Whatever our professional talents may be, how we look and how we carry ourselves do make a difference in job interviews. Your body language will not get you a job, but they could make you lose the opportunity for getting one!
Body language is a silent but significant visual component that sends message to the people that you come into contact or just by walking into an interview room. It includes messages or statements conveyed through posture, stance, gait, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and hand-shake. During a job interview, you will need to ascertain that the interviewers will see you as a polished professional.
So how to make your body language work for you? The first question is what message you want to convey. Obviously, you want to project a positive and professional image that scores higher marks in comparing with other candidates. The following are ways to give you extra edge:
1. Powerful Posture
Stand up straight by picturing yourself being pulled up from your abdominal area by a silk cord that goes through the top of your head. You will not only look better, but you’ll feel more assured. Keep your feet approximately four to eight inches apart, under your hips and parallel to your shoulders, with your weight on the balls of the feet. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your arms at your side.
2. Effective Gestures
Gestures can help you communicate your views more effectively. Moreover, it is very important that your gestures do not make interviewers uncomfortable or feel distracting, such as finger-pointing, crossed arms, wringing your hands. Use open palms with fingers together to indicate openness and politeness.
3. Confident Movement
Move purposefully and deliberately. Practice by watching yourself on a videotape or toward a full-length mirror until your movements are graceful, natural and relaxed.
4. Dynamic Facial Expressions
Effective facial expressions include natural smile in a friendly manner, nod to show your understanding, animated to indicate interest, and more effectively, try to camouflage your feelings by masking your expressions of fear or disappointment. Moreover, your direct eye contact will determine your credibility. If possible, you want to be at the same eye level as the interviewer and let him or her looking you over for the first 2-3 seconds.
Effective body language generates a tremendous amount of rapport and trust to interviewers. When you gain trust, you gain a higher chance of interview success.
Written by:
Yvonne Keung
ProDynamic AsiaDirector & Principal Consultant
Unit 503, 5/F, Silvercord Tower 2,
Hong Kong Tel: (852) 23192822
Web: www.prodynamicasia.com
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