First impressions are essential to successfully nail down any interview, especially because they are often close to impossible to change. Whilst it is important to prepare your answers for your interview questions, it is equally important to bring attention to your body language.
Your body language can have a huge impact on how you are perceived. In fact, you are being judged by the interviewee before you even utter your first word! Here are 14 body language tips for interviews that ensure you make the best impression of yourself.
1. Walk in confidently
Your body language can say a lot about your behaviour. For example, if you are slouching while you walk, this may show that you are feeling nervous. This can be resolved by rolling your shoulders back and naturally elongating your neck.
Even if you are feeling nervous, when you adopt a good posture and walk tall, you will start to become more confident. In other words, you become what you think you are. In some cases, employers may analyse your body language (from their office) before your interview has even begun.
This is to determine how your body language changes from the moment you arrive into the building to the moment you enter the room in which the interview will take place. So, it is vital that you carry yourself with confidence and professionalism straight from the get-go.
2. Deliver a firm handshake
Next up on our list of body language tips for interviews is to deliver a good handshake. An optimal handshake should be firm. This means it should not be a forceful grip and neither should it be limp as a noodle.
A forceful grip may give an aggressive impression, or it may seem that you are trying too hard. On the other hand, a weak grip may present you as being a submissive individual or that you lack confidence.
Other than personality, handshakes may also provide subtle non-verbal cues regarding your business style and negotiating skills. For example, a firm grip can set the tone for hard-line negotiations and allow you to take the upper hand at negotiations.
Evidence shows that handshakes do play a vital role in making a good first impression. A firm handshake is easy to perfect after a few tries, so make it count! To prevent any awkward situations, remember to also make eye contact with the interviewer and smile.
Check out Psychology Today to find out more about the power of handshakes.
3. Make eye contact
Maintaining good eye contact with the interviewer demonstrates that you are not intimidated and that you are engaged. Ensure that you are not constantly staring at the interviewer, such that it becomes uncomfortable.
But rather, aim to hold eye contact for a few seconds at a time. If it becomes awkward, look away for a few seconds before bringing your gaze back to the interviewer. However, note that avoiding eye contact for too long may make your answers appear dishonest. To prevent this, balance it out by making eye contact for a while and letting your eyes wander for a bit too.
If there is more than one interviewer, ensure to make eye contact with all of them. When responding to a question, address the interviewer who asked the question, followed by holding eye contact with the other interviewer, before shifting your attention back to the first interviewer.
4. Smile
This may seem like a no-brainer but smiling, where appropriate, will show that you are attentive to what is being said and that you have a personality.
Smiling will help to signal to the interviewer that you are friendly, and you will come across as more likeable. Even if you are feeling nervous, smiling will help to make you appear more relaxed and comfortable in front of the interviewer.
5. Be graceful
When your interviewer invites you to take a seat, sit gracefully into the chair. This might seem obvious but ensure that you do not plop yourself into the chair, as this will make you appear to look unprofessional.
A key tip to note is that when offered which chair to take a seat in, select a straight-backed chair, as opposed to a more comfy or cushioned chair. A straight-backed chair will help you to maintain good posture.
6. Sit up straight
In addition to walking confidently, your posture must remain good when sitting down too. You can achieve this by keeping your back straight and the small of your back touching the chair.
Keep in mind that fully reclining against the chair may give the impression that you are bored or not interested in the job.
At the same time, you will want to make sure that you are not too stiff. To show that you are interested in and keen on the job role, you can lean slightly forward, as this depicts that you are listening to the interviewer.
7. Don’t cross your legs
In terms of leg positions, keep both your feet planted on the floor or you can have them crossed at the ankles. If you cross your legs higher up, this is not a good option as it may make you come across as arrogant or defensive.
Moreover, it is not a good option as we tend to uncross our legs when sitting for long periods of time, which also falls under tip number 10 of not fidgeting.
If both of these options do not feel comfortable, you can place one foot in front of the other, allowing your back foot to slightly rise such that only your toes remain on the ground. To visualise this, it may look like a ‘ready for action’ stance.
8. Use your hands
Do not keep your arm crossed and avoid clenching your fists in your lap. This gives a closed impression and may suggest that you are nervous, defensive or uninterested. Instead, keep your hands in your lap with your palms facing upwards, as this signals honesty and engagement.
If you tend to use hand gestures while speaking, carry on letting them move naturally, as stopping them may make you appear to look awkward. However, take note not to go overboard with hand gestures.
If you struggle with keeping still, you can keep your hands busy by taking notes when appropriate. This will also show that you are paying attention.
9. Mirror your interviewer
A trick to get on good terms with your interviewer is to align the position of your body, such that it mirrors their positive body language. This technique is known as mirroring and when done properly, it gives a sense of agreement and creates a common ground.
An example of mirroring can be copying a nodding if they nod or subtly shifting your posture if they do, to share a common body language. However, note that mirroring should be done sparingly so that you do not appear too bold.
It should not be obvious to the interviewer that you are attempting to copy them.
10. Hold still
Another body language tip is to avoid fidgeting and keep still. For instance, do not keep adjusting your clothes, twirling your hair, or tapping your fingers against the table.
This is distracting for the interviewer and suggests that you are not focused or that you are disinterested in the job.
If you do have a nervous habit, such as tapping your fingers on the table, try your very best to keep still. Check out our post to learn how to beat interview anxiety.
11. Breathe deeply
If you are feeling very nervous before your interview, take a few deep breaths to calm your body and mind. You can do this before you walk into the interview room so that you feel calm and composed. Deep breathing helps to reduce our heart rate, blood pressure as well as our stress hormone level.
If the feelings of nervousness have not gone away and persist during your interview, you can still focus on your breath to soothe interview nerves. When responding to an interview question, breathe deeply (yet quietly) when the interviewer asks you a question.
Following this, exhale when you respond. This may additionally help to prevent any nervous habits, such as drumming your arm, during your interview.
12. Vary your voice patterns
To show off your personality and make you interesting to the interviewer, ensure that you do not speak in a monotone. This may make your responses, however smart they may be, boring and disengaging to the interviewer.
Instead, vary the tones in your voice to give away some emotion and connect to the interviewer. Visit Executive Career Advice to find out more about how the tone of your voice can affect your interview performance.
3. Show interest in your surroundings
Once you have finished your interview, keep in mind that the interviewer may still be analysing your body language, until you leave the office. This falls under tip 1 of walking confidently and adopting a good posture. In addition, take some time to look around slightly. This will give the impression that you visually appreciate the working environment.
14. Practice makes perfect!
Once you have read through all of these body language tips for interviews, the final important step is to practice applying these techniques as much as you can, prior to your interview. Firstly, you can do this by consciously applying body language techniques to answer common interview questions that you have prepared by yourself.
Once you feel a bit more comfortable with applying these techniques, you can then ask your friends or family to assist you in the rehearsal process. Rehearse with friends and family over and over again until you don’t have to consciously think about whether or not you are applying the correct body language technique.
Preparation is key as the more you practice, the more likely you will be able to maximize these body language tips in your interview. This is especially true when nervous habits tend to arise in an interview. If you have practised sufficiently, you will be able to consciously overcome these natural tendencies.
Summary: 14 body language tips for interviews
Thank you for taking the time to read this post! We hope that these body language tips will assist you in your interview preparation. If you would like more help and want to stand out in your interview, sign up for our graduate interview coaching.
If you need any help with applying these body language tips for interviews, don’t hesitate to contact us.
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