Communication skills are something that children usually take for granted. It is usually their first language, and as a result, their first communication tool. As children develop their communication skills, they often ask questions to learn more about the subject or topic they have researched. But how does one ask a question and what kind of questions are applicable? Let's examine these two questions in further detail:
Close vs. Open Interview Questions: In most cases, the best kind of questioning techniques are those that involve direct answers, rather than indirectly. This is a great exercise in learning directness versus openness, especially in terms of closing vs. opening questions. Of course, you could explore alternative questioning techniques with various variations of the above exercise. But generally speaking, a good interviewer will welcome an honest answer from a potential applicant. It shows a clear interest in the job and shows that you are not just asking them questions to obtain information, but rather that you want to get to know them as a person.
Questioning Techniques for an Open Minded Interview: As you probably know, interviewer beware! One of the biggest problems facing many job applicants these days is how to survive an interview where the candidate "lost" the interview instead of scoring points for having a good conversation. So when interviewing, remember that it is important to ask questions that encourage a good interaction, rather than distracting the listener with a series of irrelevant inquiries. Here are some open-ended questions to consider:
How did you learn about... What was your primary course content? What learning processes did you go through to get to... Learning questions serve as a starting point for a discussion between you and the interviewer to identify the learning process you went through to complete the course content.
How do you see yourself fitting into? When you are asked probing questions, do your best to remain calm and professional. This will give the interviewer a good impression of who you are and what you plan to bring to the job. Your responses to the questions should provide a good insight into your thinking, reasoning, personal attributes, and work style.
How would you describe your learning process? When you ask questions that are clearly relevant to the job, the interviewer will be able to see how you learned the material and how you are progressing. Answering this type of question will demonstrate your awareness of your learning process, and the confidence you have built up throughout the course of your career as a teacher.
Closed Questions: Ask a question that is focused on the requirements of the position. Answering this type of question demonstrates your attention to detail and will help the interviewer determine if you are a good fit for the job. If you are being asked to apply for more than one position, it's okay to switch around and use open and closed questioning techniques within the interview. When you're being interviewed for different positions, you may switch back and forth between open and closed questions to get a better idea of who they are interested in hiring. Regardless, make sure you ask questions that will help you narrow down the field and find out if you would be a good fit for their organization.
Questioning Techniques for Interviewers will help you look more appealing and increase the chances that you will be hired. However, just like any skill, asking questions requires practice and patience. Never assume that you already know the information or answer to the question. You will still end up looking clueless if you don't pay attention during the actual interview!
