Job Interview Oprah Style

Posted on: 2008-08-25

I recently saw an interview on Larry King with Oprah Winfrey. I rarely watch Larry, and almost never watch Oprah. But I do know she is one of the most successful women in America, so I took a minute to watch (and “listen”). It was near the end of the interview that Larry asked Oprah what made her so successful and well liked by all. Oprah’s reply was “I validate everyone.” This is Oprah’s way of saying “I listen.” She went on to say that it is a fundamental fact of human nature that everyone wants to be appreciated (meaning understood). She realized this early on in her career, and she views it as the key component to her success.

The biggest complaint we hear about candidates from hiring officials is “he or she did not listen.” Most candidates like to talk. Good candidates talk less. Great candidates talk the least. They ask a lot of questions and then listen, listen and listen some more. By asking good, thoughtful questions when being interviewed, you achieve a number of objectives. First, the hiring official becomes your fan. The more they talk about themselves and their company, the more they like you. In addition, as they talk, you learn more about their interests and goals. From this information you garner important facts. In many cases, a hiring official is giving you the answers to the test – and everyone knows a job interview is a test. You also learn details about the position, the company, the culture and the people. This is all very important information in helping you make a critical career decision. With this in mind, we recommend that all of our candidates follow Key #1 – “Listen and Be Like Oprah.” It sounds a bit crazy, but it really works.