Body language is one of those wishy-washy things that is completely and utterly powerful when it comes to communicating effectively. However, not a whole lot of people know much about it, and what they do know about it is lacking to say the least.
Stand tall and firm – it’s go time.
However, if you keep these four main body language tips in mind for your next job interview, you will be well on your way to ensuring a smoother path for your career development. Well let’s jump into these and see how they can be used in your next interview.
Tips # 1 — Slouch Not And Stand Erect
If you are jumping straight into a sit down interview make sure your posture is straight, not too straight where you are cutting off circulation because believe me, tightening up and being completely tense for an hour is going to be a big mistake for your comfort the next day, you will be in pain, you will be sore, and it will hurt.
But, if you just make sure that you are not slouching, you’re sitting straight, and maybe halfway into the chair, to where you are not resting on it too much, then you are showing that you are not only interested, but have a good enough professional composure to communicate effectively with someone that is interested in doing business with you.
This is something to keep in mind when you are doing a walk around or standing in the hallway. You want to stand erect, maybe bend your knees a little bit so you don’t cut off circulation there, keep your legs about shoulder width apart, and keep your hands to your side, and don’t fidget with them. Look neutral but confident.
Don’t put your hands behind your back, don’t touch your face, and don’t put your hands in your pocket. Just kind of be that confident person you see in advertisements or TV and focus really on what the person is saying to you, so that you look interested, you look professional, and you look like someone who really is confident enough for what is being offered.
Tips # 2 — Be Face To Face
If you’re in an interview, chances are you are you’re dealing with someone who has had plenty of interviews before or is in a person to person situation more often than not. These people are perfectly fine with high levels of eye to eye contact and face to face interactions.
You want to aim for somewhere around 60 percent eye contact as a minimal for an interview, so, if just as an example, if you are having a one minute conversation, you want to make sure at least the 35-45 second range of every minute is spent paying attention to that persons face and on their general composure and what they are saying, even while you are talking.
This is 1 to make sure you are not looking around the room, communicating that you are just not interested in what’s going on but there’s just the friendliness and interest that is conveyed when you are peering into the eyes of the person that is dedicating some of their life to seeing whether or not you are a fit for the position being offered.
Tips # 3 — Hands Out Of Your Pockets!
If you are sitting down, your hands shouldn’t be in your pockets in the first place. They should be on the desk if you are especially confident and friendly or they should at your sides, not crossed, not this defensive pose, definitely not fidgeting with your face or anything.
If you have to body language when you talk, which most people do. Keep it within a box about the size of your chest everywhere else is not safe, that box is safe. Stay there, stay out of your pockets.
If you are standing, or leaning, or walking around its okay to put your fingers in your pockets, keep your thumbs out or put your thumbs in and your other pockets out. Those are confidence moves; hands in your pockets are hiding and being conservative. Not something you really want to convey during an interview.
Tips # 4 — Feet Flat, Knees Bent
If your feet are not flat, they are doing something they should not be doing. They are either bouncing, fidgeting, crossing, kicking, wrapping around the chair, or any other number of things that just do not exude confidence, interest, or overall professionalism for the event that is happening.
This is also the case with your knees being bent, one is because you do not want to cut off circulation or strain any of the muscles, but two if they are not bent, again they are probably doing something they are not supposed to be doing.
If your legs are out straight, and the knees are tightened up, then you probably look a little too comfortable or your feet are on the desk or something silly like that and it is just not appropriate for what is happening.
Success Body Language Communicates So Much
To make sure your interview goes off smoothly with the communication that you do that don’t involve any words, the four body language tips that you just went through will set you off on the right path. Make sure you are not slouching but being erect with any of your sitting or standing motions, be face to face at least 60 percent of the time, keep your hands out of your pockets unless you need to use your thumbs, and keep your feet flat and your knees bent at all times to insure you are in the right posture.
Keep these things in mind, do them, practice them now and you will be prepared for exuding confidence and success during your next job interview. I hope these have helped. If you have any other tips or hints you would like to share, leave them in the comments below and we can talk about them.
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