Careers blog: Five Listening Pitfalls at Job Interviews

Konstantina Dee, Alumni Careers Manager, explores the five common listening pitfalls that can derail your job interview.

Last week my 13-year-old daughter was asked to participate in a national survey about the life of teenagers in modern day Britain. One of the statements she had to rate was ‘Your mother listens to you with full attention’.  I was asked the same question in the parents’ questionnaire. Later in the evening at the family table she shared what she’d put and it hurt. It was ‘sometimes’. Sadly, this was my own answer too.

My excuse is that there are lots of things going on in my mind, I feel tired and distracted after work, and she is a chatter box. While these excuses offer little comfort, they led me to explore common listening pitfalls applicants encounter when they go for job interviews.  

• The Distracted Multitasker

The scenario above represents a common challenge: being mentally overwhelmed, physically tired and unable to concentrate on what the other person is saying. The negative side on this is that we give the impression that we are disengaged and unprofessional. While with my daughter (who has promised to always give me a second chance) I am determined to compensate this, during a networking event or at a job interview, you will rarely have a second chance.

As a prolific networker, you might find yourself moving quickly from one conversation to the next, without pause. Without reflection, these conversations will blur together, diminishing their value. It is important that you block out time after each meeting to summarise your learnings and reflections. You can update your networking journal and prepare for the follow-up conversation or the next new  meeting. 

While on the job hunt and the search taking its toll on you, your anxiety can easily come across during interviews. If you feel too anxious for your first screening call, it might be better to reschedule for a more appropriate time.

You might be going for multiple interviews day after day, or have a day-long interview with a firm. This is extremely exhausting and one can easily lose focus on the questions being asked. Don’t forget you have one chance at interviews. Adopt strategies to recharge your listening capacity – mindfulness or light physical activity between interviews might help, or use any possible break during the assessment day to find peace and calmness.   

• The Impatient Self-Promoter

You have spent ages preparing for the job interview. Perhaps you have even had a mock interview with a Careers Coach and are determined to make a strong impression. What can often happen is that in your eagerness to talk about your achievements, you cut the interviewer off mid-sentence to add your insights.  As Yip and Fisher observe in a recent article ‘Are You Really a Good Listener?’ ‘listening with haste can be worse than not listening at all’, leaving people feeling undervalued and dismissed. You may also miss the opportunity to provide your best answer because you have heard only half of the question.

You might think you know the questions they are going to ask you and jump in with your rehearsed stories. However, take a moment to fully absorb the question before responding. Reflect on what the interviewers are actually interested in finding out about you. Sometimes these questions might have a deeper meaning. Slowing down will give you an opportunity to ask a clarifying question and then deliver the appropriate answer.  Remember your first task at the interview is to understand what the interviewer would like to know about you, only then you move to task two: responding.

• The Defensive Alum

I have heard stories from alumni who describe their interview experiences as if they ‘were being belittled’ by the interviewer and they felt compelled to justify their relevant experience or the size of the organisation they had previously worked for. These instances often trigger a defensive response.  A way to tackle the behaviour will be to calm your emotions and adopt a curiosity mindset instead.  Clarify your understanding with a phrase like ‘If I understand correctly, you would like me to highlight how my experience or the size of the organisation I worked for, is relevant for your organisation, is this right?’ This is your opportunity to showcase relevant experiences and insights.  

• The Absent Soul

Active and positive body language, even in a virtual setting, is essential for building rapport and demonstrate a genuine interest in the other person.  If your interviewer notices that you are checking your phone or have adopted a closed posture during the conversation, they will not have an inkling that you are not taking this process seriously.   

Recently I had a conversation with an alum who recruits for their organisation.  He sees candidates who struggle to convey engagement through positive body language during interviews. As a hiring manager this alum assesses the candidates’ body language, how they maintain eye contact, how they nod or appear thoughtful on hearing the question.  When we were talking, he described these people as an ‘absent soul’. Unsurprisingly, these candidates fail the communication test. 

Adopt natural and confident body language – nodding, smiling, and a relaxed posture. This will help you feel more at ease and will allow you to think logically for the upcoming question.  You can demonstrate engaged listening by providing verbal acknowledgements with simple phrases like ‘I see’ or ‘This is clear’ or summarising what you have heard ‘So what I am understanding is that this role involves….’ This will indicate that you are present and want the job.  

• The Conversation Wall

Inaction can be a significant barrier to effective communication. To overcome this, actively engage in the conversation by asking questions and providing thoughtful responses. Interview pressure can lead to a quick exit, missing the chance to clarify next steps or establish a follow-up. A good way to close the conversation will be to summarise your understanding of the next stages of the recruitment process. Having this additional information will allow you to plan accordingly. Being a person who follows up conversations and takes time to send their gratitude will be noticed too. 

After all, at each interview your objective is to build a relationship, not merely pass the test. When you truly listen, you connect, establish credibility and create opportunities for sustainable career success.

This blog is inspired by the above quoted article: ‘Are you Really a Good Listener?’, Yip & Fisher, June 2025