What nonverbal communication skills are essential for acing your next interview?

Smiling and genuinely showing you are listening go a long way. Nodding is a great way of doing this. Sitting with an open posture also helps the interviewer to know you are accepting what they are saying.

A lot of your posturing preparations should be based on the type of job you're applying for. When hiring senior managers, I am looking for gravitas, confidence - signs that I can trust them to get the job done. How do you exude confidence? Through your posture. Don't be afraid to take up space. Maximise yourself, be calm, composed and avoid unnecessary movements. Worth noting that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. And that line differs from person to person. If you're meeting a C-level Executive, sitting in a relaxed position may exhibit confidence. But, if you're meeting a Specialist, that same posture might be seen as arrogance or incompetence. So look out for how your interviewer sits down, and mirror accordingly.

Non verbal cues are really important- definitely your posture: leaning forward slightly and upright with hands on your thighs shows you are engaged, interested and excited about the interview. Use gesture such as occasional nod to agree and hands will create flows and drawn the attention towards you.

In my experience, looking the part when you walk through the door says a lot about you to the recruiter . It starts with how you dress, look, and smell when you walk in that door. The battle can be won or lost at this point. Then there’s body posture, composure, eye contact, and the occasional nod to show the interviewer that you’re paying keen attention and that you’re mentally present. Exude confidence at all times during the interview; just the right amount of confidence though, too much and you’ll come across as a peacock. —Good luck

The basic prerequisite for confident nonverbal communication is a healthy self-confidence. If you don't have it, you will never be able to make a confident impression. Sure, you can try to train yourself in one or the other, but in the end it will only be a facade and will not really help you. So work on your self-esteem instead of just trying to appear confident.

When attending an interview, it’s important to wait by the seat designated for you and to ensure you are given the nudge to sit before you do. Sitting posture should be upright without looking uptight or rigid and ensure your makeup and outfit as a lady is subtle so it doesn’t take attention away from what you have to say. Let your answers be concise while showing the required depth, experience and or knowledge without talking too much. Eye contact is key. Ensure you fold your hands on your thighs and don’t gesticulate when answering questions posed to you.

Maintaining appropriate eye contact is indeed critical in interviews. It conveys sincerity and attentiveness. Striking the right balance is key – too much can be intimidating, while too little may suggest disinterest. In virtual interviews, looking at the camera, not the screen, creates a sense of connection. It’s about making the interviewer feel valued without making them uncomfortable.

For interviews via video conference (zoom, meet, teams) raise your laptop camera up to eye level versus staring down at the screen. Additionally, be conscious of your background and lighting as you don't want anything to be distracting your interviewer from your conversation

Tips for maintaining appropriate eye contact during online interviews: 1. Visual Reference: Place an image behind the camera to create a focal point. This will serve as a reminder of where to look during the interview, even when nervous, and help resist the temptation to get distracted by looking at oneself on the screen. 2. Preparation Prior: Open the camera before connecting, organize your appearance, and avoid staring at the camera or adjusting yourself during the interview process. Focus on maintaining eye contact with the interviewer to convey confidence and professionalism.

Eye contact is not only a sign of respect, it will also help to see how the interviewer reacts to your answers so you can adjust if needed. If it is a remote interview make sure your camera is positioned well and the lighting is good, so you can stand out and present yourself in the best possible way - It's your stage!

We are not robots. Try to pace the interviewer and adapt accordingly. If there is no reason to smile in the interview chances are high it is not the most favourable place to work. We are humans, we need emotions.

Find a balance between smiling and a relaxed face expression. Nod from time to time. People who master the art of body language leave a long lasting positive impression. I am more likely to think of them when I am asked 'do you know someone who can do..."?

It’s important to listen to what you’re smiling and nodding in response to. If it’s to indicate your understanding without interrupting, it works great! At the other hand, doing the same thing in response to something that requires a verbal response or acknowledgment or is something you may actually disagree with can cause problems too.

If I am one of the interviewers, I definitely look at how the person enters the room/hall. That two second walk upto the table is so important!! Walk tall, straight, confident and read the room!!

Smiling and nodding show approval of concepts mentioned by the interviewer. It encourages the interviewer to know that you are following through with the conversation. Such actions prove that your Active Listening Skill is effective and it's being put to use. Even though the interviewee is not making verbal communication, it makes the interview interactive.

Using pauses is so effective and underappreciated. Most of us think fast, and when nervous, we talk faster than we believe we are. Slow down. Pause between ideas and concepts. Don't be afraid to repeat something again after a pause for impact. An effective pause is engaging and shows you are in control of your thoughts. When asked a question, pause for three seconds while you organize your response and speak clearly and slowly. Practice speaking without "ums" and "ahs". You are just trying to fill the gaps. You don't need to eliminate them - embrace them! Silence is powerful. Gaps don't need to be filled with meaningless sounds. It takes practice but if you get it right, it becomes a habit and people will want to listen to you.

If the right voice pitch and tone are not used, it can make one appear seemingly aggressive especially if it is loud. Candidates need to learn how to match their voice tone and pitch with interviewers. This can also be practiced.

Mirroring.. if the interviewer’s voice is low and calm and the interviewee speaks in a high tone, it will come off as irritating instead of confident.

Practice makes perfect! Candidates often struggle with using the right modulation while speaking which gives off a negative impression. You’re going to sell yourself as a suitable candidate for the job you’ve applied for. You need to project confidence in your tone without sounding over-smart. Try practicing answering common questions so that you’re up to speed with this technique!

Always remember to have water before the interview as well. Dry throats are common with nerves so it’s important to keep your voice consistent. Sometimes something this minute can cause to break stride in your flow.

This is well said. I have seen a very good candidate loosing out due to the frequent gesticulations of hands and unfortunately she had on bangles that were quite distracting with the noise being made. Also some candidates forget themselves when they sit on the swivel chairs. Ability to control themselves and know how to handle this can help improve their chances.

Your gesture should accompany your words otherwise you apply for a Pantomime job. Use them wisely to support what you have said and to prove that you can act professionally in that certain situation.

The Steeple Gesture: When you press your fingertips together, creating an upward-facing steeple with your hands, it conveys confidence, authority, and expertise. Researchers have found that this gesture is associated with higher perceived competence. The Open-Palm Gesture: Showing your open palms is a non-threatening and open-handed gesture. It signals honesty, transparency, and a willingness to share. Research suggests that using open-palm gestures can increase trust and rapport in a conversation. These gestures, backed by research, can help you appear more credible and approachable during an interview. Remember to use them naturally and sparingly to enhance your nonverbal communication.

Think of your gestures as punctuation is to a sentence. It adds meaning and warmth. Strong and controlled open hand gestures is the way to go. Do this and you will ooze confidence, maintain good engagement and be able to come across as more persuasive. Best of luck as always!

The dose desides weather a substance is medicine or poison. This saying is so well-suited for gestures. Gestures like salt. If you do not use it at all, your conversation will lack emotions. On the other hand, if you overuse it, you will distract people. ?? Keep your hands on the table. ?? Keep calm. ?? Focus on the question and your answer. ??Use gestures to support your tone and to enrich your answer. ?? Be natural and confident. Usually, the overuse of gestures is caused by nervousness. ?? Try at home in front of mirrow or with your friend. If you do not know, say that you do not know. Note it and learn it for later. It shows your learning potential and your truthfullness. Not look good, be good and look as yourself.??

It's ok to ask for additional clarifications or clarifying the question before you answer. Understanding the question asked and taking a pause to get the ansflwer framed right is often better than giving a different answer to a very different question. It's ok to not know everything, be true and real about things like this.

The most important thing to remember is being true. When one is unsure about certain things, it is easily communicated non verbally and during these critical moments it's ok to acknowledge that one doesn't know rather than appearing over confident.

Do not consider an interview to be an interrogation. Consider it as a discussion and participate with the same enthusiasm and ease as you discuss in your peer group. This would automatically help you converse in the right tone and gesture.

Ask questions! Ask about the role, how the management sees it prosper, what a day in the role would be like, why has this is role been created, what value is expected from this role? Always ask relevant questions! Also, another tip is that if you really want to secure the job you’re interviewing for, sound passionate and interested in the hiring process.

Be prepared, remember the company is looking for expertise, for people who are willing to build and grow their business. Focus on “why” they should hire you and what you can bring to the table, rather than what you are planning to gain from joining them.