In the previous article, I wrote about the meaning of body language and how you can recognize it. Today, I would like to add something special for job seekers as well as employers. In this age of computers and internet, job seekers have the advantage of applying for a job through internet. Most of the employers also prefer candidates who apply online. So, job seekers are looking for their job opportunities through internet. If you are also one of them and suppose you are called for an interview, be cautious about your body language. The moment you enter the interview room, your body language will give the first impression about yourself to the interviewers.
It’s Okay To Be A Little Bit Nervous
Every one shows a little bit of nervousness during an interview. Day before the interview, you might develop serious anxiety. It is quite normal. But use your body language to act confidently. Try to hide your nervousness. Interviewers may be aware that you are concealing it. However your ability to hide and the way you tackle the conversation will definitely impress the interviewers. Never worry whether you will be selected or not. Your body language can easily reveal that. Do your best and don’t think about the result. This will increase your confidence level. And you will perform better. Chances are you may be selected.
One plus point for getting nervous is that it might even indicate how important it is for you to get the job. If you are not nervous and act like a carefree person, the interviewers may think that you don’t care whether you get selected or not.
Interview has two important purposes. The first purpose is to determine who the best performer is in the interview. Second purpose is to analyze which candidate will perform better with the job. Utilize this knowledge when you face any job interview.
Punctuality Tells Your Concern About Time
Punctuality is an essential quality of a successful person. If you are not punctual and don’t reach the place of interview in time, your chances of being selected are not bright. Punctuality is one of the most important aspects of the job interview. Remember, job interview is an important appointment for you as well as for the employer. Arriving late will surely send a wrong message about your attitude about the importance of time to the interviewers. It will tell about your lack of professionalism too. Start early and make it sure to reach the place well in time. There is no excuse for being late. Moreover, if you are late, your turn might have been over.
Maintain Proper Body Posture
Maintain your body posture. It is important during job interviews. The interviewers constantly observe how you sit. They also observe how you make your body movements. When they tell you to take your seat, see if the chair is too close to the table. If it is too close, pull it back a little so that you can make an easy entry to sit down. But make it sure that you don’t make any screeching sound when you pull the chair.
In the beginning of the interview, sit up straight in your chair. Support your back with the back of the chair. Don’t look saggy before the interviewers. Don’t move sideways in your chair either. Your body language might be perceived as a lack of interest or boredom. Don’t sit on the edge of the chair. It can send a message that you are nervous. It will also show that you are not comfortable with the interview.
When an interviewer asks you something, lean a little forward. This shows that you are attentive and taking interest. You can tilt your head a little bit too. This shows that you are listening closely. Always make eye contact with the interviewer who is asking you the questions.
Some Do’s And Don’ts
There are various types of interview. Traditional types are Board Interview where there are many interviewers, and another is one-to-one interview. Telephonic interview is also used these days. In one-to-one interview, the interviewer may come to the room you are sitting. Or you may be asked to come in. When the interviewer comes to the room to meet you, just stand up and wish him. Do not make the first move for a handshake. Shake hands only when the interviewer offers his hand. But shake hands firmly, don’t squeeze. Maintain eye contact. Take your seat only when he says so. If you are going to his room, don’t ask permission for coming in. You have already been asked to come in. But don’t sit down until he says so.
Put your hands loosely on your lap. You can also put them on the arms of the chair if it has arms. If you place your hands on the armrests, you can make free hand movements to support what you say. Never cross your arms on the chest. This is the body language of defensive move.
You may nod your head occasionally. This shows that you know the subject well and you are speaking the truth. This also shows that you are confident. Use your body language while speaking. Hand movements can also make the conversation lively. The interviewers will think that you are quite comfortable with the interview. Imagine if someone is talking to you without any movement, will it be interesting? I don’t think so. You will soon be yawning. Same thing applies here. Don’t make your interviewers yawn while you are talking. Utilize the body language techniques.
However, don’t move your hands too much. Carefully observe your interviewers’ hand movements. If they use their hands too often to make their points clear, you can also do the same thing. If they make hand movements only occasionally, you have to do the same thing.
During the interview, you may make some unnecessary movements. You may be tapping your fingers on the table. You may be shuffling your feet too frequently. You may be biting your nails. You may be touching parts of your body too often. These show your nervousness. And these are the things you have to avoid.
The Board Interview
One-to-one interview is easy to face for many. But when it comes to face a Board Interview, it is really embarrassing. Candidates are confused whom to look at when they are answering. Some suggests looking at the Chairman of the Board even when other members ask you the questions. But is it advisable? A better suggestion is to look equally at all the members. When you ask a person something, that person gives the answer looking at somebody else. How will you feel? Suppose you are giving a lecture before an audience. Will you speak looking at one person sitting just in front of you? Or will you look from left to right and from front to back so that all the audience is given equal importance? Same thing applies here. Look uniformly at all the interviewers.
When one of the members asks you something or comments or supplements your answer, maintain eye contact with him until he finishes. This will indicate that you are listening attentively. While speaking, he may also look at the other interviewers. When other members give him a nod, he will look at you back. This time, you too give him a nod. This will encourage him to continue speaking. Remember, attentively listening to a person wins his heart.
Your Body Language Shows Your Personality
Your body language will show whether you are confident or not. It will indicate whether you are shy or friendly. The interviewers will come to know whether you are a loner or a team player by observing your body language. Any company or organization may prefer a candidate who is confident, friendly and a team player. By observing your body language, they can analyze whether you will be able to handle the job well with devotion. They will also come to know whether you will be able to get along with other employees. The interviewers will pay attention to how you say, but not so much on what you say. The interviewers will try to find your responses that match their qualifications.
Know Your Interviewers’ Body Language
Since you can now speak fluent body language, you should also be able to understand what body language your interviewers speak in relation to your body language.
Observe the body language of your interviewers from the beginning. The body gestures of your interviewers can give you an indication of how well you are coming along with them so far in the interview. If their body language is not comfortable to you, change your body language quickly. In the beginning, they may not be aware that you are also observing their body language. So you have the advantage of changing your body language and speaking their body language. If you speak the same language, your chances of getting the job are very high.
Wish you all the best.
Yours forever,
Rajendra Sagolsem
It’s Okay To Be A Little Bit Nervous
Every one shows a little bit of nervousness during an interview. Day before the interview, you might develop serious anxiety. It is quite normal. But use your body language to act confidently. Try to hide your nervousness. Interviewers may be aware that you are concealing it. However your ability to hide and the way you tackle the conversation will definitely impress the interviewers. Never worry whether you will be selected or not. Your body language can easily reveal that. Do your best and don’t think about the result. This will increase your confidence level. And you will perform better. Chances are you may be selected.
One plus point for getting nervous is that it might even indicate how important it is for you to get the job. If you are not nervous and act like a carefree person, the interviewers may think that you don’t care whether you get selected or not.
Interview has two important purposes. The first purpose is to determine who the best performer is in the interview. Second purpose is to analyze which candidate will perform better with the job. Utilize this knowledge when you face any job interview.
Punctuality Tells Your Concern About Time
Punctuality is an essential quality of a successful person. If you are not punctual and don’t reach the place of interview in time, your chances of being selected are not bright. Punctuality is one of the most important aspects of the job interview. Remember, job interview is an important appointment for you as well as for the employer. Arriving late will surely send a wrong message about your attitude about the importance of time to the interviewers. It will tell about your lack of professionalism too. Start early and make it sure to reach the place well in time. There is no excuse for being late. Moreover, if you are late, your turn might have been over.
Maintain Proper Body Posture
Maintain your body posture. It is important during job interviews. The interviewers constantly observe how you sit. They also observe how you make your body movements. When they tell you to take your seat, see if the chair is too close to the table. If it is too close, pull it back a little so that you can make an easy entry to sit down. But make it sure that you don’t make any screeching sound when you pull the chair.
In the beginning of the interview, sit up straight in your chair. Support your back with the back of the chair. Don’t look saggy before the interviewers. Don’t move sideways in your chair either. Your body language might be perceived as a lack of interest or boredom. Don’t sit on the edge of the chair. It can send a message that you are nervous. It will also show that you are not comfortable with the interview.
When an interviewer asks you something, lean a little forward. This shows that you are attentive and taking interest. You can tilt your head a little bit too. This shows that you are listening closely. Always make eye contact with the interviewer who is asking you the questions.
Some Do’s And Don’ts
There are various types of interview. Traditional types are Board Interview where there are many interviewers, and another is one-to-one interview. Telephonic interview is also used these days. In one-to-one interview, the interviewer may come to the room you are sitting. Or you may be asked to come in. When the interviewer comes to the room to meet you, just stand up and wish him. Do not make the first move for a handshake. Shake hands only when the interviewer offers his hand. But shake hands firmly, don’t squeeze. Maintain eye contact. Take your seat only when he says so. If you are going to his room, don’t ask permission for coming in. You have already been asked to come in. But don’t sit down until he says so.
Put your hands loosely on your lap. You can also put them on the arms of the chair if it has arms. If you place your hands on the armrests, you can make free hand movements to support what you say. Never cross your arms on the chest. This is the body language of defensive move.
You may nod your head occasionally. This shows that you know the subject well and you are speaking the truth. This also shows that you are confident. Use your body language while speaking. Hand movements can also make the conversation lively. The interviewers will think that you are quite comfortable with the interview. Imagine if someone is talking to you without any movement, will it be interesting? I don’t think so. You will soon be yawning. Same thing applies here. Don’t make your interviewers yawn while you are talking. Utilize the body language techniques.
However, don’t move your hands too much. Carefully observe your interviewers’ hand movements. If they use their hands too often to make their points clear, you can also do the same thing. If they make hand movements only occasionally, you have to do the same thing.
During the interview, you may make some unnecessary movements. You may be tapping your fingers on the table. You may be shuffling your feet too frequently. You may be biting your nails. You may be touching parts of your body too often. These show your nervousness. And these are the things you have to avoid.
The Board Interview
One-to-one interview is easy to face for many. But when it comes to face a Board Interview, it is really embarrassing. Candidates are confused whom to look at when they are answering. Some suggests looking at the Chairman of the Board even when other members ask you the questions. But is it advisable? A better suggestion is to look equally at all the members. When you ask a person something, that person gives the answer looking at somebody else. How will you feel? Suppose you are giving a lecture before an audience. Will you speak looking at one person sitting just in front of you? Or will you look from left to right and from front to back so that all the audience is given equal importance? Same thing applies here. Look uniformly at all the interviewers.
When one of the members asks you something or comments or supplements your answer, maintain eye contact with him until he finishes. This will indicate that you are listening attentively. While speaking, he may also look at the other interviewers. When other members give him a nod, he will look at you back. This time, you too give him a nod. This will encourage him to continue speaking. Remember, attentively listening to a person wins his heart.
Your Body Language Shows Your Personality
Your body language will show whether you are confident or not. It will indicate whether you are shy or friendly. The interviewers will come to know whether you are a loner or a team player by observing your body language. Any company or organization may prefer a candidate who is confident, friendly and a team player. By observing your body language, they can analyze whether you will be able to handle the job well with devotion. They will also come to know whether you will be able to get along with other employees. The interviewers will pay attention to how you say, but not so much on what you say. The interviewers will try to find your responses that match their qualifications.
Know Your Interviewers’ Body Language
Since you can now speak fluent body language, you should also be able to understand what body language your interviewers speak in relation to your body language.
Observe the body language of your interviewers from the beginning. The body gestures of your interviewers can give you an indication of how well you are coming along with them so far in the interview. If their body language is not comfortable to you, change your body language quickly. In the beginning, they may not be aware that you are also observing their body language. So you have the advantage of changing your body language and speaking their body language. If you speak the same language, your chances of getting the job are very high.
Wish you all the best.
Yours forever,
Rajendra Sagolsem
RSS Feed