OET Speaking: Start Building Your Empathy Muscles Today

Are you empathetic? Maybe you assume you are, but it’s easier to feel it for a person whose personality or background is similar to yours. When someone is very different to you, or exhibits behaviours you wouldn’t display yourself, it can be much harder. On the other hand, you don’t want to over-empathise, because to be successful in your job, you need to have clear emotional boundaries. It’s unhelpful to arrive home in tears every night because someone else’s problems have become your own.

But feeling empathy doesn’t mean feeling other people’s emotions. It simply means recognising how things are for them, while taking a step back. It’s a difficult balancing act, but one that’s important to learn. Not only for passing the OET, but for all your professional life.