5 Small Talk Pointers to Defuse any Awkward Interview Moments

Today, with the ever increasing competition, employers have come up with new ways to filter the best candidates from the not so great candidates in the interview. Moreover, the interview patterns and procedures differ from one company to another so you have to be prepared in every sense before you go into each and every interview.

One situation that you may have experienced is the awkward moment having to make small talk with your interviewer. This might be in the lift, taking the stairs, waiting for the interview to begin or even on the way out at the end. These moments are crucial in cementing in the employer’s mind that you are the candidate for them.

Here at Attic Recruitment we want you to be well prepared for any interview or situation with a possible future employer. Even if you have years of experience and successful interviews under your belt it is always good to keep improving your conversation skills to present yourself as confidently as possible.

Take a look at our 5 small talk tips to help you out in these situations:

Do Your Research
Many of you will already do your research on the company you’re interviewing for which is a good practice to have. This might involve reading over their website, taking a look at any press releases and researching the products or services they sell. However, when trying to combat those small talk moments a great place to start is a company’s social media channels.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and wherever else the company posts, you can gain an insight into the latest events they have attended, topics of discussion and work they have done which is always a good talking point.

Listen To Any Comments The Interviewer Makes
If your interviewer starts making small talk, makes comments on the weather, the latest news stories or their latest travel plans then listen up. These are the small talk moments where you can bounce off one another and use what they have said to strike up a conversation.

When holidays are mentioned then you can maybe discuss your latest holiday or a country you would love to visit. If the weather is mentioned then you can discuss what you did at the weekend in that said weather. No matter what the topic is try to engage with it and go from their.

If In Doubt Discuss Your Surroundings
This isn’t to say that you should start talking about every single detail of the furniture but discussing the office layout or the location you are in is an easy way to start a conversation.

If your interview is quite informal in a location away from the office then you might be able to discuss the area you are in with ease. However, if it is a formal interview you can make simple conversation about the office layout or colour scheme.

Steer Clear Of Risky Subjects
It is unlikely that your interviewer will bring up subjects such as politics or religion unless it is relevant to the job. However, these subjects and other riskytopics can make small talk much harder because there might be questions you do not want to answer or you do not have an answer to.

Try to steer clear of these topics and discuss others instead.

Be Positive And Enthusiastic
A positive attitude will take you a long way in your professional as well as personal life. It is vital that you should be positive when you go for your interview because it will reflect in your body language. Also, it is vital that you should be enthusiastic while giving your interview. These two factors will hugely affect your career in the long run.

If you have a positive and upbeat attitude it may help to calm your nerves and rid you of any awkwardness when talking to your employer.

Embrace the awkward small talk situations and have confidence in your abilities.

For more information and help with finding the perfect job for you, visit Attic Recruitment.