Flickr Image "Talking" by pedrosimoes7

Your ability to communicate during interviews for a job, for a scholarship for an award or prize can help you move towards financial freedom.

Public communication is one of the most under-rated skills in life. Even with the proliferation of toastmasters clubs all over the world, not many people make their way to improve their own inter-personal communication or their one to many communication situations.

I’ll share some ways in which you can improve your performance dramatically during those crucial interviews that could help or hinder your journey towards financial freedom.

Talk is NOT Cheap
Your ability to communicate is important. No matter what job you do, you need to talk to people. You will have to interact with supervisors, subordinates, peers and  colleagues, suppliers and customers. Some of your jobs will require you to talk less. Some of your jobs will require you to talk more. You have to communicate effectively in order to be productive at your job.

In my 15 years of working, I’ve seen countless examples of people who got promoted because they were effective in communication. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean you can talk your way into promotions and bonuses. But if you and your peers both perform about the same quantity and quality of work, who do you think will get the bonus?

Is it the one who is better able to tell the boss or bosses what you’ve done and what your contributions were? Or would it be the one who just submits the requisite appraisal forms but fails to engage the boss or bosses throughout the year during meetings, discussions and during the actual appraisal session?

Interviews
I’m increasingly involved in interviews in my current work and noted that how you carry yourself and answer questions reflects your personality, your inate knowledge and skills and your maturity. It’s hard to fake it when you are being interviewed by a group of five people who can pose any type of question relating to your work or your interest and abililties.

Having been on both sides of interviews, I’ve been asked questions and I’ve asked questions. What are some ways you can leverage such chances to speak to your own journey towards financial freedom in growing your wealth?

1. Be Yourself

Being yourself is important because as Oscar Wilde commented, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

There’s no point in “faking” it because sooner or later, your true self will emerge consciously or unconsciously. By being yourself, you don’t have to keep projecting the “image” of what you want people to think about you.

That doesn’t mean you should dress sloppily and treat people without respect but it means you should just be as straightforward about your responses to the questions posed.

2. Be Open

You can have informed views about the world, but if you are new to the industry or if you are just starting out at age 18, 19 or 20+, you should be open to seeing things from different view points. Believe it or not, there are people who are actually older and wiser because they have seen and experienced more stuff than you have and have more considered views about what the world can be versus what is should be.

3. Be Confident

If you are who you are and you’re happy with who you are, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be confident. After all, you are good enough to be shortlisted to be interviewed! Being confident means knowing that you have the potential to get that job, that scholarship or that prize. But whether that potential is realised depends on your effort (which you can control) and the response of the interviewers (which you cannot control).

Be confident but not cocky or arrogant. Present your best side but acknowledge you have areas to improve and that you are still young or new to the business and can learn from everyone.

4. Be friendly

Smile at the interviewers. Yes, they are going to “grill” your metaphorically, but the worst they can do is not grant you that award, scholarship or prize. It’s not the end of the world. In fact, if you are open and friendly, that actually increases your chances of success.

5. Be grateful

The opportunity to be interviewed is a privilege and not a right. Many people would kill to be in your position for the chance to win that award, scholarship, prize or job. Be thankful for that opportunity, you can say it simply, “thank you for the opportunity.”

Be well and prosper.