We all know that listening is important, but how many people actually do it well? Listening doesn’t just mean hearing, it means understanding what someone else is saying, and to do that you must not only let the other person finish their thought, but also be able to summarize what they said. Listening is useful in all aspects of your life, including your career.
What consequences do poor listening skills have for your job search? Simple: you may not get the job. It may surprise you, but you should be practicing these skills just as you would practice any other interview skill. From the moment that a company contacts you for an interview, you need to ensure that you understand the information that is being communicated.
Some candidates get excited about being called for an interview and don’t actually listen to what the company representative is saying. Missing or mishearing a key piece of information may disqualify you from consideration for the job — avoid this situation by keeping a pen and paper beside the phone to take notes instead of relying on your memory. Ensure that the company representative gives you details such as the time and date of the interview, the address, dress code, interview style (i.e. number of interviewees), length of interview, and what you should bring to the interview. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification, and repeat back what you’ve been told to ensure that you’ve captured all of the information correctly.
This skill is paramount in the workplace, and interviews are a good place to demonstrate it, but unfortunately this is also where many candidates falter. Interviewees often run into problems because they start answering questions based on information they want the interviewer to know, rather than the questions that they’ve been asked. This behavior can quash your chances of landing the job; the interviewer is not getting the information that they are looking for and, moreover, they might conclude that you won’t be able to do the job effectively because of your potential inability to listen to your co-workers.
Listen to the interviewer’s entire question, and make sure you understand it. It’s frustrating for an interviewer when a candidate starts to answer a question they haven’t finished asking, and doubly so when they have to listen to an unrelated and unlooked for response. Interviewers will often ask behavioural questions that require specific examples, such as, “Tell me about a time when…” Your answer shouldn’t start with “In general…” or “I usually…” Answers like this tell the interviewer that you didn’t listen, and are replying with a generalization. If this situation is repeated during the interview, the interviewer will conclude that you have difficulty listening.
Once the company has filled the position, they may contact the unsuccessful candidates to inform them of their decision. If you are contacted by the company and have not been selected for the job, listen closely as to why — was it a lack of skill, experience or education? Or was it because you interviewed poorly? Based on their feedback, you can improve your chances for the next interview. If the company does select you, they may present the offer verbally, in writing, or in a combination of the two. If you are receiving a verbal offer, ensure that you note employment details and other key information such as your start date, what time to arrive on your first day, specific items you might need, where where to park, and so on. This information is all relevant and important for your first day — you are still making a first impression, so you need to ensure that you are following instructions properly.
Although this advice may seem like common sense, the ability to effectively listen is obviously an important skill to have, and one you should remember when you are contacted by a company and invited for an interview. When you go, ensure that you are listening to the interviewer and giving answers based on the questions that are asked of you. If you have landed that job, ensure that you listen to the offer that is being presented and the instructions for your first day. And if you don’t get the job, listen to what the representative is telling you, and use this information improve your chances for the next interview. Once you have gone through this process once, and paid attention (whether you listened properly or not), you will be able to apply these lessons effectively throughout your career.