What Does Your Body Language Say About You?

Body language plays a huge part in the interview process, much more than you may think.

While I am interviewing you and engaged in conversation, remember that I am subconsciously scoring you. One of the key issues for me is whether you will fit in with the rest of my team. People who are relaxed, warm, friendly, and who smile are much easier to fit into an organisation than somebody who is a bit tense, who lacks personality and looks like he or she won’t be able to integrate.

I often go one step further and invite candidates to work at my office for the day. Throwing them in to the deep end like this may sound a little intense but it’s a great way of testing their communication, teamwork, decision making and other soft skills. In this situation they are forced to converse with other members of staff and illustrate why they’d make a good team member.

The way I see it, this is actually hugely beneficial for you as the interviewee because if my team come back and tell me ‘James, we love her! She’s great definitely hire her’ then nine times out of ten, I will.

Self-awareness is the key. It’s all about the basics and making sure your body language matches the message you are sending out verbally. If you want the interviewer to think you’re enthusiastic, passionate and friendly – your body language should reflect that.

Don’t fiddle, tap your nails on the desk, or grip your legs as if you are holding on for dear life and don’t concentrate so hard on what you are doing with your hands that you forget to listen to what the interviewer has just asked you!

The knack is to perform well – think about all of these things – whilst appearing to be natural.

You should, of course, try not to be a bag of nerves because the interviewer needs to feel confidence in you in order to feel comfortable with you. But if you do show some nerves, that’s fine because nerves are natural and they show you really want the job.

If you do make a slip in something you say, simply apologise and say what you intended to. Natural reactions are they key. Being overly cocky and giving too slick a performance can send out the message that you’re not a good team player.

Remember that your body only does what you tell it to. If you tell it to relax, it’ll relax. If you’re telling it to be stressed, it will.

Take control and put yourself in the right frame of mind.

Good luck!

Coming soon...