Your body speaks your language: how facial expressions and gestures can work in your favour in the interview
The interview is basically a marketing event for you: you’re trying to get a job, in return you’re offering your skills – both socially and professionally. What you say is underlined by your facial expressions, gestures and body language. Our tips reveal how to charm the human resources manager with your body language in the interview.
Contenance, s’il vous plaît! Keep a good posture in the interview
You’re nervous, of course. After all, a lot depends on the success of the interview. Nonetheless, try to find a self-confident posture so that you come across as a competent interviewee. In this way, you’ll underline your verbal assurances that you are the right candidate for the job. You’ll convince them of this – but only if your posture matches your body language in the interview.
Successful self-presentation: pay attention to your body language in the interview
Sure, the right clothes are an important requirement for a successful interview. However, human resources managers look even more closely: they’re just as interested in your facial expressions, body language, the way you talk and the movement of your eyes as they are in your style of clothing. Use your body language deliberately to present yourself in a positive light and clock up extra points in the interview:
- The mind: Your state of mind is very important. Listen to your favourite song shortly before the interview. This will put you in a good mood – an ideal start to a fruitful interview.
- The eyes: Celebrate the moment: maintain eye contact with the interviewer, this comes across as friendly. If there are several people there, make sure to look at each of them in equal measure.
- The mouth: Smile! Smile your nervousness away, before your mouth gives you away: you can't answer a question, feel caught out and bite down on your lip for a fraction of a second? You body language has already given you away.
- The hands: A little bit of Italian-style hand gesturing is allowed: talk with your hands. This shows that you are confident and really interested in the topic. But don’t gesticulate wildly – this appears agitated. Tip: now and again, fold your hands. That helps to relax your body language in the interview.
- The shoulders: Expand your chest. Relax your shoulders. Do something that loosens you up before the interview – e.g. go for a quick jog.
- The stomach: If you’re nervous, you’ll breathe shallowly. It’s better to breathe deeply into your belly. This will slow down your whirring thoughts and help to control the rate at which you speak. Yes, speaking is also a part of body language during the interview. You’ll seem stressed if you speak too fast and stumble over words. And who wants a stressed employee?
- The legs: Crossed – towards the interviewer. This is how you establish what’s called ‘good rapport’. In other words: the interviewer feels comfortable talking to you because you're turned towards them.
The grand finale of the interview
At the end, it’s definitely no problem to ask when you should expect an answer. Important: stay friendly and don’t be rushed. If you jump up quickly, you’ll threaten the hopefully positive outcome of the talk. An honest handshake, an empathetic glance, addressing the person by name and saying goodbye with "thank you for the pleasant talk" – that's how you present the successful finale of an interview.