Your Body Language Speaks Volumes During an Interview

You are excited to be going for a job interview with the company of your dreams; or maybe it's just an interview with a company that is on the way to the job of your dreams. No matter; you have checked out the company and you are prepared for what types of questions they may ask you. You know their history and their future plans and you can see yourself in them. You even know what the people that work there wear so you're dressed for success for your interview. Even though you live in jeans, you will be wearing khaki slacks because that is the dress de rigueur for this business.


You may think you are ready for the interview but have you given any thought to what your body language is saying about you even before they scope out your clothes or hear your answer to their first question? There is evidence that suggests that a first impression is made within 3 to 7 seconds. That's not a whole lot of time to make a favorable statement, so what you do needs to really count. And according to Carmine Gallo in a recent Newsweek article, 55% of communication is visual, meaning body language and eye contact.


You want your body language to present the picture of a confident, interested and enthusiastic candidate for the job. So here, then, are some tips on what your body language is saying about you.


Let's start with the handshake. First of all, look at the person. Yes, you may be nervous but you don't need to telegraph that info right off the bat. So make eye contact with the person whose hand you are now shaking. And please, if you need to, shake hands with a friend beforehand and let them give you some constructive criticism. What to watch out for? Avoid the dreaded "dead fish" syndrome. Just as bad is the handshake where it feels like every bone in the hand is crushed beyond the possibility of reconstruction. Wait for the other person to first extend their hand, otherwise you may come across as too aggressive.


OK, now you are seated (and if it is not obvious where you should sit, ask politely). You would think that once you are in a chair that you could relax your vigilance about your body language but that's not how it works. Slouch in the chair or list too far to one side and you give the impression that you don't care very much about the whole interview. Sit ramrod stiff and the interviewer will know just how nervous you are. Try to sit back in the chair but lean just slightly forward. This indicates an interest in what the other person is saying. What about leg and foot placement? If you're female, crossing your feet at your ankles works and if you are a guy, feet planted straight ahead is a good idea. If a woman wears a short skirt to an interview she should cross her legs at the ankles, not at the knees. Crossing her legs at the knees would not be considered to be modest enough. The same goes for a man who sits with his legs in a flagrant vee.


By the way, wiggling your foot, swinging your leg, and tapping your fingers is better left to when you want to do the Hokey Pokey with your nieces and nephews. All of those mannerisms indicate that you are not as confident as you would like your interviewer to believe.


What do your hands say about you? You can either fold them loosely in your lap or if your chair has arm rests, they can rest there. Just watch out for a white-knuckled grip. If you have a tendency to "talk with your hands", you may want to first check out if the interviewer does the same thing. If she doesn't use her hands to make a point, then you may want to curtail your normal flailing. On the other hand, if the interviewer uses her hands quite freely and you never use your hands, you may want to loosen up a little bit. You don't want to mirror what the interviewer is doing but you do want to at least be in the same field of motion.


One more tip that bears repeating: make eye contact with your interviewer or interviewers. These are people you hope to be working with, so it would be a good thing to be able to recognize them the next time you see them.


For more good information about the interview process you may want to listen to a show on the subject, "How to Dress for an Interview," on rel=nofollow [http://twentysomethingyak.com/?p=40]Twenty Something Style. It's a lively interview and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the National Director of [http://www.goodpoliticsradio.com]Good Politics Radio and is a charter member of the podcasting network, [http://www.yaktivate.com]Yaktivate.com.

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