Small talk. Its an art-form that everyone uses, but few ever master. It can cause a good deal of stress when you head into an interview without knowing what to say after “Hello”, and not being aware of small talk techniques can lead to more than a few awkward silences. Not to worry, we have a few tips here to help you get the ball rolling and keep you from stumbling over your words in your next interview.
Find A Common Interest
People are most comfortable interacting with people who are similar to them, so try to find a common interest with your recruiter. Maybe you notice they have a certain sports team’s memorabilia that you are a fan of around their office, or their diploma is hanging on the wall and you notice you went to the same college. Whatever it may be, bring it up! Finding something in common with your interviewer won’t only help the interview go more smoothly and make you appear more social, but it will also help to ease any pre-interview nerves you might be experiencing. Pay attention to what they’re saying and if you notice you share an interest in a topic, steer the conversation towards it; as long as it doesn’t completely change the subject off the interview.
Use Anecdotes
Got a funny story or two in your back-pocket you’ve been waiting to break out? Feel free to share it with your recruiter, as long as its appropriate and you can steer the conversation to the topic in a natural way. You don’t want your introduction to start off sounding like “Hello, my name’s _____. So this one time I…”. It’s jarring and comes across as a little aggressive and very awkward. You want the conversation to flow naturally, and that involves a back and forth. Allow them to respond to what you have said before continuing, and if they either show or voice disinterest or appear as though they want to move on, take the hint. Remember, while sharing a story can help with small talk, you don’t want it to interfere with your interview as a whole.
Be Original
Skip the cliches! Chances are your interviewer is sick of discussing the weather with every candidate that walks through their door. Bring some originality to the conversation. Maybe you see they have an interesting desk ornament… ask about it! Everyone loves to talk about things they enjoy, and by bringing up something they have an interest in you will get them more engaged. The important thing here is to talk about something that most other candidates wouldn’t. Avoid discussing the weather or traffic. These are handy if you can’t think of anything else to talk about, but you want to strive to find something with a bit more depth.
Comment On The Company
One way to get the conversation started is to comment on the company itself. Maybe you like the decor, have recently read an article about them, or have heard about charity events they’ve held recently. Whatever it may be, bring it up as it shows your interest in the company. It also gives you a great opportunity to learn a bit more about their organization and its culture. It can also provide a good jumping off point to segway into another conversational point. For example, you comment on an interesting painting on the wall and then continue on by sharing your interests in different creative fields. Whatever you choose to discuss, be sure to listen to the response because chances are you’re going to get information about the company that not everyone knows.
Ask Questions
When in doubt ask questions… about anything! Ask about the company, their day, their interests, any photos or items you see on their desk, etc. When you ask a question, you lean on the recruiter to lead the conversation and provide you with a jumping off point for further small talk. This is a good approach for those who often find it difficult talking to people, or for those who have run of things to talk about. It allows you to comment on their answer to your question and can provide a stress-free way of starting a conversation. Just ask away and let their answer guide you to the next point in the conversation.