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Are you good at listening? It's an interesting question because listening, as apart from just hearing, is an acquired skill. And by being able to listen well, you have a skill that can be put to good use during job interviews.
Good listening skills, however, just don't happen. You will have to work on improving them. Active listening requires that the listener receive both the speaker's spoken and unspoken message. This can be difficult because very often, the listener is so busy thinking about responding to what the speaker is saying that he misses much of what the speaker is trying to say across. If you want to be an effective communicator, especially in the job interview, you need to develop your active listening skills.
One way to help you become a better listener is to take notes while you listen. Here's why.
It gives the interviewer a non-verbal message that you are serious and you value what the interviewer is communicating.
The notes helps you raise significant questions when the interviewer asks, "Do you have any questions?"
They help you with your follow-up communications because you can refer to specific comments or topics covered in the interview. The more specific and customized your thank-you follow-up is, the greater the chance it will make a favorable impression on the interviewer.
But while most interviewers will respect your need to get accurate information, some may find your note taking to be a distraction. So before you start taking notes, always ask the interviewer for permission first.
Other helpful hints:
Be discreet. Don't make a big show out of pulling a pad of paper from your briefcase.
Maintain eye contact even while taking notes. Keep looking at the interviewer. Don't give him the impression that taking notes is more important than actually listening to him.
If the interviewer seems distracted, stop your note taking. It's best to let your notes be out of the interviewer's direct sight. Don't try to write complete sentences; jotting down the key words or questions will do.
After the interview, review your jottings to fill in the blanks and complete your thoughts.
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