What exactly is body language?
Body language is a type of nonverbal communication in which your physical behavior is used to ex-
press or convey information. This physical behavior can be facial expression, body posture, gestures,
eye movement, touch, and/or use of space which conveys a message or adds something to it.
It is an expression of not what you say but what you do.
It is especially important in case of an interview, where only 20 – 30% of your communication is verbal.
Here, body language has a signicant impact on how an interviewer perceives you. An experienced in-
terviewer will start to judge you through your body language the moment you enter through the
door, which means that you are being assessed even before you state your name.
How an interviewer perceives your body language?
Our body language says more about us than the words we speak. It is an involuntary and unconscious
phenomenon that adds to the process of communication. Surprising as it may sound, the way you
walk in from the door, greet your interviewer, take your seat, you’re sitting posture, body moments
(mostly hand and facial expressions while answering questions), and nally your exit from the room
are all taken into account.
This is why it’s important for students to understand this passive form of communication. If one re-
peatedly touches their face, it shows that they are nervous. If one clenches their jaws, has a tightened
neck or lowered eyebrows, it shows that they are stressed. Avoiding habits like these, along with biting
your nails, constantly touching your hair, or dabbling with your handkerchief can give the impression
of nervousness or even dishonestly. These are few of many examples that have a hand in making or
breaking an interview.
Defensive and Open postures
Depending upon the nature of a person and their state of mind, many candidates have defensive and
open postures.
Defensive postures are crossed arms over chest, crossed legs, etc. It reveals an insecurity or hostile
attitude of the candidate, and lack of condence.
Open postures are sitting straight during the interview, maintaining eye contact, keeping the head
in a neutral position, palm in an exposed position, a slight smile etc. It reveals that the candidate
shows willingness, is honest, ready to take up challenges, etc.
Obtaining a positive body language can benefit you in numerous ways. For starters, you can try to absorb the following in your day to day life:
1. Walking confidently
Perhaps one of the most telling signs of a person’s confidence is seen in the way they walk. If you often hunch or keep your head down, then the interviewer sees it as a sign of timidity. So push your shoulders back and keep your chin straight.
2. A firm handshake, whenever you have to do
Another sign of your confidence and credibility. Offering a limp hand shows weakness, so be firm, but also do not overpower the other person and crush their hand. Remember, a firm handshake is one of the quickest but surest ways of impressing your interviewer.
3. Always sit up straight
If you slouch in your chair, it shows the interviewer that you aren’t very interested, and perhaps overly carefree. So sit up straight, even though you don’t have a backrest.
4. Maintain eye contact when talking
Maintaining eye contact while talking or listening helps build a bond, or more importantly trust between two people. So don’t be afraid to look your interviewer in the eye, but also remember you aren’t playing the “Blinking Game” with them. If you stare too much, it might cause them to feel uncomfortable.
5. Smile
Smiling is an outward sign of joy and happiness. Scientists believe that even smiling on purpose can help a person, and those around them feel better. It also helps with bonding, reducing stress, and usually results in the other person smiling back. Therefore, don’t be afraid to smile away in an interview.
6. While talking, keep your hands movements to a bare minimum
During an interview, it’s perfectly acceptable to use your hands to illustrate some important points. In fact, research suggests that staying too still can often be seen as a sign of coldness and disinterest. But it’s important to remember not to rely too much on hand gestures as it can be highly distracting for your interviewer.
Practice makes you perfect
If you start with these, it will slowly but surely help you become more and more confident and composed, and once people start seeing it on the outside, they will take you as a calm and honest person, which isn’t a bad asset to have.
Having high numbers on your mark-sheet may not always get you the job, but seeming more confident and collected from the rest just might.
A positive body language, like many other skills, is not something that can be learnt and mastered overnight. The key is constant practice – be it with those you interact with on a daily basis, or in a platform like GoPrac, where you can sit in the comfort of your home and practice your verbal and non-verbal skills via multiple mock interviews, which will certainly help you develop the desired body language.
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