Interview Skills
What Your Interview Body Language Says About You
Strong body language is indispensable for an interview, irrespective of your technical skills and confidence levels. Your body language is what contributes to the first impression that is made. This implies that you make your impression within a few seconds of entering the room.
Think about these first few seconds. This is where you should greet the interviewer/s with a firm handshake, and look at each one in turn while introducing yourself. These movements need to exude the right amount of confidence.
To translate your confidence into your body language, bear the following in mind:
Posture
How you sit and stand demonstrates your level of interest. Slouching is an obvious no-no. Sitting upright with your back rigid should be avoided, as this can come across as nervousness. Don’t sit at the tip of the chair either, because this suggests you don’t want to be there. Lying back with an ankle on top of the other knee can seem too relaxed. As a rule, don’t cross either arms or legs.
To look professional, sit in your chair with your lower back touching the back panel of the chair, and lean about ten degrees forward. Place your hands on your lap and feet steady on the ground. Throughout the interview, don’t cross your arms or put your hands in your pockets. The key is to not be rigid.
Eye Contact
Maintaining eye contact can work better at building a rapport than verbal communication. However, don’t stare or gaze at one person alone for too long. Keep eye contact for a maximum of 7–10 seconds while listening or speaking. If you are taking down anything, look up once in a while, mainly if you are asked something.
Voice
Learn to modulate speed, tone, and pitch to find the perfect combination while speaking. Don’t talk too fast, to ensure that the interviewers understand you. Vary your tone and pitch so that you don’t sound monotonous. This way, you can also emphasize certain points over the others. Make sure your tone doesn’t come across as apologetic or defensive either.
If the nerves set in, take a deep breath before speaking.
Nodding
Nodding excessively to everything that the interviewers have to say can make you seem obsequious.
To not look like a bobble head, nod intermittently to display your engagement. When an important issue is raised, slightly tilt your head to seem particularly attentive.
Extremities
Certain mannerisms like twiddling with your hair, rocking on your chair or shuffling your feet too much can be distracting for the interviewer so be conscious of such movements. Don’t flail about too much and constantly touch your face or nose. You need to be in control of the movements of your legs and arms.
Read the interviewer’s body language to see how well she/he is responding to you. As the interview progresses, you will get better acquainted and more relaxed so adjust your body language accordingly.
You can practice all of the above in front of a mirror, or have a mock interview with your expert. Welcome any criticism and use this feedback to perfect your body language
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This is a handwritten article by Team InterviewBuddy.
InterviewBuddy offers online face-to-face practice interviews with senior industry experts across the board.
