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| Job Interview Tips and Techniques 5—Body Language Guide |
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So you've honed your CV to perfection (or had us hone it for you). You've done your homework, fully researching both the job market and your target company. You've invested in some killer clothing, and can reel off the top twenty interview queries as though they were your ABC. You've even prepared a jaw-dropping selection of replies to those very same questions. You are, as they say, good to go.
Until you brave the interviewer's unwavering scrutiny, that is.
Urban Jungle—How the Interview Room Turns Job Hunters into Prey
You're finally inside the Interview Room. You look around, and wonder if Interrogation Room wouldn't be a more appropriate description. It's pretty cramped in here, and the heating isn't on. There's nothing to look at save for a motivational poster of a drop of water plopping delightedly into what appears to be a vat of blue oil. And then, of course, there is the conference table—big, hard, and intimidating. And the figures behind that table—similarly big, hard, and intimidating, or so it seems to you.
One of the figures says something. You struggle to reply, unnerved by the spartan nature of your surroundings and the indigo glint of the motivational poster, which you now see reads, 'It only takes a single thought to move the world.' A single thought—you wish you had one right now. You clear your throat, and wince as the sound of your uncertainty reverberates around the white-walled cell that is the Interrogation Room. No, Interview Room; mustn't forget that. You cross your legs, and then your arms, as if to ward off unseen enemies.
And then you realise, with a terrible start, that your enemies are the figures on the other side of the table. And that all of them are looking at your limbs. Your scared, defensive, trembling limbs, silently announcing your deep seated unease.
Welcome to the Jungle, Gentle Job Seeker...
Non-Verbal and Visual Cues—the Secret Signals That Give You Away
In 1971, illustrious American psychologist Albert Mehrabian uncovered the astonishing fact that content (i.e. the words you speak) generally accounts for just 7% of the perceived emphasis or force attributed to any particular vocalised sentence. The remaining 93% can be further divided into a 38% share for non-verbal cues like tone of voice and—wait for it—an incredible 55% for visual responses such as pupil dilation, facial expression, and other physical gestures. Today, his findings are most commonly referred to as 'the 7%-38%-55% rule'.
Whilst these discoveries doubtless did wonders for Mehrabian's career, they're not very likely to do the same for you, especially when you consider how helpless we are to prevent the tell-tale signs these non-verbal and visual reactions present to those around us. Research indicates that we each possess a vocabulary of around 138,000 involuntary responses, or 'cues', but are usually able to place less than 200 of them under our conscious control. Even then, individuals are seldom able to maintain this level of influence more than 20% of the time.
A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On: Identifying Physiological Responses to Stress
Thus far, we've ascertained that the interview room is a difficult place to be (for the interviewer and interviewee alike, incidentally, although the plight of the anxious HR Manager is probably a subject best left for another day) and that non-verbal and visual signals, collectively known as 'body language', do much to hamper your efforts at projecting a confident and compelling image.
Unfortunately, there is a third element that conspires with them to block your progress towards that ideal role—
your nervous system. During the course of an interview, expect it to fall victim to the following scary symptoms:
 Shakiness, particularly in the limbs, and also in the lips and fingers, due to increased adrenaline production.
An increase in temperature, which often gives rise to sweaty palms and a general feeling of being 'flushed'.
Rapid, shallow breathing brought on by your respiratory system's panicked attempts to raise oxygen levels.
An intensely parched mouth—a byproduct of the body's heightened consumption of internal sugar reserves.
These symptoms, while perfectly natural, can also prove extremely debilitating: How on earth are you supposed to answer an interview question with trembling limbs, a feeling of fever, air loss and a sawdust tongue? The best thing to do under these circumstances is also the simplest: Don't panic! These reactions will abate as soon as the perceived 'threat' posed by the unfamiliar surroundings and unknown interviewers diminishes, often in just a few minutes. Be patient, and the feelings will pass.
Taming the Beast Within: the Keys to Keeping Your Body Language Under Control
Now that you've gotten over your initial jitters, it is time to move on to the main event—convincing the interview panel of your suitability for the post, simultaneously eradicating any unwanted body language as you do so. The first goal is dependent on how well you have studied the interview questions most often asked by recruiters; the second will be a function of how well you can apply the following list of body language do's and don'ts.
 Don't Act Fishy
'Your shake is like a fish,' wails Alanis Morisette on her debut album, Jagged Little Pill. It's hard not to speculate if Ms. Morisette isn't a casualty of that most heinous of handshakes, the Damp Squid Special, with a hearty helping of Stale Sweat Stew as a garnish. Then again, she also sings, 'You didn't think I'd show up with my army' within a few moments of her scandalised admonition, which may explain why she received a limp-wristed howdy doody to begin with.
Our point? Don't ever shake hands with your interviewers without thoroughly drying them out beforehand (your hands, that is, not your interviewers). If you must, wipe them discreetly across the sides of your trousers or the front of your skirt (and yes, we're still talking about your hands) to remove unwanted moisture. That only leaves the handshake itself, which should be strong, but not Incredible Hulk strong, demonstrating fortitude in the face of adversity, and confidence in your ability to secure the job you're about to discuss.
 Give Them an Eyeful
An Eye for Eye: It's the law. At least, it's the Jewish law, and you'd do well to heed it, regardless of your chosen faith, when you sit down opposite the folks in executive chairs. Making eye contact is a great means to establish an immediate and memorable connection with someone who is, in just about every respect, a complete and utter stanger. Your objective is to appear capable and charismatic, honest and attentive. And you can do it so long as you remember not to go overboard—there's a fine line between friendly eye contact and outright ogling.
 Smile Though Your Heart is Aching
Smile and nod, nod and smile—it's the ideal way to make friends, influence people and...win jobs! There's a small caveat to this piece of advice, though: Don't do it when you're feeling tense, otherwise you'll wind up looking like Golem from Lord of the Rings. Nobody wants that—not even Golem from Lord of the Rings.
 Sit Up and Take Notice
Sitting is a serious business, fraught with perils and pitfalls that swallow the unwary, condemning them to certain incarceration within the briny bowels of the social welfare system. Sit too far forward, and you will be seen to be a confrontational egomaniac, ready to pounce upon the hapless interviewer at any instant. Sit too far back, and you will be perceived to be a narcoleptic ne'er-do-well, lazy as sin, and disdainful to boot. As is so often the case in these matters, a happy medium is the only way to go: Sit up straight and slightly forward, communicating your enthusiasm and interest in both the interviewer and the job at hand. Which leads us neatly on to...
 Show Them You're a Hands-On Type
'Throw your hands up in the air! Wave 'em all around like you just don't care!' For the love of Pete, please don't; instead, salvage both your sanity and your chances of success by placing them meekly on your lap, palms down. Unless, of course, you know for a fact that the company prides itself on being 'exciting', 'fast-paced' and 'cutting edge'—an ethos most readily evidenced by the hand movements of the interviewers themselves, as they weave intricate spirals in the air meant to convey the 'fluid, effervescent dynamics' of their organisation's goals. Ahem.
 Give Them the Fingers
Who remembers Cadbury's Fudge? We do. Or at least, we thought we did, until someone pointed out that what we fondly remembered as the theme tune for that product—'A finger of fun for every one'—is in fact something entirely different—namely, 'A finger of fudge is just enough.' That'll teach us to talk to people from the adjoining building. What do they know, anyway? A finger of fudge, however delicious, is quite assuredly not enough...
Where were we? Ah, yes: Fingers. Like every other body part, fingers contain 'just enough' potential for trouble and mischief at the most inopportune of moments, and so should be confined to your lap for the vast majority of the meeting (see above). That said, you may find it useful to steeple your fingers together from time to time, so as to portray an assertive and intelligent demeanour. As always, common-sense conservatism should be the key factor when deciding when and how often to deploy this particular technique—exercise it too much, and you run the very real risk of coming across more like devious Doctor No than ever-judicious James Bond.
 Lay Down Your Arms
Arms: What are they good for? Absolutely nothing, it would seem, given the multitude of job applicants who ruin every interview they attend with them, wrapping them across their chests like ancient Egyptian mummies, or the bouncers outside an especially shady nightclub. The 'What more do you goons expect of me?' attitude espoused by such Houdini-like self-shackling tends, strangely enough, not to go down great with recruiters, even though it is invariably a defensive response brought on by extreme nervousness/full-fledged panic, rather than the bullish close-mindedness it purports to represent.
In the same vein, try to avoid joining both hands behind your head, bringing your soon-to-be gasped-at arms up with them. This is a power-move reserved for senior brass only, somewhat akin to the breast-beating antics of a dominant male gorilla. (If you would in fact prefer to be interviewed in the role of a dominant male gorilla, please feel free to disregard this advisory. And have a banana—it's on us.)
 Do All the Legwork
Daddy longlegs have a lot to teach us; much of it, unsurprisingly, concerns legs, and the correct arrangement of same. No self-respecting Daddy longlegs would be caught with his legs in a tangle, and neither should you. Stick with one leg position throughout the interview; if you are a man, a favoured technique is to place one foot firmly on the floor, with the other tucked beneath your chair so that only the toe of your shoe comes into contact with the ground. If you are a woman, a useful strategy involves crossing your legs at the ankles, moving them under your seat, and then placing your knees to one side. If you are of indeterminate gender, please seek medical aid.
 Keep Your Nose Clean
Interviewers can smell a tall tale a mile off, and even when your story's iron-clad, the whiff of deceit will make its presence known. Studies show that the feelings of guilt brought on by lying induce a significant increase in blood pressure—significant enough to cause the nasal tissues to swell, releasing histamine. This response, dubbed 'the Pinocchio Sign', produces an itching sensation, which in turn leads to nose scratching and the uncovering of your 'exaggerations'. The moral of this story? Do not lie. Under any circumstances. Ever.
 Don't Get Lippy
While you're busy avoiding your nose, spare a thought for your lips as well: Covering your mouth when speaking is yet another red flag for deception. The moral of this story is no different than that of its predecessor: Adhere unflinchingly to the straight and narrow path! In interviews, as in life, honesty truly is the best policy.
Knowledge is Power—Defeat Your Strongest Rivals Through Advanced Interview Preparation
With so many parts of your body to keep in check, and so many aspects of your physiognomy defying your best attempts to rein them in, it's no wonder that interviews are widely regarded as one of the most stressful ordeals you can subject yourself to. However, awareness of any problem is half of its solution: You now possess Insider Information that your competitors still lack—you are ready for the interview room, the knots in the stomach, the dry mouth and all the rest of it. Best of all you know that, given time, it will abate and that, once it does, you will be free to employ the gamut of body language skills referred to in this article.
Suddenly, that tacky motivational poster seems truly motivational.
For if
it only takes a single thought to move the world, then how many times will it feel your force today?
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