Body Language Mistakes During Interview – Are you wondering why you were still not selected even if you nailed it in your interview? Verbal communication is not the only factor responsible for the outcome of your interview. There are a lot of nonverbal factors as well. As per some studies, the success of an interview depends 7% on what you say, 38% on your voice and grammar, and the rest 55% on your body language.
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Most of us killed it with our communication skills but failed at our body language, which might have hindered our interview success. We spend days to be ready for that interview and spend hours on the company’s website to learn as much as we can about them, but still, we don’t give the time to the essential factor of the interview, which is our body language. Most of them also don’t know what things we have to keep in mind and what common body language mistakes they are doing, which are becoming hindrances in their way to success.
So, in this article, we will tell you about the ten most common body language mistakes you should avoid during your interview for a better chance of getting your dream job. The first thing you should do is understand these body language mistakes, and then you need to apply them to yourself. For applying, you can get help from one of your friends as he can tell you your mistakes, and then you can work on them and fix them.
Body Language Mistakes to Avoid During Interview
The wrong handshake
One of the most common body language mistakes that most of us make is how we do handshakes with our interviewer. If you clinch the bones in your interviewer’s hand, you will seem arrogant, and if you offer a limp leaf, you will seem insecure. So, what’s the best way to do a handshake to impress your interview? It all depends upon your interviewers. You should try to match with the strength of your interviewer, and if your interviewer is professional, it will be someone sensibly in between.
Lack of eye contact
One of the worst body language mistakes most people make is having a lack of eye contact. If you are not maintaining proper eye contact with your interview, it might seem like a sign of insecurity and sometimes dishonesty. You will never want to be as your first impression of the interviewer you met just some moments ago. So, while you shake hands during your interview, maintain eye contact with your interviewer for some time longer than otherwise. When answering any question to your interviewer, try to maintain eye contact with your interviewer. A skit will give him a sense of trust and confidence.
Staring
having eye contact does not mean you should start staring at your interviewer longer; it will sound creepy. You should be in your natural form, listen to them actively, and make eye contact in your natural form, as it should be like listening to them with full attention. If more people are on your interview panel, you should make eye contact with each person, as it will create a sense of trust, confidence, and honesty.
Bad posture
Suppose you have made proper eye contact and handshake with your interviewer. In that case, that does not mean you should relax in your chair, as it will seem like either you are not interested in the role or you are overconfident, neither of which will leave a good impression on your interviewer. On the other hand, sitting on the edge of your chair and leaning forward will seem like an eager school pupil. So, you should not make such body language mistakes; instead, you should sit appropriately on the chair in a neutral position with your head and back held straight.
Too many hand gestures
One of the most common mistakes most candidates make is having too many hand gestures during their interview. It would be best if you did not have to do too much air-chopping or finger-pointing; it will make you look strident and not decisive. But if you keep your hands flapping around, it will make you look like you are in a perpetual state of panic. So it would be best to use your hands only when required, avoid having too many hand gestures, or not having any hand gestures.
Crossed arms
Sitting in your interview by crossing your arms is also one of the body language mistakes that most candidates make, as this is a sign of your becoming defensive or a sign of closed-off behavior. Instead of crossed arms, you should keep them relaxed and open to approachable and receptive.
Looking too serious
You might think your interviewer might take you more seriously if you have a severe face, but this is not true. Because you want that job, you should show some enthusiasm for the job post and the company on your face as well.
Touching your hair and face
One of the most common body language mistakes most candidates make is touching their face and hair during their interviews. Although it has been a proven sign of comfort if you still touch your hair or face during your interview, it will make you look nervous and somehow unhygienic because no one will want to shake hands with the one who just spent the last 40 minutes of their interview rubbing their nose, face or playing with their hairs. So, you should avoid these body language mistakes and try not to touch your face or hair during your interview.
Excessive nodding
During the interview, we all want to impress our interviewer, and most of us try to nod yes to them to look more keen and agreeable with them. But trust me, it will make you look like you are very eager to please your interviewer. So keep your head still because if you are listening actively to your interviewer then there is no need of much nodding, your face will tell him all.
Fidgeting
One of the most common body language mistakes candidates make is frequent fidgeting. Have you ever sat next to someone who consistently shifts his position on the chair or jiggles his/her legs? It’s too annoying and distracting. So, instead, try to place both of your feet firmly on the floor and channel your energy into thinking about answering your interviews more efficiently with all the knowledge you have prepared for that interview.
These are the common body language mistakes that most of us make. Now that you know about these mistakes, try to practice with your friends, find your weaknesses, and fix them by practicing over them. Thus, you can easily impress your interviewers with verbal and nonverbal communication. If our tips helped you prepare for your interview or if you want us to cover any other topic, please let us know in the comment section below.
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