if it was during speaking or listening. Take note. Then sit down with a friend and practice
until you are comfortable maintaining sincere, continuous eye contact.
Facial Expressions
1. Take a good, long, and hard look at yourself in the mirror.
2. Look at yourself as others would. Then modify your facial expressions.
3. First eliminate any negative overall characteristics that might exist, and then add a simple
feature that nearly every interviewee forgets—a smile, a true and genuine smile that says
that are a happy person and delighted to be interviewed by the company.

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