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Are you a music fan? Do you listen to podcasts? When you listen to prerecorded content, do you listen actively or passively? Does what you’re listening to have your complete attention, or are you trying to do a variety of other things while listening? Most of our listening in the course of our day is passive. We hear lots of things. Some we absorb and some we dismiss. But the ability to discern the difference comes from active, versus passive listening. When the content is important to you, you listen far more actively and attentively than when it’s going in one ear and out the other.

Passive listening is fine when consuming entertainment. Yes, you might miss something subtle, or minor, but you are still likely to take in the majority of what you’re hearing. And what you miss, may not be that important to you at that time. The nice thing about prerecorded content is that you can go back and listen to it again if you did miss something.

When we engage in conversations with people whose knowledge and opinions matter to us, we tend to

pay more attention than during casual interactions. If the content is important to us – regardless of what that content is – we pay more attention. Isn’t what’s being said during an interview worthy of active listening?

Obviously, being an active listener is a great skill for a job seeker. Many job seekers have shared their belief they didn’t get hired because of the way they answered certain questions, probably due to their being inattentive. This is not uncommon. When an employer or interviewer isn’t ...  (read more:  https://hanklondon.com/active-passive/)

Every few weeks we pose a question you might get asked during an interview and a suggestion on how you might formulate your answer.

This week’s question:

Be careful how you answer this question. Avoid going into specific detail about why you would make certain changes on your last job so as not to disparage your former employer or any of its employees. Keep in mind that in many industries, everyone knows everyone else, so if you’re looking for a job in the same industry and you say something inappropriate, there’s a strong likelihood your comments could get back to the wrong person. Do not say things like, “I’d fire my boss.” Or, “My manager was always filled with anger and hard to be around.” Make constructive comments only, such as “communication could have been improved.” Or, “Production processes could have been streamlined.” “Equipment could use an upgrade.” “A coffee maker would have been nice.” “The vending machines could have provided healthier options.” The less negativity you express can convey a lot about your integrity and recognition that working in less-than-optimal circumstances is frequently the reality.

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To see previous installments of

Tough Interview Questions and Answers,

click here

(Most recent are at the Bottom of the list.)