Body Language Tips for Job Interviews
Posted in Job Interview Tips
Enthusiasm and being on the know may get you qualified for a job, but that is not enough. One of the factors you have to consider is body language.
Body language gives other people an idea of what you are thinking. This also applies to job interviews. So you have to provide your interviewer with the right body movements that will make her or him think that you are qualified for the position you are applying to.
Below are six ways that can help you land on the job that you truly want.
Handshakes - bone crushing and the wet fish
A simple handshake tells so much about you. Now, you have to know how do you shake hands with a person. Do you do it softly or do you crush hands? Or are your hands always wet when you do it? A bone-crushing handshake shows you are aggressive, while a limp, wet hand shows you have low self-esteem.
For you to have a wonderful handshake, remember these things: as much as possible, your hands have to be clean; make sure it is free of perspiration; when you execute a handshake, make sure you do it politely and professionally; and your handshake has to have a firm grip, and you must couple it with a warm smile.
Making eye contact
In different countries, making eye contacts toward a person varies. But in the US, the proper way of making eye contact is doing it 60 percent only. In this way, hiring managers are given enough feeling of comfort about you.
You may give people the notion that you are intense if you establish an eye contact. Inadequate eye contact may make you appear uninterested. Allow yourself to have a positive attitude toward your interview. This will show that you are interested to your interviewer who will pick up the mood immediately. Our pupils dilate when we show interest to someone, and that it noticeable.
When being interviewed, make your eye contact in an inverted triangle on your interviewer's face. That is from the left eyebrow, to the nose, then aback to the forehead. Make sure you are not staring at the lips since this may appear sexual, and the forehead means that you are condescending.
Proper posture
This is an important thing to remember. Having the right posture gives you the confidence you need. If you notice it, when you are feeling down or depressed, most likely you are slouched and your shoulders are sagging down. This may prevent you from breathing properly and make you uncomfortable.
Head posture
While being interviewed, always keep your head level, both horizontally and vertically. This give you a confident feeling and self-assured in the interview. If you are conversing and want to be friendly and assume the position that you are listening intently, tilt your head a little from side to side.
Hand gestures
A hand gesture will say several things about you. This will show how receptive you are. As much as possible, keep your hands at the side of your body always. For quiet people, they always make lesser hand gestures than outgoing people do.
However, limit your hand gestures at the frame of your body. This way you will not be seen as out of control. Also, avoid doing negative hand gestures like crossing your arms during an interview. Here are two things you have to remember regarding hand gestures: When the palms are facing slightly up and outward, it means you are open and friendly; when the palms are down, it means you are dominant and aggressive.
The leg language
When our legs tend to move a lot, that means we are either nervous or stressed. It may also mean that we are being deceptive. Therefore, in an interview, we always have to keep them still as much as possible.
In an interview, you should not be crossing your legs. This means you are creating a barrier between you and the interviewer. Also, this may lead to fidgeting. Crossing your legs also means you are assuming a defensive stance.
