From the course: Tech Career Skills: Interviewing Developers

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Listen more than you talk

Listen more than you talk

From the course: Tech Career Skills: Interviewing Developers

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Listen more than you talk

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- As you proceed through an interview, pay attention to how much you are talking versus how much the candidate is talking. I like to see a candidate talking at least three times as much as I am for most of the interview. Only towards the end do I need to do more talking when I'm answering their questions or wrapping things up. With quiet candidates, getting them to talk that much can be a challenge. Some shy candidates will give brief answers and need encouragement before going into more detail. There are a couple of ways to offer that encouragement. First, when you think they have finished an answer, pause a bit before taking up something else. It might be a bit awkward because you've just met them, but they might spontaneously flesh out their answer. If you feel the need for stronger encouragement, the generic question of "Can you tell me more about that?" is a nonthreatening way to get some more detail. Here's what you…

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