One time you don’t want to forget a name is during an interview. Following are some tips to help you remember your interviewer’s name:
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When you receive an invitation to an interview, ask how to spell the interviewer’s name, and write the name on a portfolio writing pad. This method ensures you have the correct spelling of your interviewer’s name before you leave home. - Bring your portfolio pad to the interview. If an interviewer introduces you to several other interviewers, ask interviewers to spell their names as you write each on your pad beneath the name of your first interviewer.
- To remember names, memory experts advise that you say aloud the person’s name. “What a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carson.” Then, associate the name with a vivid mental image. See a son, driving his father’s car. Make this image more vivid by seeing the son on a speedway holding a trophy for winning the race with his father’s car. The more vivid and animated your associations, the more likely you are to remember them.
If you forget a name during an interview, simply think of your association for the name. If you can’t remember your association and want to address the interviewer by name, casually glance at your portfolio page. No one will ever know that writing interviewers’ names in your portfolio is actually your backup plan!
We hope this is helpful to you! Terry L. Wynne, Ed.S., LPC, BCC, Career Coach at HallieCrawford.com.
