Getting graduate jobs without uttering a word

Applying for graduate jobs can seem like a thankless task. You go through all that effort to apply and interview, you know you have the right skills and experience do the job, you say all the right things at interview....but someone else gets the job. Not only does someone else get it, you knew that you weren't going to get the offer as it simply didn;t 'feel' right after you left.

Well you're not alone, they will have interviewed anything up to twenty people for typical graduate jobs, and at interview stage all will have had the right background. Final decisions are often marginal and are not determined on differences of qualifications or experience, but on who 'feels' right according to the interviewing manager.

Who 'feels' right, surely not, graduate jobs are serious affairs, how can a 'feeling' be the decisive factor. Well, as above, all at interview are capable of doing the job. Experts explain that 70% of communication is actually 'non verbal'. this means that in an interview situation there's an awful lot going on other than just the words you speak, and it's this that generates that 'feeling' either positive or negative that you are left with when you leave.

To explain the origins of this somewhat subconscious feeling, try to remember a conversation your had with someone with a really strong accent. The were speaking your language yet you were struggling to understand what they were saying. Can you remember how uncomfortable this felt? What if they ask a question and you totally misinterpret it and give an unrelated answer, how embarrassing is that. You can hardly say 'I can't understand a word your saying' that would be equally embarrassing. the whole affair can 'feel' relly awkward.

The same feelings can be generated by features of speech other than the words themselves. Someone who's natural speech is really soft and quiet can be made to feel really uncomfortable by someone who 'booms' out every word. Typically, in interviews for graduate jobs these differences are more subtle and cover features such as, volume, pitch, intonation and speed, but nevertheless, the differences are there and create varying degrees of 'feeling' either good or not so good.

So if you are a candidate how do you use this, rather than loose from this. Well experts call it 'matching'. It's a skill that can be learned and practiced to get good at it. You need to build up an awareness of peoples features of speech, are they fast or slow, loud or soft and so on. The you need to try and shift your own style towards them. The more you are able to do this, the more comfortable they will 'feel' with you in a subconscious way.

If you practise this you should find that in interviews for graduate jobs you can adjust your speech within a couple of sentences at the beginning of a meeting and then build on that 'just right feeling' your interviewer will be getting throughout. Try it, you'll like the results.

About The Author:
John Bult runs an internet jobs board for people looking for graduate jobs in the UK

Tags: GRADUATE JOBS

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Title:	Getting graduate jobs without uttering a word
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Getting graduate jobs without uttering a word