Prior to joining the military, I managed several different retail stores and even owned a couple of retail shopping carts in the local mall. From the time I was 18 until I entered the service at almost 24 years old, I hired no less than 150 people for full or part-time employment. And, while the highest paid position I ever offered anyone was only around $8 or $9 per hour, I still found many of the examples, good and bad, listed in the articles reminiscent of my experiencing in the retail world. Were all the applicants not selected "bad" people? No, for many there was just a lack of the comfortable interaction between the interviewee and me. Thinking about this, the majority of these candidates could have dramatically changed the outcome of their interview had they applied a few .
Hands down, the most critical component of communication throughout the interview process is gaining the attention of the interviewer. This person has more than likely seen several candidates before you and will likely see several more after. The first step in gaining this person's attention is to get rid of as much of the din as possible. This din or noise can be actual sound making it hard to hear. However, a good hiring manager will have a quiet place available for interviews. More often, this din is caused by the interviewee's sloppy speech, negative opinions of former boss etc., distracting mannerisms, or dress. Once the noise is removed, or at least reduced, the largest obstacle has been overcome and already you stand out. Secondly, a genuine respect for the interviewer and his position is very important to not only secure, but to retain his attention. It is important to greet the interviewer with sincerity. While this may sound like the first step to gaining attention, it really is not. Because, as mentioned above the reduction of noise is first and that lessening can begin long before the interview starts.
