Job Interview? Know Your Audience.

As part of your homework, it’s critical that you know with whom you are talking—not just his or her name and title. Do you know their interests, their past roles, their accomplishments? If it’s not an interview but a networking session, it may be a slightly different conversation since you’re not restricted to protocol about interview boundaries. I wouldn’t recommend being too casual, but I suggest being more creative in your approach about topics to discuss.

I suggest keeping things professional; however, you do have more latitude to talk about potential common interests and connection points. For example, you can talk about running marathons or how many kids he or she may have in their family when it makes sense. Conversely, try to understand what topics are taboo. I once asked a contact how his wife was doing, as I knew the couple when they used to live nearby. He mentioned their recent divorce. I couldn’t have gotten every bit of information in advance to ensure the conversation went smoothly, but I could have been more attentive to the fact that he was only talking about his kids, and not pressed the question about his spouse unless it came up more naturally.

It made the discussion awkward for a little bit. We recovered, but it was a good lesson in the importance of better awareness of the surroundings and situations. As much as personal connections will enhance the relationship, I’ve learned to do enough homework to be sure, allow others to bring subjects up first, or to stay away from personal topics until a deeper relationship is forged.

What do you know about the audience with whom you’re interviewing? Look for more than personal facts, especially in an interview, since the dynamics are slightly different from a pure networking session. Do you know the person’s style and personality type? Does the person you’re interviewing with like humor? Are they “down-to-earth;” are they shirt-and-tie-type where everything stays extremely professional; are they looking for past history or go-forward dialog? Stay true to yourself in the interview but when you know how to adapt, it can be a key factor to making the most of the conversation.