5 TIPS ON INTERVIEW BODY LANGUAGE

I have taught Interview Skills for years now. I have told trainees that apart from the relevant/requisite soft skills which would place one in pole position in securing that dream job, the difference between the guy who doesn't get the job and the guy who gets it boils down to Body Language in a large number of cases.

The entire business of preparing for an interview - from resume/cover letter crafting, researching the company, acquiring further general knowledge, to selecting what to wear - can be tedious indeed.

Your body language - that first, non-verbal impression you make on your potential hirers - could well be the deciding factor in their debate to hire you or not. Your smile, your standing and sitting postures, eye contact, gait, handshake, speed (very important!) all add up to your total persona. Smart interviewers know that a candidate can 'speak' bigger volumes with non verbal actions and inactions and provide more information than can be gleaned from the words that she has used.

It is through body language that our positive and negative emotional states are either propagated or betrayed. Are we calm, stressed, anxious, scared, confident, jittery? Our body language reveals these even more than the words we utter.

Few Tips And Hints.

1. Be aware that the interviewer will take you in at a quick glance - clothes, hair, face, gait, pace - even before saying hello to you.

2. Make confident eye-contact. Smile pleasantly and respectfully. Also, your handshake must be firm, but not bone-crushing, and not limp.

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3. When you are finally asked to sit, eyes are discreetly watching your posture. Are you sitting up straight or slouching? In gesticulating, are your hands all over the place? Always remember that simple hand gestures connote confidence and enthusiasm

4. Most of your positive and negative attributes are conveyed via your body language. Your interviewer will get a good picture of who you really are more than your verbal answer to the usual: "tell us about yourself" would.

5. Ability to thrive successfully under stress or pressure is one of the most veritable criteria upon which loads of final hiring decisions are made. Nothing reveals this attribute (or a lack of it) in prospective employees more than body language. Any impression given by you which suggests that you might not habitually approach your tasks with intelligent speed (no matter the pressure) will most likely disqualify you.

Are interview body language gaffes innate? Can they be corrected? Of course, they are not genetic. And yes, they can/should be worked on. Preparation is key. Repeatedly rehearse all the points mentioned so far, and those others (watch out for my comprehensive blogpost on Interview Skills) which will eliminate any negative impressions on your interviewers emanating from poor body language. Practice gives you the confidence that shines through once you step in the interview room.