by Job Savants
28. July 2009 11:00
You have breezed through the phone interview with the HR department and now it’s time for the face-to-face with the hiring manager. Once you get to the interview site and plop down into the hot seat, it is important to not only perform a quick mental rehearsal of your answers and questions or make sure your outfit looks the way it should, you must also be conscious of your body language. It has been said that actions speak louder than words and you will find this is especially true during an interview.
Face/Facial Expressions
This is usually the first part of the body noticed. If you wear make-up, you may want to do a quick check to ensure your make-up is neat and not overbearing. Too much of anything can be a bad thing. And too much make-up could prevent you from being considered a serious candidate. You also want to make sure you don’t have any leftover lunch in your teeth or anything of the sort on your face.
Don’t try to force a smile. Doing so is more obvious than you know. Also be aware of the subconscious frown. Stay neutral and in control. Not only can this relieve some of the stress associated with interviewing, but also show the interviewer that you are a level-headed prospect.
Eye Contact
Good eye contact can be tricky. In some cultures, it is disrespectful to stare someone directly in the eyes, while others believe the lack of eye contact indicates deceitfulness. Believe it or not, there is an art to quality eye contact. Stare too deeply; you look like you are in a trance. Look away too much; you don’t appear confident. The key to finding the appropriate balance is to be natural. If you are not comfortable with straight eye-to-eye contact, try looking at the interviewer’s eyebrows or lower forehead. This will have the same effect as a direct eye gaze.
Voice
Tone. As with your facial expressions, you want your tone of voice to be neutral. Be mindful of your tone and make sure it does not sound nervous or overly zealous.
Pitch. Use your natural voice. A voice that is artificially too high or low-pitched may be annoying to the interviewer and cause him/her to tune you out.
Speed. Keep an even pace when speaking. Speaking too fast or too slow can prevent the interviewer from understanding what you are saying.
Proper body language is an important part of an interview. These tips can be helpful with making a good first impression as well as getting the gig.