Signposting Language: How To Use It To Your Advantage in Job Interviews
Picture yourself sitting face-to-face with a hiring manager who has a tinge of exhaustion on their face from interviewing the countless candidates who came in before you. They ask you about your background, experience, and career aspirations with an inquisitive look, but as you start answering the questions, they turn their gaze away to their laptop screen or look down at their notes, making you wonder if they are even listening.
If you have been in similar situations, know that you are not alone. Many candidates think that listing their qualifications and achievements is enough to ace a job interview along with showing enthusiasm. However, what most do not realize is that the way you communicate those things is what commands hiring managers’ attention. While we all know to remain professional and positive, one of the lesser-known communication techniques in an interview setting is using signposting language.
What is Signposting Language?
Signposting language refers to the words and phrases that guide listeners coherently so that they can easily comprehend and grasp what is being said. It helps them clearly understand what has just happened and what is going to happen next, providing structure to speech.
Why Should You Use Signposting Language in Job Interviews?
Before we delve into the importance of using signposting language in job interviews, let’s analyze the following sample answer to the question “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”:
“I have excellent interpersonal skills. I’ve always understood how crucial it is for human resources personnel to show empathy. I consciously work on improving my listening and communication skills when interacting with other employees. I have been working with a leadership coach for the past year and a half. It has greatly honed my human skills. One of my career goals is to continue improving my soft skills so that I can impact the workplace for the better. I would say that I focus too much on the details. With any given task, I always find something that needs to be changed or improved each time I go over it, which can sometimes be a vicious cycle. I don’t want to spend too much time obsessing over minute details. I give myself deadlines for revisions. This helps ensure that I’m not making changes till the last minute.”
While the above answer to the question is not bad, it is not the best. There is a lack of coherence in the candidate’s response and they constantly jump from one idea to another, which would make it difficult for hiring managers to connect the dots.
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Here is a different version of the same answer:
“I have excellent interpersonal skills. I’ve always understood how crucial it is for human resources personnel to show empathy, which is why I consciously work on improving my listening and communication skills when interacting with other employees. I have also been working with a leadership coach for the past year and a half. It has greatly honed my human skills. In fact, one of my career goals is to continue improving my soft skills so that I can impact the workplace for the better. As for my weaknesses, I would say that I focus too much on the details. With any given task, I always find something that needs to be changed or improved each time I go over it, which can sometimes be a vicious cycle. To make sure I don’t spend too much time obsessing over minute details. I give myself deadlines for revisions. This helps ensure that I’m not making changes till the last minute.”
The above version of the response is a lot easier to follow because it makes use of signposting language. It connects the different messages the candidate hopes to convey in a coherent manner, which would definitely help hiring managers understand the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.
What Signposting Language Can You Use in an Interview Setting?
When highlighting or emphasizing a point... | ● In fact ● More importantly ● Furthermore ● Moreover ● I’d also like to highlight... |
When trying to be more specific... | ● In particular/Particularly ● More specifically ● With respect to ● In terms of |
When comparing and contrasting... | ● However ● One one hand...on the other hand ● In contrast ● Rather ● In comparison ● Compared to ● Another point to consider/note is... |
When giving examples... | ● For example ● For instance ● Namely ● Such as |
When acknowledging something and moving on... | ● Although/Though ● Even though ● Despite |
When mentioning a similar point... | ● Similarly ● Likewise ● Also ● Again |
When following a line of reasoning... | ● Therefore ● Subsequently ● Hence ● Consequently ● As a result ● As a consequence ● Accordingly |
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Signposting language is fairly informal and therefore, easy to incorporate into speech. Before you attend your next interview, make sure to practice answering the standard interview questions as well as any other questions you expect to be asked. If you can, record yourself so that you can objectively analyze your choice of vocabulary and see where you could have used signposting language to have communicated better. Remember, practice makes perfect!
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