Perhaps the Simplest Job Interview Tip
to Get You Off to a Good Start
“Thank you very much for meeting with me today.”
If you don’t have the gift of gab and can’t imagine getting through the initial small talk of a job interview, rest easy. This interview has just enough structure to make it an easy task for even the worst conversationalist. This is not a cocktail party, where your small talk, once it begins, may never end. You’re even blessed with an easy place to start. Open things by saying thanks: “Thank you very much for meeting with me today.”That’s pretty simple, but what’s next? Strangely enough, your contact may respond immediately to your brilliant opening—“You’re welcome”—and he may even go on from there. If he does, you’re off and running. If he doesn’t, the ball is back in your court, but take heart. One secret of good small talk is the ability to put the focus on the other person, and that’s a very natural next topic here. What’s more, you can keep things moving by asking an implicit question. “I hope this time worked out in terms of your schedule today and that it’s not too much of a disruption.” You’re inviting a response, and you’re likely to get one. A contact who was willing to meet with you is not likely to tell you that the timing is terrible and he wishes you’d just go away.
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