Jane’s Rule for Answering Questions
During an introductory phone call, a job seeker said, “I will totally fill the air with noise if you let me!” I laughed out loud at the honesty and accuracy of those words.
We are all judged and evaluated at every point-of-contact and in every conversation, so be cognizant of the natural ebb and flow in a discussion. The more desperate you are to find a job, the greater the tendency to talk nonstop in an attempt to tell your whole story in one long, run-on sentence. Don’t do this. Maintain self-control and avoid verbal diarrhea at all costs.
Here’s my rule for answering questions:
Listen to the question
Ask for clarification if you need it
Answer the question
Stop talking
Don’t be afraid of silences in a conversation. Give the interviewer time to process what you’ve said and then to ask a follow up question. If the interviewer interrupts you while you’re mid-sentence, allow the interruption. Don’t try and finish your thought. Just stop talking immediately and let the interviewer drive the discussion. If you keep talking, it’ll look like you’re not aware of (or willing to abide by) basic conversation etiquette.
If the discussion does end up going off in a completely different direction, try to weave into the rest of the conversation any salient points that you didn’t get to say. Just make sure that all your responses are on-point and completely related to the subject at hand. You don’t want to stray too far from a topic otherwise you’ll find yourself down a rabbit hole with no way back.
If you do pick up signals that the interviewer wants to end the call, don’t prolong the inevitable by asking questions in an effort to extend the conversation. If you demonstrate you’re slow to pick up on non-verbal cues, it’ll detract from you as a candidate. Just let the interviewer drive the discussion. If you’re not a match for the current role but have presented yourself professionally, you’ll increase your chances of being contacted in the future.
If you tend to talk too much (like me), tape a reminder to your desk that says, “Stop talking!” I’ve had one on my computer screen for almost twenty years. It’s very faded, but it’s mostly done the trick.