Ace The Interview Through Your Body Language

First impressions are huge. An interviewer often makes a hiring decision within the first 10 seconds of meeting a candidate. Because of this, your body language matters just as much your answers to the interview questions or the tone of your voice. Seems a little daunting, huh? Read on to learn body language tips that will land you the job.

Walking

When walking, pull your shoulders back and elongate your neck; each stride should be roughly one to two feet wide.
Walk directly towards the person you are meeting.
Maintain eye contact with occasional breaks to the side.
Always follow the interviewer on the walk to the interview room. You’re saying “I’m the job candidate, and you’re the company representative… I’ll follow your lead.”

Sitting

While waiting, sit firmly and lean your back against your chair, making you appear confident and assertive. Hunching your shoulders or putting your chin to your chest will make you appear closed off.
Have your belongings gathered and placed on your left hand side so you can smoothly rise to greet the interviewers and give the perfect handshake with your right hand.
In the interview, keep both feet on the ground. This has been scientifically proven to make it easier to answer highly complex questions as your brain goes through a smoother transition from creative thought to highly complex rational thought. For women, if you feel the need to cross your legs, do so at the ankles rather than the knees. This will minimize distraction.

Speaking

Use hand gestures while speaking. Hiding your hands could express anxiety and perhaps be misinterpreted as distrustful behavior.
When gesturing with your hands, always keep them above the desk and below the collar bone. You may start to appear frantic if your hands go any higher.
Show your palms as you are gesturing to make you appear honest, engaging, and energetic.
Breath deeply and speak on the exhale to help you appear less nervous.

Listening

Nod while listening as another way to show your attentiveness.
Lean in slightly to show your interest.
Don’t go for direct eye contact, as that can get a little uncomfortable. Instead, look at different parts of the speaker’s face for two seconds, switching from eyes to nose to lips.

Master these body language tips and you will be ready for your interview! For more interview tips, check out our website.