Did you know that people usually switch jobs or radically alter their career paths at least 5 to 15 times within a working lifetime?
According to a 2018 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person changes jobs at least a dozen times throughout their life.
Why do people change jobs so often? Does it have anything to do with professional aimlessness?
Or, perhaps its due to confusing a personal need to pay bills over pursing a dream job they want, but won’t pursue, out of fear of failure?
Believe it or not, the tone of voice expressed during a botched job interview might have something to do with it.
A 2015 psychological study conducted by scientists at the University of Chicago found that potential employers mainly used their hearing to judge applicants.
Job interviewers listened to the cadence, tone, and vocal pitch of applicants as their main judgment metric. Knowing this, how to respond to a job offer might be worthy of taking a closer look. There is an essential factor in the way we speak, among others, that could define whether we land the job or not. Sometimes, the experience is not everything that job hunters seek.
The Importance of Tone
Potential employers can learn a lot more about you via your tone over assessing resumes, reference letters, and qualifications.
According to the research, potential employers prefer to listen to a job interviewee’s voice to judge their suitability, overall intelligence, and mental capacity.
Think about it – you can judge a person’s capacity for rational thinking and reasoning by tone of voice and intuit how they process information.
You can tell someone is being condescending, sarcastic, judgmental, panicky, and so on, by the tone of their voice.
No matter what they say.
On your next job interview the interviewer may be listening to your voice tone to judge whether or not you’re stalling during the interview to think of B.S. answers, know nothing about the job you’re applying for, and so on.
Well, I have some tips to help you boost your confidence and control your tone of voice to prevent your voice from betraying your mental processes in a job interview.
Remember, You’ll be Seen Before You’re Heard
The baseline salary for most Americans is just under $47,000 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
It takes time and frequent manifestations of competence, skill, and results to secure regular pay raises.
So, if you’re changing jobs frequently, its not going to help you make or save money.
Also, your mannerisms and conduct during a job interview may be unwittingly costing jobs you might be qualified for.
Before we get into how your tone of voice affects your job approval chances, let’s discuss what you should not do during a job interview.
After all, your job interviewer is going to see your mannerisms, actions, and clothing aesthetics long before you open your mouth.
Don’t Show Up Late
Showing up one minute late shows that you have no professional discipline.
Also, if you can’t keep a promise to show up on time for a job interview, how can you be trusted to deliver work assignments on time?
Showing up late also tells your potential employer you don’t respect their time commitments.
Imagine showing up 20 minutes late for your interview. Why should your interviewer inconvenience all of the interviewees scheduled after you and give you extra time because you’re horribly late?
Showing up late is just going to inconvenience and frustrate your interviewer.
Showing Up Very Early Won’t Help Either
Endeavor to show up at least 10-minutes early. Showing up an hour early means your interviewer must try to accommodate you instead of preparing for the interviews of the day.
Don’t Exhibit Negative Body Language
Don’t avoid eye contact, frown, cross your arms defensively, constantly fidget, play with your hair, answer your cell phone, or do anything to show you are disengaged with the interview.
At best, you’ll look horribly nervous. However, at worst, you’ll look like you just don’t want to be there.
Don’t Dress Inappropriately
You can dress however you want in your personal life.
If you need me to break it to you that professional workplaces have dress codes, then it may partially explain why you go to so many job interviews.
Your best bet is to call before your interview and ask about their dress code standards.
Or, take your chances showing up in flip-flops, ripped clothing, beach shorts, sunglasses, and so on.
Don’t Be Clueless About Your Potential Employer
Do your homework. Research online and learn the basic operational structure of the company you are asking for employment.
You may be impressed with your own stalling and evasion tactics, but your interviewer won’t.
Why should you be hired if you know nothing about the company or job position you’re applying for?
Try to Comparatively Match Your Interviewer’s Tone
Comparatively matching the tone of a professional conversation promotes the continuance of comforting communications. If your interviewer is soft-spoken, try not to speak with an overly loud tone.
However, if your interviewer speaks in an excitable, loud, and enthusiastic tone, try to match it in a way that matches their enthusiasm.
Don’t Speak Too Loudly
Yes, you want to match the tone of your interviewer. But don’t overtake that tone or speak as loudly as you can.
You’ll come off as belligerent and adversarial.
Or you’ll look like you’re trying to command a conversation when you don’t have the leverage to do so.
Don’t Talk in a Rapid-Pace Cadence
Talking too slow in an Eeyore-type tone won’t do you any favors. Still, don’t talk in a rapid-fire cadence either.
You may come off as incompetently nervous.
Or, like a hustler trying to guide the interview as you see fit.
Don’t Ad-Lib
Keep your answers focused on the questions asked of you. Your tone of voice will betray you when you start talking about irrelevant topics.
You’ll come off as evasive, stalling, unfocused, or trying to hide something.
Pay Attention and Stay Engaged
Stay engaged with your interviewer. Let your interviewer set the vocal tone for the conversation and actively try to match it.
Actively listen. Your interviewer is actively listening to your tone during the interview.
You can use the very same tactics to use to your own advantage.
Read More
Why You Sometimes Don’t Feel Like Working and What You Can Do
The Best Places to Work in 2018
How to Make Your Workspace More Pleasant and Productive
Allen Francis was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years with no money, no financial literacy, and no responsibility when he had money. To him, the phrase “personal finance,” contains the power that anyone has to grow their own wealth. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including focusing on your needs instead of your wants, asking for help when you need it, saving and investing in your own small business.