Here are a couple of things that have helped me long term: When making small talk, think of someone who YOU see as confident (whether they're a real person, or a person with a collection of traits that you wish you had) and put yourself in their shoes, this sounds a little disassociated, but literally pretend that you suddenly leaped through some worm hole where (in this imaginary parallel universe) you're suddenly this confident person that you "wish" you were. It's crazy how little small-talk ideas will come to mind, your subtle mannerisms will change, you'll notice those around you sort of "react" to your contagious air of friendly confidence. Keep it professional in an interview setting (you already know this). Another thing that really helps me is not being afraid to talk about those random thoughts that come to mind like "oh that painting's really nice", or "Wow, I drove past that x building on the way here and I can't believe how fast it's coming along", or whatever it is .These examples might sound dumb, but you'd be surprised how people often notice the same things, and chances are, if you noticed it/thought about it, somewhere along the way they probably had a thought not too far off from yours. This sparks interest in you and makes you seem open, friendly, honest, willing to take a risk and be the first to spark a conversation, etc. Again, in an interview setting, keep these things professional and ALWAYS avoid bringing up small talk that might have a hint of negative feelings, people mostly remember how you made them FEEL rather than what it is you said.
This is such a helpful video, thank you! As a neurodivergent person I often struggle with small talk so it’s really useful to have some tangible ideas of how to match the interviewer’s questions. Having a back up list of topics is also a great plan! Thanks again :)
I appreciate how you made the interviewer sound like a douchebag - 10/10 authentic voice acting. No but seriously, I appreciate the painstaking detail here. Maybe one day I will be allowed to have a job too
Here are a couple of things that have helped me long term:
When making small talk, think of someone who YOU see as confident (whether they're a real person, or a person with a collection of traits that you wish you had) and put yourself in their shoes, this sounds a little disassociated, but literally pretend that you suddenly leaped through some worm hole where (in this imaginary parallel universe) you're suddenly this confident person that you "wish" you were. It's crazy how little small-talk ideas will come to mind, your subtle mannerisms will change, you'll notice those around you sort of "react" to your contagious air of friendly confidence. Keep it professional in an interview setting (you already know this).
Another thing that really helps me is not being afraid to talk about those random thoughts that come to mind like "oh that painting's really nice", or "Wow, I drove past that x building on the way here and I can't believe how fast it's coming along", or whatever it is .These examples might sound dumb, but you'd be surprised how people often notice the same things, and chances are, if you noticed it/thought about it, somewhere along the way they probably had a thought not too far off from yours. This sparks interest in you and makes you seem open, friendly, honest, willing to take a risk and be the first to spark a conversation, etc. Again, in an interview setting, keep these things professional and ALWAYS avoid bringing up small talk that might have a hint of negative feelings, people mostly remember how you made them FEEL rather than what it is you said.
Wow, the idea with the worm hole is perfect!
I'm re-watching this video again, thank you so much.
This is such a helpful video, thank you! As a neurodivergent person I often struggle with small talk so it’s really useful to have some tangible ideas of how to match the interviewer’s questions. Having a back up list of topics is also a great plan! Thanks again :)
thank you for the perfect info!
Thank you so much for this video
Great content !!
Thank you for this!!! 🙏
Also find out where your interviewer lives and look through their trash.
😂😂
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Thank you. How can I find more examples if small talk?
I appreciate how you made the interviewer sound like a douchebag - 10/10 authentic voice acting. No but seriously, I appreciate the painstaking detail here. Maybe one day I will be allowed to have a job too