Dressing up and Body Language for Job Interviews
To make a good impression dress conservative
and clean cut, wear clothes appropriate to the culture, keep jewellery
to a minimum, no after-shave or perfume, clean shoes, suits dry-cleaned
if worn, overall cleanliness, hands, nails etc. Practice good hygiene,
comb or brush your hair, and dress appropriately. Even if you know that
the company dress is business-casual, dress up anyway. It shows
professionalism and respect.
Dress conservatively and avoid
bright, flashy colors. Navy blue or gray is usually best but wear colors
in which you feel confident. Interviewers might be offended by strong
body smell. Don't wear strong perfume. Fragrance is a matter of personal
preference and your interviewer might not like your choice. It's best
to have soft perfume a few minutes before the interview; a little
mouthwash may be good.
Body Language
Remember body
speaks louder than words. Body language comprises 55% of the force of
any response. Verbal content only provides 7% para language, or the
intonation, pauses and sighs given when answering, represents 38% of the
emphasis.
How to Act During Interviews
Greet them as per
time of day. Smile and have a firm handshake if offered. Read the mood.
If the interviewer is formal, then you probably should be, too. If the
interviewer is casual, then follow along while remaining courteous and
professional. Wait to be told to take a seat and say thank you.
If
it's possible, scoot your chair a little closer to the interviewer's
desk or take the chair closet to the desk. This shows interest and
confidence. But don't invade the interviewer's personal space, a
perimeter of about two to three feet is ok. Sit with good posture.
Even
formally trained interviewers are regular people like you, so they'll
expect you to be a little nervous while sitting in the hot seat. Still,
try to avoid obvious signs.
Maintain comfortable eye contact with the
interviewer as failure to maintain eye contact indicates that you are
lying, reaching for answers or lacking confidence. Take your time to
answer questions - this will prevent you from providing a poor answer.
Speak clearly and thoughtfully - be sure to speak at an appropriate
volume and do not speak too quickly
If the interviewer offers coffee
or other beverages, it's okay to accept if he insists otherwise say no
thanks. It's probably better to say no thanks to snacks.
How to Sit at Interview
With
the upper limbs the guideline is that the less a person moves their
hands and arms, the more powerful they are. This supports the view that
they are used to people listening to them and they therefore do not have
to resort to gesticulation to get their point across.
Try to keep your hands lower than your elbows, rest them on the arms of the chair.
Try
to gauge interviewers' preferred distance by their seating
arrangements. Move closer only if they seem skeptical about what you're
saying.
Where you sit, too, is as important as how you sit.
If
you are sitting on the edge of the seat it can make you look eager but
also scared, like you are ready to bolt out of the room. Go ahead and
slide to the back of the chair and sit tall and straight. That will make
you look confident and comfortable.
Girls should not cross their
legs and instead sit with their knees together. Men should avoid sitting
with their legs too wide apart.
Anything that creates an intimacy
before there's a rapport established will signal to the interviewer that
you don't use good judgment and that you resort to inappropriate
behavior.
Here are some typical interpretations of body language.
Openness and Warmth:Open-lipped smiling, Open hands with palms visible.
Confidence: Leaning forward in chair chin up, Hands joined behind back when standing.
Nervousness:
Jiggling pocket contents, running tongue along front of teeth, clearing
throat, hands touching the face or covering part of the face, pulling
at skin or ear, running fingers through hair, wringing hands, biting on
pens or other objects, twiddling thumbs, biting fingernails. Looking at
your watch very frequently. Nervous hand habits, like nail biting, hair
twirling and hand twitching, can distract the interviewer and, convey
nervousness and insecurity.
Untrustworthy/Defensive: Frowning,
squinting eyes, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, chin
down, touching nose or face, darting eyes, looking down when speaking,
clenched hands, gestures with fist, pointing with fingers, chopping one
hand into the open palm of the other, rubbing back of neck, clasping
hands behind head while leaning back in the chair.
Interpretation of Various Postures
Crossed arms - means that the person is in a defensive and reserved mood.
·Crossed arms and legs - means that the person feels very reserved and suspicious.
·Open arms and hands - means that the person is open and receptive.
·Standing before you with his hands inside the pockets - means he is not sure or feels suspicious.
·Standing before you with his hands on his hips - means he is receptive and ready to help you out.
·Sitting in a chair shaking one of the legs - means he feels nervous and uncomfortable
·If his eyes are downcast and face turned away - means he is not interested in what you are saying.
·With the palm of the hand holding or stroking his chin - means he is in an evaluating position and being critical.
·Leaning
back in his chair with both hands clasped behind his head - means he is
in an analytical mood, but it is also a gesture of superiority.
·Rubbing or touching his nose when answering a question - means he is not telling the complete truth.
·Rubbing the back of his head or rubbing or touching the back of his neck - means the conversation is not really interesting.
·If
he moves his body and sits with his feet and body pointing towards a
door - means he wants to end the conservation and leave the room.
·Steepling
your fingers, particularly in an upright position, when answering a
question. This can be perceived as arrogant, saying I know more about
this subject than you do.
Tips about using your Voice
Add
Volume to Increase Authority. Remember that your voice always sounds
louder to you than to anyone else. Also remember that your voice is an
instrument; it needs to be warmed up, or it will creak and crack at the
beginning of your presentation. If you warm up with a high volume, as
though projecting to those in the back row, your volume also will
improve your vocal quality. Volume adds energy to your voice; it has the
power to command or lose listeners' attention.
Lower the Pitch
to Increase Credibility. Pitch, the measurement of the "highness" or
"lowness" of your voice, is determined largely by the amount of tension
in the vocal cords. When you are under stress, you may sound
high-pitched; when you are relaxed and confident, you will have a
naturally lower pitch. Authoritative vocal tones are low and calm, not
high and tense. Remember that a lower pitch conveys power, authority,
and confidence, whereas a high pitch conveys insecurity and nervousness.
Tune your body posture
Try to adopt a posture that shows
interest but still comes across as being relaxed. You can do this by
sitting up straight in your chair at the beginning of the interview,
with your back against the back of the chair. If you slouch or hang
sideways in your chair, it might give the impression that you are not
that interested in the job. However, sitting on the edge of your chair
can come across as being a little tense and might give the impression
that you feel uncomfortable. You can change your body posture a little
during the interview. For example, when someone says something it is
good to turn a little with your shoulders towards this person and to
lean forward a little. This shows an interest in what the other person
is saying. You can emphasize this by tilting your head a little. It is
also important to pay attention to the posture of your interview
partners. In some cases you can achieve mutual tuning by adopting the
same posture as the other person.
What to do with your hands?
Just
the same as when you are giving a presentation, many people often
regard their hands as obstacles during a job interview rather than a
useful means of communication. That is why people often ask what to do
with their hands. In a difficult situation we are often inclined to fold
our arms across our body. This helps to give us a more secure feeling.
During a job interview it is better not to do this, because folding your
arms can be interpreted as a defensive move. It is better to let your
hands lie loosely on your lap or place them on the armrests of your
chair. From these positions it's also easy to support your words with
hand gestures.
Movements: a dynamic interview?
Facial
expressions play a great role; do not have a blank face. Hand movements
can also help to liven up the interview. The fact that you dare to make
movements with your hands during an interview might indicate that you
feel at ease quickly. In most cases it is better not to make too many
hand movements at the start of the interview but add them slowly
throughout the interview. As regards this, pay attention to your
interview partners as well: if they use their hands a lot to make things
clear, you can definitely do this as well. When they don't make many
movements, it is better if you don't either. Just the same as with body
posture, it is important to tune your movements to those of the other
person. Also pay attention to inadvertent movements that you may make
sometimes due to nervousness. For example, shuffling with your feet or
kicking against the leg of a table can be very irritating for other
people. Drumming with your fingers or clicking with a pen also won't be
good for the interview and shows your nervousness.
When should you look at whom?
During
the job interview it is important to look at all the interview partners
to an equal extent. By looking directly at the other person we are
giving them a sign of trust. By looking directly at people we are also
in control of the conversation. Looking directly at somebody or looking
away actually serves as the dots and commas in our spoken sentences.
When one of the committee members explains something or poses a
question, keep looking at this person for as long as he or she is
speaking. This shows that you're listening. While he is speaking he may
also look at the other people, but every time he wants to emphasize
something he will look at you again. You can then nod to encourage him
to continue talking. At the end of his question, he will keep looking at
you and then tilt his head up a little to invite you to give an answer.
When you answer a question, you will look first at the person who posed
the question, but while you answer you should take turns looking at the
other interview partners as well. You should direct yourself again to
the person who posed the question when you want to emphasize something
and at the end of your answer.
Mirror the Interviewer’s Body Language.
The
concept of mirroring is based on the well-known human trait of like
attracting like. People generally like people that appear to be similar
to them. Therefore, by observing the interviewers body language and
reflecting this back at them they are likely to feel more at ease and
friendly towards you.
Some practical hints
·Develop your Listening skills and do not ask could you please repeat the question.
·Maintain comfortable eye contact.
·Do not interrupt the interviewer.
·From time to time, ask for clarification of what has been said if you are not clear about it.
·Don't show emotions or prejudices on any contentious topic.
·Occasionally, re-phrase what has been said to show you have clearly understood the question before attempting to answer.
·Keep an open mind on what is being said until the interviewer has finished.
Most Likely Questions likely to be asked by interviewers
.Where did you come in your class in College?
·Why didn't you do better in your exams?
·Tell me about yourself?
·How would you describe yourself?
·Why do you want to leave your present job?
·What would your boss/colleagues say about you if asked?
·What motivates you most?
·What is your long term plans?
·Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
·What is your greatest strength?
·Do you prefer working alone or with others?
·What is your greatest weakness?
·How do you cope with pressure?
·Give me an instance where you were under pressure?
·Why do you believe you are a suitable candidate for this job?
·What can you do for us that somebody else can't do?
The Secrets of Interview Success
·Express yourself with clarity and precision.
·Speak confidently, making sure to support your answers with relevant examples from your work
·Always relate your answers to the job for which you are applying.
·Always present a positive face
·You
should state and supply evidence that you enjoy your job; that you are
enthusiastic and ambitious; and that you welcome challenge.
·It is important to tell the truth in interviews.
·Convince them that your experience qualifies you for the job on offer.
Do you have any questions? What to do when they put such a question to you?
Do ask only after they confirm your suitability and give you a chance.
Here are some examples of questions to ask at your job interview.
·How would you describe a typical workday?
·What is the best part of working at this company for you?
·What are the typical responsibilities and duties of this job?
·What skills are considered most useful for success in this job?
·How many people work in this particular department?
·What areas of the department do you think need improving?
·What is your company’s corporate culture?
·What are the company’s values?
·What is the company’s policy on transfers to other divisions or other offices?
Don't ask about.
Don't ask about company benefits at this stage.