Fearless Interviewing
day). When you are smiling, an interviewer can “hear”
your smile in your voice.
- Listen extra carefully. Since you can’t see the interviewer,
be sure you understand what he or she is asking.
It’s okay to ask an interviewer to repeat the question
or to say, “I understand that you are asking me
___. Is that correct?”
- Keep your answers less than 90 seconds long. You won’t be
able to see any visual cues, so it’s wise to keep answers to
a reasonable length so as to not let the interviewer
become distracted or bored.
- Vary the pitch or tone of your voice more than you normally
would. A slightly higher pitch will communicate excite-
ment, agreement, or enthusiasm. A slightly lower pitch
will relay that you are about to make a very important
point. Let your tone go up and down a little bit more
that normal. It will keep the interview from sounding
stale, as well as keep you feeling enthusiastic and excited
about what you’re saying.
- If you like, you can put a little stuffed animal or picture of
someone you love near the phone and look at it while you talk.
It will make you relax and feel like you’re talking to a
friend. It will also fill your voice with warmth. Remember,
whether it’s the supervisor or a CEO who is interview-
ing you, that person has feelings, just like you.
In fact, 60 percent of interviewers you will talk to
have never been trained at all in interviewing.
Hundreds of interviewers have confided in me that
they actually feel nervous, incompetent, or stressed
when conducting interviews.
A little warmth in your voice, generated by looking at
something cuddly, funny, or someone you care about,
can go a long way to soothing the “rattled” nerves of
some interviewers, thereby making the whole tone of
the interview more relaxed for you as well.
