How to Ace an Interview with Your Body Language
Watch that posture! When it comes to first impressions, your body language goes a long way in conveying confidence and competence. Learning how to carry yourself during a job interview may mean the difference between being written off and being remembered.
Up next in How to Ace Job Interviews (14 videos)
Land the job of your dreams by knowing how to answer even the toughest interview questions.
You Will Need
- Strong walk
- Firm grip
- Connection
- Clarity
Steps
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Step 1
Deliver the handshake
Walk in, make eye contact, and deliver a handshake with a firm grip, looking your interviewer right in the eye. Confident body language suggests you are the perfect candidate for the job.
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Step 2
Sit up straight
Sit up straight with your feet firmly on the floor. Don't rock, drum fingers, glance around, or shake your foot. Slumping, fidgeting, or apparent impatience comes off as low self-esteem, or worse, disinterest.
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Step 3
Connect with them
Connect with your interviewer. Nod, use your hands while talking, and be enthusiastic without overdoing it to the point of distraction or insincerity.
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Step 4
Enunciate clearly
Enunciate clearly, taking time to consider questions. Convey the sincerity they can expect you to bring to the job. Speak slowly, deliberately, with resonance and confidence.
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Step 5
Smile and relax
Smile once in a while. Be personable and feel free to ask questions, taking control so that the interview becomes a relaxed conversation.
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Mirror the interviewer's body language, which is known as a joining technique. If their arms and/or legs are crossed, or closed, do the same. If they move their hands when they speak, they're considered open.
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Step 6
Walk out head up
Walk out with purpose and strength. No matter how you feel you've done, leave with your head held high.
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From 2006 through 2008, the number of Americans receiving outplacement support after a layoff increased by 50 percent.
