Women's Job List

The Professional Women’s Guide To: Interviewing Body Language


People will often spend hours and hours preparing for an interview. Whether it’s rewriting their resume, or preparing for what interview questions might be asked, one element of the interview people often overlook is the importance of body language. In fact, all the sounds that come out of your mouth may not mean nearly as much as the signals you send with the rest of your body.

 

Your posture, gestures and facial expressions leave a huge impression throughout an interview. Experts point to several dos and don’ts when it comes to body language. If you want to have a successful interview, pay attention to the following body language tips!

Smile

When your hiring manager sees you smile they immediately sense you are comfortable, relaxed and happy to be there. A smile also sends positive energy throughout the rest of your body. This positive energy is contagious. You’re positive, the interviewer is now positive, and you are now headed for a successful interview.

Open Your Body

When interviewing, don’t have objects in between you and the hiring manager! Try to keep your arms extended or open as much as possible. This shows the interviewer you are open and willing to engage in conversation. Crossing your arms or having objects in between you and the interviewer creates a sense of defensiveness. Be open and be animated.

Sit and Stand Up Straight

Posture equals power. If you are slouching or holding your shoulders inward you come across looking tired and beaten down.  Stand tall throughout the interview and project your confidence.

Watch Your Feet

Point your feet towards the interviewer. When you are genuinely interested in what people are saying you will instinctively move closer to them. Pointing your feet towards the interviewer sends them positive energy and shows you are interested in what they are saying.

Be Ready to Go

Projecting positive body language in an interview starts the second you enter the room. Dress for success goes without saying, but make sure you are comfortable with the way everything fits. If you are worried about the way your hair looks or the way your clothes fit you will come across as anxious and unfriendly.

Social Contact

Throughout the interview process make sure you are enthusiastically shaking hands. When you make physical contact with your interviewers make sure your handshake is saying, “I am excited to be here and I want the job!”

Eye Contact

If you don’t maintain eye contact, you project shyness and nervousness. A confident candidate will always maintain eye contact throughout the interview.

Movements

In a job interview your body will mimic your internal emotions. If your interview is taking place over lunch you should avoid eating too quickly. Eating your lunch too fast could signal that you are nervous or insecure. Rocking, consistently nodding or swaying reflects a lack of competence and control. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Keeping your hands in your pockets tells the interviewer you are uninterested, nervous and uncommitted.

Stay In Sync with the Interviewer

Pay attention to the body movements and speech patterns of your interviewer. If he or she is speaking in a very relaxed and mellow manner, and you are answering questions in an intense fast paced style, you become out of sync.  Match their body movements and speech patterns and stay on the same wave length with your interviewer.

Fiddling with Objects

Avoid fiddling with objects as you are interviewing. You might be drinking a bottled water in your interview but don’t use the bottle as a crutch. Fiddling is an obvious sign of nervousness and lack of confidence.