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Communicating Credentials in a Job Interview By Dr. Carol Fleming Somewhere between the getting of a degree and the getting of a job, the graduate must transition from student to professional. The student is focused on the acquisition of knowledge and skills, i.e., the expertise of the profession. There is information that may be demanded on a test, there are procedures; there are dates, technical terms, advanced vocabulary, and major theories. There is science... In the case of the university, there is a profound asymmetry between the student and the teachers. The student is clearly subservient. The faculty is typically older, established, respected and the revered caretaker of a body of knowledge. The student will need the faculty's approval, the good grades, and the excellent references, and will try very hard to please these people. These are not relationships of equality (no matter what is said). The professor is “Dr. so and so” and the student is “Joe” or 'Jane'. In the process of becoming a 'professional', the focus is only on the attainment of expertise, the topics of academe. They are the currency of professional credibility. To the typical college student, the refinement of grooming, on the other hand, may be a lesser consideration. Indeed, many students are in 'get by' mode. You are not looking and behaving at your social best. This is typically not a period of fine dining or dressing. Graduation does come and the student must now present him/her self as a possible colleague to the same kind of people to whom they have been subservient these many years. They're just from another institution. We've come now to the hard part. The student must be perceived as a potential team member and colleague, someone who will reflect well on the department. Did I say transition? I meant major metamorphosis. Where metamorphosis comes by nature to many life forms, the human being can use intervention at this point, to smooth the transition. Specifically, what is needed is:
Attitudinal adjustment Counseling that helps the graduate understand and appreciate what they have to offer, appreciating that they have been under tutelage for quite sometime and it may have affected their demeanor. I have found that helping the individual assume the probable point of view of the interviewer allows them to get other-oriented and able to see that they do in fact have the features that make them an attractive hire. The applicant's grades and letters of recommendation will tell the hiring committee much about intellect, skills and grades. The interview process tells them about social conduct, fluency and the likelihood that the candidate will be a pleasant enough person with whom to share an office or a committee. If people like you they are much more likely to view your credentials favorably. Now is the time to get objective about the social skills of the candidate, including features such as courtesy, small talk, and how to shake hands. Nonverbal impact The presentation of self requires thoughtful attention. For better or for worse, people read each other's physical presence immediately and make rapid judgments that determine if the interviewee even has a chance to be heard. People certainly do pay attention to a candidate's appearance. We have been taught not to judge a book by its cover but the cover helps sell the book. Publishers realize the importance of the right cover in selling the contents. Does your students' image sell their credibility? Not everybody knows how to present him or herself in the best light and a consultation with someone expert in style and wardrobe would be a wise investment. The biggest payoff of looking great is that it makes the candidate feel great. Confidence and fluency go up when the candidate can look in a mirror and see a person who looks terrific. Carriage Sometimes a person has developed habits of head movement, posture, hand or facial patterns that are distracting. The individual is usually totally unaware of these habits but they are, alas, highly observable to the interviewer. Unfortunately, they attract attention away from what the person is saying, thereby weakening their presence. Sensitive handling of a videotaped interview can help the person get the habit under control. One young man was aware that he was doing something 'off putting' when he met with people. I videotaped him during our interview and was able to show him that he lifted his chin when he conversed so that he was always “looking down his nose” at his conversational partner. After the pattern was identified, the reason for it became evident. His brow line was low and his eyebrows were thick. He had to hold his head back to be able to see his conversational partner through the right area of his glasses. The remedy here was a simple one. Speech/voice patterns Not infrequently I get a phone call that goes like this: “Dr. Fleming, we have a new hire that seems to be just fine in most ways, but there's something about the way she/he talks that is causing problems.” People are usually unable (or reluctant) to be more definitive in their description of the problem. A common problem displayed by very technical or intense people is the tendency to speak without deliberation, rapidly and with limited intonation and pausing. They are trying to express the contents of their brains as opposed to communicating with people. This is best brought home to the candidate by reviewing an audio or videotape of a trial interview with them. When a person personally experiences the difficulty of understanding their own speech, they are usually highly chagrined, but motivated to do something about it. It is very important to let the candidate know that change is possible with the proper training and if they are motivated to improve. There are, of course, many ways that speaking patterns can prove to be a liability, including:
There is help for these problems and the candidate will benefit from dealing frankly with these problems before their appearance in a formal interview. They cannot communicate their credentials if people cannot get past the difficulties of their speech. Copyright
© 2005 Dr. Carol Fleming. All Rights Reserved. Contact us today to discuss how our workshops, coaching and training products can improve your Personal Professionalism and Communication Impact.
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