If you’ve been on an interview (or a recruiter who sets them up daily) then you understand when an interview goes right. Your qualifications are on target, the conversation is effortless and it flows from beginning to end culminating in an offer that you accept. Now end the fuzzy dream sequence and instead see a qualified candidate completely capable of doing the job, excited and interested in the position and company, but the interviewers feels like they’re pulling teeth to get a candidate to open up and truly show who they are.

This is where one of my candidates recently found themselves and the exact same quandary that many companies find themselves in on a constant basis. Unfortunately for the candidates they typically don’t get hired because while they demonstrated the ability to do the work they didn’t deliver on showcasing their ability to work with the team and communicate with others throughout the business… and that’s too important for any company to ignore.

The good news is you can learn to be a more effective conversationalist, and the important thing to remember about increasing these skills is that it simply allows you to showcase who you are during the interview. Of course as an added bonus you typically will get more information about the company and the people you interview with therefore allowing you to make a better decision for your career.