Succeeding at the Interview (Part 2)

Body Language and your Job Interview
It is said that approximately 55 per cent of our total communication is sent through our body language with 22 per cent via the tone of voice we use and only 7 per cent through our words. Therefore, like it or not, our body will do a lot of talking when we make that first impression at the job interview and so it is worth paying some attention to what it says.

The following suggestions are some of the more readily recognised body language signals in western cultures. However, it is important to appreciate that other cultures employ different signals and it is worth checking these out when dealing with different cultures. Also, we do not suggest that you blindly employ all of the following ideas. They are simply that and are offered to help heighten your awareness and perhaps prompt some changes you feel you would like to make in your own body language repertoire. Alternatively, you may feel yours works perfectly well as it is.

When you walk in the door
The first thing people will notice is how you walk and when you walk in the door - every door, not just the inner sanctum of the interview room - it is worth keeping the following in mind:-

·    You will portray confidence by standing upright and holding your head high
·    Keep your hands in view. Hiding them in pockets or behind the back sends a signal that you have something to hide.
·    Walk purposefully and enthusiastically, demonstrating confidence and your personality.

Getting to know you
When being introduced, you will want to appear interested and interesting. As you start to shake hands, maintain eye contact (NB it some cultures, this is offensive) for a few seconds and begin to smile slowly and genuinely with the eyes as well as the mouth. A firm, sincere handshake is important - a limp proferring of the hand can elicit distrust.

Building rapport and portraying confidence
Self-confident people have more frequent eye contact than those who are unsure or trying to conceal something. They also maintain eye contact longer than their less-sure counterparts.

Maintaining an open body posture - no crossed arms or legs - displays openness and helps build rapport, while still portraying a confident individual. Sitting up straight, not fidgeting and engaging each interviewer with regular eye contact maintains this effect.

Another 'trick of the trade' is to take up more room than you physically need, e.g. placing your arm on the vacant seat next to you or placing your arms on both arm rests. Unbuttoning your coat or jacket signals openness and the fact that you are comfortable in a given situation while hand to face or head gesturing (e.g. hand over mouth or scratching of head) conveys the opposite.

An increased eye blink will indicate interest and tilting your head to the side can signal that you are not only listening to what is being said but also processing it.  Another way of establishing rapport is to mirror the other person's body language for the first few minutes, e.g. if they lean forward, you do too. Then change your posture and if they follow suit, you have established rapport. Leaning in also gives an impression of a confident individual who is worth listening to.

Things to avoid
Leaning back and clasping your hands behind your head is a 'power position' which can signal arrogance and potentially intimidate the audience.

Touching the side of your nose is usually an involuntary sign that you are being less than sincere in what you are saying.

Face touching or chin rubbing can signal that you find the question tough and are struggling to answer.

Looking over the top of glasses is often interpreted as disapproval or disbelief.

Placing your hands in front of you in a triangle with tips of fingers touching indicates superiority while placing your hand on the back of your neck suggests literally that you think the other person is a pain!

Building your repertoire
Body language, like any language, is more than just individual words, it is spoken in sentences and beyond. Similarly, one doesn't interpret gestures in isolation. Instead people look at body language patterns throughout the entire encounter and interpret the overall body language message, albeit subconsciously. Therefore, it is important not only to be aware of what each gesture can convey but to build a repertoire of confidence and rapport building body language into your everyday life. This done, it should bring positive rewards far beyond the job interview.