“Your body language can communicate more about you than your actual spoken words in making a first and lasting impression during an interview. The belief is that 55% of communication is body language, 38% is the tone of your voice, and only 7% is the actual words spoken.”
– Jill Klees, SJSU iSchool Career Center Liaison
When it comes to preparing for an interview, people mostly concern themselves with updating their resumes, wearing the appropriate attire, and speaking professionally. Unfortunately, little time is spent on preparing oneself mentally to establish a positive attitude that is both reflective of one’s inner and outer appearance. There are many types of body language, such as hand gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, and even posture that communicate feelings and personality traits about you through the interpretations of those observing.
According to Wikipedia, “body language refers to various forms of nonverbal communication, where in a person may reveal clues as to some unspoken intention or feeling through their physical behavior.” In other words, your body language can express to others the mood you are in, what you may be feeling or even thinking at the time. Needless to say, regardless of what is happening in your personal life, you should remain professional at all times. This means that during a job interview, your body should read, “happy to be present.”
In addition to dressing and speaking professionally, employers want to hire individuals that can work well with others, and the best way to judge this skill during a job interview is to observe the excitement a potential candidate expresses when communicating, particularly when discussing work experience and goals. Enthusiasm is contagious and the truth of the matter is that most employers and employees want to work with people that have good personalities.
If you can showcase a positive attitude and passion for what you do, you will undoubtedly make a good impression. Even if you hated your last place of employment or you left under bad terms, your interview should focus on the knowledge and skills gained in your previous position, not on any negative experiences. This does not mean you lie about the cause for leaving, but by putting more attention to the value of your work experience, you show your potential boss your ability to look on the bright side of any given situation and more importantly, your ability to come out of a negative situation triumphantly and appreciative. After all, good or bad, experiences provide opportunities to learn and grow.
Want to learn more about body language and what yours may be saying about you? Check out the following link: http://www.study-body-language.com/. It provides information on how to read body language and how they may be interpreted by others.
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[Building Communicational Skills]
