Make small talk during a job interview

Make small talk during a job interview

Make small talk during a job interview : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

Job interviews are always nerve-wracking. But you can ease the stress by engaging in small talk with the interviewer. Of course, this is a bit different from the ordinary small talk you make with a stranger. Because a job is at stake here, you want to be more careful and intentional when making small talk during a job interview. No idea how to do this? Let the following tips help you.

• Display your people skills. In all likelihood, the job interviewer will use the small talk to observe your people skills—how comfortable you are talking to strangers and how you manage a discussion with someone you don’t know. So make sure to use this opportunity to show your people and communication skills. The job interviewer won’t assess you by what you say but by how you say your thoughts.
• Stay relaxed. Remember that your voice and body language will certainly give you away, so be calm. After all, it’s just small talk. And small talk is supposed to make you calm and comfortable. In fact, you have to use this opportunity to set the tone of the interview. So try to start the small talk on a happy note.
• Avoid being too patronizing. In an attempt to win the favor of the job interviewer, some people make the mistake of patronizing or complimenting the job interviewer too much. Remember, this is a no-no. The interviewer will know right away if the excessive praise is an attempt at flattery. And there are two possibilities: either he will tell you openly that he’s not pleased with the flattery, or he will silently give you negative points. So if you feel like bursting out with a comment that you think will only end up as excessive praise, better keep it to yourself.
• Stick to appropriate topics. Remember the no-no topics: politics, religion, current events, personal beliefs, job-related matters, and previous jobs and bosses.
• You can talk about anything under the sun except for the ones mentioned. You can, for instance, talk about the just-concluded sports event, the upcoming holidays, or the new car model. Anything that will make you both comfortable and keep you in a happy mood is a possible small talk topic. Allow the conversation to flow. Comment on what the interviewer says, but remember to keep the comment light and cheerful.
• Make eye contact. Even though it is just small talk, eye contact is very important. Maintaining eye contact sends the message that you are confident and interested. In the first place, who wants to talk to someone who is staring at the table? If you can’t fix your eyes on the interviewer during small talk, the less likely you will be to look at him during the interview itself.

And finally, be honest. Some people assume that it is better to agree with whatever the interviewer says. But again, the interviewer can sense you are just trying to win him over. If you don’t agree with your interviewer’s opinion, politely say you don’t share the same thought but don’t explain why. Instead, wait for him to ask for an explanation. If you are asked to explain, keep the statement generic and short. Don’t delve too much into the topic to avoid saying something that you will soon regret.