Many of us suffer from nerves and anxiety prior to a job interview….

Here are a few good tips to help you land that job using your body language to your best advantage!

The right attitude. The fastest way to ensure a great first impression needs to be prior to entering the Interview room– is to strike a “power pose.”  Stand with your feet at least hip-distance apart, hold your head high, pull your shoulders back, and stretch out your arms. TIP Research shows that if you hold that pose for two minutes, you will feel (and be perceived as) more confident and competent as you walk into the interview.

Smile. Please, please don’t forget to smile! This is a sign of welcome. It says, “I’m friendly, approachable, and sure of myself.” TIP practice talking and smiling in front of a mirror

Maintain eye contact. Looking at your interviewers transmits confidence and indicates interest and openness.  TIP To improve your eye contact, make a practice of noticing the eye colour of everyone you meet.

Shake hands. A handshake is the quickest way to establish rapport. It’s also the most effective – if you do it right. Research shows it takes an average of three hours of continuous interaction to develop the same level of rapport that you can get with a single handshake. TIP practice handshakes, not too firm and not the “wet fish”!

Maintain an open posture. You may cross your arms because you are cold, or more comfortable doing so, but most interviewers will interpret that gesture as protective or resistant. If you keep your hands behind your back or stuffed in your pockets, you’ll seem tentative. But if clasp your hands loosely around waist level or let them fall comfortably to your side, you expose more of your body and look as if you have nothing to hide. Open and honest is the impression you want. TIP take note of how you sit when listening to others or during a meeting – what message do you think your gestures are conveying to the speaker?

Dress for the job you want. This means knowing what style of dress (from casual to corporate) is appropriate for the job you want. Don’t be under-dressed – I believe you should err on the side of business/corporate style regardless.

Effective body language alone won’t get you the job, but it can greatly enhance your chances of projecting a self-assured, competent, and professional image.

Ivana Agapiou