Effective interview communication

Clear interview communication. Image by Briarmelle Quintessa. CC By

Content
The importance of the quality of communication in an interview will be stressed in this lesson. Students will have some good background knowledge by this stage and will have already attempted an interview in Second Life. In this lesson students will be able to develop skills to enhance their ability to communicate in a positive way in an interview scenario.

Objectives

• Develop skills that will enable students to be more confident and accurate communicators
  
• Understand the importance of using vocal and nonverbal cues to facilitate effective communication
  
• Develop an understanding of questions that could be asked in an interview, and how best to answer these questions in order to promote a positive image
  

Resources
Web pages:

• Interview guide specific to jobs and careers in the UK pharmaceutical industry – although this is a site devoted to jobs in pharmacy, the basic information on communication in the interview is extremely useful (AllAbout MedicalSales)

http://www.allaboutmedicalsales.com/interview_prep_main.html
Videos:

• Marketing yourself successfully (4)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRZ4o0vlRNI&feature=PlayList&p=37D1515892814808&index=3&playnext=4&playnext_from=PL
This shows the importance of good communication skills, and how to use voice and body language in an interview

• Craving confidence: Job interview skills (Part 01)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crrru98iOYg

• Craving confidence: Job interview skills (Part 02)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z25n92tori4&feature=related
The Craving confidence videos require students to listen to someone speaking – there is not a lot of variety in these videos, but they still have very useful, well summarised content

• Stairway of Learning and interview rooms (in Second Life)
  

Clear interview communication. Image by Briarmelle Quintessa. CC By

Activities
Recap

• Go over basic Second Life skills that will be needed in this lesson:
  
  • How to sound record an interview session
    
  • How to make sure your avatar is looking directly at another avatar’s face (by using Alt click on the other person’s avatar, you can ensure your avatar is looking directly at the avatar to whom you are talking)
    
  • How to include a few basic gestures with talking (by wearing some of the speaking gestures found in the inventory library)
    
  • How to lip sync while using voice talk (by accessing the Advanced menu and enabling the lip sync option)
    
• Students will need to obtain and read the note card for the seventh board on the Stairway of Learning (Key communication skills)
  

Main activity

• Students will watch Part 4 of Marketing yourself successfully (url above) – this can be discussed briefly as a class
  
• Students will then be given the opportunity to practise in the private interview rooms in groups of three (interviewer, interviewee and observer) – students will need to be guided through the process of rezzing the private interview rooms and teleporting to the rooms
  
• Students will practise in the interview scenario, taking on the roles of interviewer, interviewee and observer – one student will sound record the interviews
  
• The recorded interview session can be played back for discussion in groups
  
• If possible, it would be an advantage to video record the interview practise so that students can see if they are communicating using eye contact and suitable gesture and posture as well as listening to vocal nuances that influence the accuracy of the communication
  

Reflection/evaluation

• Students will be given a note card to complete – this note card has a short quiz to check their learning in this session
  
• The quiz on the note card can be given to the lecturer through the drop box in Second Life