Interview versus Communication Skills

    Every company owner would like to get the best candidates – otherwise called ‘A’ players – for the job but only a few tend to understand the strategies involved. Off course, you might have spent hours to screen dozens of applicants but the mind-touching questions are: how do you tend to sieve the beans from the chaff – that is, judge the right candidate? Can a shy candidate be more qualified for the job? How do we draw the diving line between communication and interview skills for specific roles?

     The fun fact is many hirers tend to only employ people they consider professionals who cannot just relate with both their co-workers and customers both formally or non-formally and verbally or non-verbally but can actually impress them – basically with communication skills – when interviewing for the job. 
     There are two kinds of people that apply for a job; Introverts – shy folks who do not find it easy to talk to other people- and Extroverts – friendly people who love being or talking with other people. This shows that non-conventional approaches also need to be employed when screening applicants for a job.

  Excellent communication skills are essential for an individual’s success in getting a job. Some communication skills include but not limited to: Listening, friendliness (when responding to questions), Confidence (when relating personal matters), Coherence. The way an individual communicates goes a long way in boosting the credentials mentioned on his/her C.V.

    Interview skills are just ways and guidelines an individual follows when he/she is being interviewed; how he responds to questions from just about any angle on why he should be given the job; how he carries his/herself etc. Good Interview skills help to set an individual apart as he/she has already done advanced research on the position he/she is applying for and has acquired in-depth knowledge of the company.

   Just about anybody –introvert or extrovert- can speak or communicate with another person whether male or female counterpart but interview skill, on the other hand, takes more than just being able to speak. An introvert who prefers to be alone because he/she is afraid of making a blunder or embarrassing him/herself will find it difficult to do well in an interview. 
     This is interviewing can be very challenging even for the best communicator as interview brings with it a feeling of anxiety and fear of what is to come at the end of the interview. It can then be easy to imagine how an introvert who originally lacks confidence; prefers to engage in small talks; probably very prone to sweating as soon as he/she is uncomfortable will blow up his/her chances in an interview.             Suffice to say almost all extroverts possess excellent communication skills and it will be very hard to see one that would not have impressive interview skills – it is what they live for as a matter of fact.

      As the saying goes, a book cannot be judged by its cover. True, an extrovert will perform better at an interview because already he/she knows what it takes to strike up a conversation or keep one going; has the personality to tie all measurable accomplishments together and create a strong character of him/herself in front of the interviewers but the hard fact is introverts generally, tend to be brilliant individuals and cannot just be written off because of their tongue-tied nature. 
  Yes, only extroverts will be brilliant in certain departments of a company especially Marketing, Administrative and security part of the company. But the technical and technological parts of the company can enjoy having introverts in this area. This is because these departments do not require too much interaction with individuals and as a result, their skills can just about speak for them.

     Interviews are not just about potential employees answering questions, it is also about asking them. Job interview for a position in the IT department of a company does not need the interview panel to set about raining questions on the applicants. Instead, a short test and a further practical test will do in such an area. 
    This is because an extrovert who is already confident in him/herself will blow the panel away when answering the questions posed to him/her while an introvert who prefers to take a less crowded walkway just to avoid being in the crowd might not be able to convince the panel and as all that glitters isn’t gold, a different candidate might be suitable for the job

   As a result of this, it is essential for employers to consider the categories they want to employ applicants in before making the interview. This will help the company reduce the number of genius who does not feel bold enough to A their interview and thus improve the company’s growth.