According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, “Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing.” If you’re among this population and you’re preparing for a job interview, you may be wondering what you can do to ensure you ace it. We review tips for this below.
Wear Your Hearing Aids
If you own hearing aids, we strongly recommend wearing them to your job interview. This is the best way to ensure you can hear your interviewer well, which will help you confidently navigate the interview. If you are interviewing over the phone or video and have Bluetooth® hearing aids, you can sync them to your device so that audio is streamed directly to your ears. In addition, make sure you stock up on batteries to ensure you have fresh ones for your interview.
Request a Quiet Interview Setting
If you’re interviewing in person, you can request a quiet setting like a conference or meeting room. It’s important to do so, as many offices these days have an open floor plan, and your interviewer may not prioritize quiet settings if they do not also have hearing loss. If you’re interviewing at home, you have more control over the setting. Make sure there is no background noise, including music or television. It may be a good idea to ask your family to step outside the house while you are interviewing.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Clarification
When you don’t understand what is said or asked, don’t try to fake your way through it, or you may give a confusing or inappropriate answer. Instead, simply ask for clarification or your interviewer to repeat or rephrase what they said.
Take Notes & Ask Follow-Up Questions
To show that you’re engaged, be sure to take notes on important information offered and note any questions you’d like to ask at the end of the interview. This can help your interview feel more like a two-way interaction than a one-way interrogation.
For more information about interviewing tips with hearing loss or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call Kampsen Hearing today.