Eye contact and firm handshakes are key to acing a job interview, career advisers agree.
“The handshake is probably the most important since it’s your first interaction with the interviewer,” said Allison Nawoj, a career advisor with Career Builder. “You don’t want to be too firm, you also don’t want to be too weak.”
Not to say that’s the only thing interviewees should be concerned with.
“You could easily make a so-called body language mistake at any point,” Nawoj said.
Phaedra Henson, a career counsellor at Carleton, stressed the importance of good eye contact.
“Good eye contact with the interviewer is going to be very important because if you’re unsure of your answers you wouldn’t have eye contact, but if you’re confidant and sure of yourself you would be able to make good eye contact.”
“I mean, it’s not an intense stare,” Henson added.
As important as good eye contact is, it is perhaps most important that people don’t appear closed off. In a survey done by Career Builders, Nawoj said 68 per cent of people surveyed said they wouldn’t hire people who didn’t appear friendly, were hunched over and/or didn’t smile.
“It’s a little closed off, a little antagonistic,” she said. “Try and keep your arms at your side in a relaxed manner.”
“One of the first things is not crossing your arms over your chest. . . . 38 per cent of hiring managers said that would make them less likely to hire someone.”
“First impressions are always based on body language and your posture,” Henson agreed.
In fact, “most of the communication that we do is through body language as opposed to verbal, spoken language,” she said. In an interview context, Megan Hamilton said she thinks that’s the whole point.
“If we just rely on the words we answer with, what is the point of having an interview? You want to get an overall feel for the person and see if they are compatible with your work place,” said the second-year political science student.
“You can trick your word but you can’t really trick your body into feeling more comfortable. I think it’s very valuable,” Henson said.
Interviewees don’t necessarily need to worry.
“I think you can present yourself in a way that you want through some practice, “ Nawoj said.
“Even if you are nervous think about how you can practice ahead of time so you may not convey those messages.”
Just avoid crumpling paper, flipping around business cards, chewing gum and yawning, both Henson and Nawoj agreed. For tips on good body language, Henson recommends learning from people with great relationships.
“You can see body language between people who are comfortable and then look at people who are uncomfortable.”
“You can pick out the people who are confident and open,” Henson said.