Everyone gets nervous before job interviews. But if you’re one of the 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over who report some trouble hearing (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders), you may experience some extra jitters. The good news is there are ways you can compensate for your hearing loss so you can interview with confidence.
Visit an Audiologist
Do you know you exhibit symptoms of hearing loss but haven’t yet sought treatment? If so, you’re not alone; the Hearing Loss Association of America reports that, “Only one in five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.” Know that getting a diagnostic hearing test and a hearing aid fitting can help you hear your best during a job interview and even perform better once you have the job.
Wear Your Hearing Aids
If you have already visited an audiologist and have made the investment in hearing aids, it’s essential that you wear them to your job interview. If your interview is over the phone, you can connect your hearing aids to your smartphone so that your interviewer’s voice is streamed directly to your ears. If it’s in person, your hearing aids can isolate and amplify their voice so you can hear them loud and clear.
Request a Quiet Space
These days, it’s extremely common for interviews to be conducted over video call from the comfort of your home. If this is the case, ask your family to keep it down or step out of the house for an hour or so during your interview so there’s no distracting background noise. If your interview is in the office, you can still request a quiet space, as most offices have private meeting rooms available.
Ask for Clarification
If the interviewer asks a question you don’t quite hear or understand, don’t try to fake your way through it. Instead, simply ask for clarification, or ask the interviewer to rephrase what they asked. This is normal during an interview whether you have hearing loss or not.
Take Notes
You can show that you’re engaged with the interviewer by taking notes in a notebook throughout the interview. Note what you want to circle back on by the end of the interview. To learn more about communication strategies with hearing loss or to schedule an appointment with an expert audiologist, call Center for Hearing & Speech today.
