Page 60 - Communication in Organizations Basic Skills and Conversation Models

The job application interview 49

positively and show that you had a wide range of interests. Maybe you did some
charity work alongside your studies or you led an active student association life.
2 As an out-of-work recent graduate the committee asks you a question about what you
have done in the period after your graduation and preceding the interview. Don’t say
that it is so hard to get a job because there is so little on offer, but indicate that you
have been actively searching for a job, or that you have done some voluntary work, or
that you have followed some extra courses. Show clearly that you have not been
sitting passively at home waiting till something was offered to you, but that you have
used your initiative.
3 You are asked why you applied to this company in particular. Don’t say that you find it
important to have a job because you finally want to put into practice all the learned
theory and that incidentally this company has a position on offer that fits in with your
studies perfectly. Show that from the information you have gathered it is evident
(indicating you have done some research) that the organization matches your own
style, atmosphere or ideology, preference, ambition or vision, and that therefore it
seems attractive for you to work here. Alternatively indicate that you have heard from
relatives or family that the company has a favourable working climate where personal
effort and initiative are noted and valued.

These examples are not meant to obscure the truth or to say what the selectors want to
hear—what you don’t mean you should not say—but they are meant to give you an idea
of how you might formulate what you want to say in the most positive manner.

Thinking aloud
During an application interview you will always be confronted by unexpected questions,
even though you have prepared yourself thoroughly. These unexpected questions are
sometimes so tricky that you don’t know the answer straightaway. The silence that
follows can make you feel uneasy and as an applicant you may sometimes have
difficulties in thinking clearly. The consequence may be that you quickly just say
something in order to answer the question or you might not find an answer at all. A
silence like this can also raise doubts in the selectors. They don’t know why the applicant
is silent for such a long time or what is going through his mind. Doesn’t he have an
answer to the question? Doesn’t he have an opinion regarding the question asked? Is he
afraid to answer? Is he unable to answer because the subject is too heavy? Doesn’t he
want to answer because he finds the question too personal? Therefore they don’t know
exactly how to interpret the silence. This leads to an unclear situation which is not
favourable to the rest of the conversation.
In order to avoid such an uncomfortable situation, you would do better to indicate that
you find it difficult to answer the question immediately and would like to think it over:
for example, ‘Oh …, that is a difficult question. I will have to think about it…’ The
selectors then know what is going on in your head and will give you time and space to
think about the question. By thinking aloud you avoid uncomfortable silences and
prevent your thought processes from getting blocked.