By Lewis
One of the keys of having a great job interview is to have an excellent conversation. In the June edition of Psychology Today, Matthais Mehl, a researcher from University of Arizona, shares four tips on how to get deeper conversations:
Dare to discloseSubstantive conversations don't need to be driven by emotion; they can be about politics, technology, even what you watch on TV, but they must involve some personal disclosure. Next time you're having a dialogue, try inserting something revealing about yourself. You might be surprised how the other person opens up.Be a full participantGive your full attention when you're talking to someone, instead of going through that laundry list of to-do's in your head, and you'll inevitably have a more involved tete-a-tete.Find common groundMehl says people look for commonality as a way into having more profound conversations. If you can identify that common ground, you're on your way to having more meaningful exchanges. ("You're from Los Angeles? Me too! I also work in finance. Can you believe California is more in debt than Greece?")Embrace your environmentFind a place where you feel secure and confident. For some people, that might be a corner of a crowded coffee shop--for others, a secluded part of a park. Whether a discussion is one-on-one or in a group, it's important to go somewhere everyone feels comfortable. When people feel relaxed, guards go down. The conversations you'll have will astound you.
