Ultimate Guide on Body Language in a Job Interview (Tips and Tricks for 2024)

Attending an interview is a hassle for everyone. Even after long hours of preparation and practice people tends to forget the answers of are sometimes reluctant to provide a replay instantly. even if they ace the language barrier there is the body language, which is actively monitored by the interviewer which goes unnoticed by the selected applicants.

 In this post, we will be providing you with a guide on the different things monitored by the interview. And a short detail on what they expect from each.

1. Dressing style
2. Entrance and Exit Style
3. Let the representative lead
4. Body posture
5. Limb moments
6. Eye contact
7. Facial Expression
8. Handshake

Body Language in a Job Interview

Dressing style

A person’s dressing style speaks a lot about them, this is true in the corporate world. The higher up of a company tends to keep a note of their employees’ dressing style to know how well they will perform. One of the times where this is important is the interview.

Always dressing a confident way in clean shoes, combed hair, and a clean and wrinkle-free dress. A clean and confident look will create a great impression for the interviewer and also boost one’s confidence.

Another point for the dress style is to avoid casual dress code, casual code implies that you are a carefree person and don’t care what you do most of the time, this is not accepted in the corporate world.

Entrance and Exit style

We cannot know who is watching us while going for an interview, there can be a lot of eyes. A person knows who has entered the building with them, also who was in the elevator with them.

Keeping A confident posture will create a positive impact on everyone and will increase the chance of being selected. Also while exiting the interview it is to be noted that one needs to be very calm while gathering his belongings, then rise slowly and if possible shake hands with everyone in the room and leave the room as calmly as possible.

Reflecting them how the interview went is considered as a negative attitude and it is recommended not to talk about it in front of the interviewers.

Let the representative lead

It is always recommended to follow the representative while going towards the hiring manager’s room. Never walk alongside them, it is recommended that one stay two feet behind the representative and keep the neck elongated and shoulders pulled back.

Body posture

The body posture of a person can be used to know how much a person is interested in and eager to be selected for that interview. It is recommended to keep one’s back upright and sit on the edge of the chair, the edge of the chair can make one appear eager and interested to hear what the interviewer has to say.

The sitting position can also impact one voice so it is recommended to follow these steps even if it is a voice-only interview. Another way to show the interviewer that one is listening is by slightly nodding one’s head. Nodding one’s head also lets the interviewer know that his work is being appreciated and enjoyed by the one who is being interviewed.

 Limb movements

Hand and leg moments have a drastic impact on the interview, so it is necessary to avoid unwanted moments as much as possible it is good to avoid touching the face or playing with their hair as much as possible as it can covey a lot of meaning from being dishonest to be bored and uninterested in the interview.

Also, keep in mind that moving one’s legs are not visible to the interviewer but can create movements on the rest of the body which is visible and can distract them. Another point to completely avoid is nervous moments like taking a peek into one’s phone, playing with their fingers, and bouncing the legs.

It is advised for one to keep breathing normally and when an interviewer asks a question, take a deep breath and answer the question during exhale. One needs to keep in mind that the necessary hand movements should be shown and it is also recommended to mirror some of the interviewer’s moments.

This will help them to get that both persons are on the same side and there is no communication gap present in the interview. Mirroring is a great way for one to build a rapport for himself.

Eye contact

According to different body language experts maintaining the necessary eye contact shows the interviewer that he is interested in the job and approaches the time they are spending on interviewing one. Maintaining eye contact is easy when one is attending an in-person interview, this is not the same for a virtual interview.

For the virtual interview, It will help the one attending greatly if he hides his view and thinks of the camera as a person’s eyes. Another thing the person needs to keep in mind is not to make the interviewer feel like you are staring into his eyes only, this too can create a negative impact for him.

Facial Expression

Facial expressions can have a positive impact on job interviews. Keeping a smile can be a positive for social interaction jobs like sales and teaching, but can be harmful to jobs that are considered serious like accounting and managing. But it is recommended to keep a smile at least during the beginning and the end of the interview.

Firm handshake

Handshake is another way to show one’s confidence. It is always advised to give a firm handshake as it is a sign of confidence in oneself and his abilities, a weaker handshake shows nervousness and shyness.

It is also advised to offer the interviewer the hand with the palm slightly raised upwards, this allows the interviewer to cover his hands completely.

We hope that guide on Body language is helpful for you in your future interviews. let us know in the comment section if you have been selected by following these guidelines and feel free to share these guidelines.

Refrences

1. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1979-14647-001
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00219444.1977.10533218