Interview Skills and Body Language

While our nation continues to recover from the latest economic crisis, many Americans are still out looking for a job. Some have only lost their job recently while others have been unemployed for over a year. Job interviews are never as easy as we’d like them to be, and with so much on the line for individuals and their families, the pressure is higher than ever to give a good interview.

Body Language is important for Job Interviews

When you are in a situation that makes you nervous or anxious, like a  job interview, your body reacts to the stress. Your heart begins to race, you breathe more shallow, your palms sweat, and next thing you know your mind goes blank and you can’t remember your phone number to put on the application!

These are all unconscious reactions to the stress of the situation. Unfortunately, your body language is closely tied to your unconscious mind. You might be sending out signals indicating your nervousness. These signals could easily be misinterpreted as lack of confidence, lack of knowledge, or weakness. You must consciously be aware of your body language in order to present your best self. Here are a few tips you should remember.

• First impression: Your first impression should be one of confidence, enthusiasm and charisma. Don’t appear timid when saying hello to your interviewer. Staring at the floor and speaking softly does not instill confidence. Instead, when you say hello, stand tall making eye contact with your interviewer, smile and give a firm handshake. Weak handshakes imply a weak person.
• Confidence: Throughout your interview, you want to square up to your interviewer. These means your shoulders and chest are evenly aligned with his/her shoulders and chest. Maintain eye contact when answering questions. It’s okay to break eye contact once in a while to gather your thoughts – that’s perfectly normal – but when your giving your response be sure to look at the other person.
• Plug up the leaks: “Leakage” is the common term used in the study of body language. When we are trying to conceal something, our body language often “leaks” out signals that indicate how we really feel. Here are a few common “leaks” you need to plug during your interview:

1. Tapping, shaking, twitching feet. This is the biggest indicator of nervousness.
2. Slouching, leaning back, or not directly facing the interviewer. This is either a sign of lack of confidence or engagement.
3. Self touch. This means playing with your hair, rubbing your neck, fiddling with your jewelry, rubbing your hands together, or rubbing the tops of your thighs. We use self touch to sooth ourselves in stressful situation. Try to sit still and calmly during your interview.

Each of these will help you even if you’re on a phone interview. The more confident your body language is, the more confident you will feel, and the more confident your voice will sound over the phone.