It’s only human nature for us to be cognizant of our body language when in an awkward, uncomfortable, or nerve-wracking social situation of any sort. Whether we’re at a dinner with new people, presenting as a business event speaker, or sitting for an interview, there’s a good chance that all but the most confident of us will be more aware of each and every body motion. Sometimes this awareness can be beneficial for our disposition. Most of the time, however, it is only distracting and burdensome at a time when our mind is best served to focus on something else.
Both the benefits and detriments of a heightened body language awareness are exhibited when we interview for a new job. If you think too much about your hands during an interview, for example, you may stumble over a key question or appear overly uncomfortable in the process. But if you are well-prepared and follow a few tips, you can turn this awareness into a definite positive.
Here are a few of the main tips to keep in mind:
Keep Eye Contact Vague and Consistent
Eye contact is perhaps the most important component of body language. When in an interview, you want to make eye contact with your interviewer, but you don’t want to be too penetrating with your gaze. Instead, you ideally will want to look into his eyes at times and away at others – without moving your eyes too much or ever looking down. How can this be accomplished? The easier way to do this is probably by consistently looking at the interviewer’s forehead or hairline. This insures a degree of eye contact that is neither lacking nor overwhelming.
Engage Your Body Appropriately
When the interview is talking about the company or explaining a query, you want to appear thoughtful and contemplative. This is best done by sitting back (but not “lounging”) in your chair. On the other hand, when you are explaining an answer or listening to a question, you want to convey an air of engagement and heightened interest – an air best communicated by leaning forward in your seat. Ultimately, then, appropriately moving your body backwards and forwards is a great way of conveying the right traits at the correct times.
Don’t Fidget
This last tip is an obvious one, but a fidgeting interviewee is often viewed as a nervous and less capable one. Fidgeting can also distract your interviewer, thereby making it harder for them to accurately assess you. Try to practice curtailing any fidgeting tendencies when you prepare for your next interview. Clasp your hands, keep your feet flat on the ground, and generally explore any technique that can insure you won’t appear jittery when interview day arrives.
These are some of the main tips to keep in mind when preparing your body language for an interview. Having the correct body language is certainly only a minuscule part of the interview process, but it is an important component to work on nonetheless.
