New Year, New Career… New Interview Voice!

Interview panelFIDGET fidget; knee bouncing… Check papers, check notes… Mentally rehearse opening lines of interview… Think of an example of a time where I demonstrated leadership/innovation/inspiration…?

It’s the interview season, the time of New Year’s resolutions, the time to make the most of your potential. You challenge yourself to progress your career and carefully modify your CV. Then begins the round of interviews and the opportunity to display some of your sparkling interpersonal skills.

However, before you begin, think, ‘how does my voice sound?’ Does your voice make you sound interesting? Do you speak too quickly or perhaps you need to speak more clearly? Make sure these comments from recruitment agencies don’t relate to you:
“He was a great candidate on paper, but he tended to mumble, he let himself down, really.”
“I noticed she had a tendency to fidget, which was off-putting, plus she spoke so quickly I couldn’t catch everything she said.”
“He knew so much but the way he spoke was really dull. His voice was just a monotone.”

There are many aspects to an interview that you can practise before the big day to improve your posture and speech skills and avoid those pitfalls. As well as writing your CV and covering letter, put your energies into improving your voice by doing ‘speak-out-loud rehearsals’.

Here are five top speaking tips to help you triumph in an interview. Improving your speech skills ahead of the interview will ensure you make the most of your voice in front of those dreaded interrogators:

  1. Rehearse your opening sentences with which to impress the interviewer(s)
  2. Speak your prepared words aloud, using the range of your voice to sound interesting
  3. Record your voice, speak clearly, listen back, make notes and repeat
  4. Film yourself, watch back and again, modify your approach and repeat
  5. Remember to take time to breathe.

On the day of interview, you will be a Professional Voice User. You are potentially the next Head of Department / Director of Operations / Senior Partner and your voice matters. Make your voice interesting and be fluent. The time you have invested into rehearsals will pay dividends. Listen to the interview questions and respond using an interesting voice. Your voice and body language can boost or break your career.

Here is a short checklist to help you prepare your voice, calm your nerves and shine at your next interview:

  1. Rehearse what you are going to say – out loud, several times to warm up your voice
  2. Take time to have a sip of water during your interview, it lubricates your voice
  3. Remember to breathe before you begin to speak
  4. Maintain good posture, both seated and standing
  5. Resist any temptation to fidget, sit still and maintain good eye contact
  6. Use the range of your voice to good effect and speak clearly
  7. Practise pausing to add weight and impact to your words.

Enjoy a sparkling career in 2017 and for more information on voice coaching, get in touch.

Voice Synergy – it’s all about clarity, confidence and impact