When preparing for a job interview, it’s important to remember that the way you present yourself goes beyond the words that you speak. Believe it or not, your body language can say just as much about you as your resume. In fact, your body language in an interview can play a significant role in whether or not you get the job.
Positive Body Language in an Interview
Positive body language is powerful. It makes you appear confident, approachable, and engaged. Here are a few tips on how to make a positive impression with your body language in an interview:
- Sit up straight: Good posture in an interview conveys confidence, professionalism, and respect. Keep your shoulders back and your spine straight, but don’t be too rigid. You want to appear relaxed and comfortable.
- Make eye contact: Maintaining eye contact shows that you’re attentive, trustworthy, and confident. Do your best to avoid staring or looking away for too long, as this kind of body language can come across as rude, disinterested, and ingenuine.
- Smile: A genuine smile throughout the conversation is likely to put both you and your interviewer at ease. Furthermore, it conveys openness and friendliness, which will impress most employers.
- Nod and lean in: These small gestures show that you’re interested and engaged in the conversation. They also convey a sense of enthusiasm and positive energy.
Negative Body Language in an Interview
Negative body language can make you appear uninterested, untrustworthy, or even disrespectful. Here are a few things to avoid so that you don’t give the wrong impression:
- Slouching: Slouching makes you appear disinterested, lazy, or even defiant. It also conveys a lack of confidence and professionalism. It’s not a good look when you want to put your best foot forward.
- Avoid fidgeting: Fidgeting, such as tapping your feet, playing with your hair, or clicking a pen, can be distracting and make you appear nervous or disinterested.
- Crossing your arms: Crossing your arms can make you appear closed off, defensive, and even aggressive. It conveys a lack of openness and receptiveness. This is the opposite of what most employers want to see.
- Avoiding eye contact: Avoiding eye contact can make you appear shifty, dishonest, or uninterested. It also conveys a lack of confidence.
What Your Posture and Facial Expressions Say About You
Your posture and facial expressions during an interview say a lot about you. Posture can convey confidence or it can convey nervousness. It can even affect your breathing and your voice. Sitting up straight with your shoulders back can show that you’re engaged and interested in the conversation. Whereas, slouching or fidgeting can make you appear disinterested or unprepared. Above all, it’s important to find a balance between being relaxed and being attentive.
Your facial expressions also communicate a lot about you to a potential employer. Smiling can convey warmth and positivity, while a frown or blank expression can make you appear disinterested or unhappy. Maintaining good eye contact shows that you’re paying attention while avoiding eye contact can make you appear untrustworthy or inattentive. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of your facial expressions and to try to project a positive and engaging demeanor.
Your posture and facial expressions play a significant role in how you’re perceived by a potential employer during an interview. At the end of the day, a potential employer will decide who to hire based on how they feel about you. Your body language will ultimately determine what you project outward, whether you realize it or not. By mastering your body language in an interview, and projecting confidence and engagement, you can increase your chances of making a positive impression and landing the job.
If you would like help fine-tuning your interview approach, check out our professional interview coaching services and learn how to give yourself an edge over the competition!
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