Mastering the art of body language

It is said that over 95 per cent of the messages that we conceive are communicated via body language. Also, first impressions are important because 50 per cent of them are conveyed through some form of body language.

The right body language is the most important aspect of effective communication. An individual's demeanour during an interview is part of the package that the interviewer scrutinises.

Your resume, experience and credentials are nothing if the interviewer cannot spot a spark in you during a personal meeting. But this spark can be perfectly brought out with the right body language.

Here are a few simple body language tricks that can land you a job:

Smile
When you walk into an interview, make sure you look at your potential employers and smile.

Do not seem overly eager as it can come across as fake, but make sure you show some enthusiasm as it makes the smile more genuine.

A warm smile reflects on your confidence and brings in a comfortable air.

Give them a firm handshake
Once you enter the room, walk up to your interviewer and give them a firm handshake. As the saying goes, you can tell a person by their handshake.

So be sure not to give a feeble one or an unbearably hard one.

A firm handshake reflects confidence. When you shake hands with the interviewer, make sure you look into their eyes and smile.

A strong handshake is the first unspoken conversation you will have with them, and you don't want to mess this up.

Maintain steady eye contact
This trick is a very crucial one to keep your interview moving at a momentum. It is common for people to gaze away, if not look down, while talking.

This can be interpreted as a sign of lying, lack of confidence or incompetence.

Of course, you can't continuously look at them straight in the eye, so here's the trick: Alternate your eye contact between their left eye, then right eye and then the mouth and repeat.

In the case of a panel interview, be sure to do it to every person not sequentially, but at random. This makes it seem more natural.

Maintain a good posture
Human nature tends to get the better of you and your posture during interviews.

While you think that slouching and reducing your frame might make you seem submissive to the interviewer, it only sends a signal of nervousness.

Open up by sitting straight and placing your hands on your lap (straight not crossed) and lean in only a little at the waist to show the interviewer that you're keen and interested.

Don't lean back as this can come across as arrogant.

Be mindful of your gestures
When it comes to gestures, you are either right or wrong; there is no middle ground.

Don't use too many hand gestures to convey something because the meaning will be lost and your gestures will only confuse the interviewer.

Always keep your palms open and faced up. Touching your heart slightly to emphasise something genuine goes a long way.

Snapping your fingers once or twice is a sign of confidence (only when needed in the conversation) while clasping and joining your hands only portrays anxiety or over-confidence.

Finally, dress crisp and neat.
Keeping it simple is the biggest pointer while going for interviews. Always wear formals in sober colours.
Other tricks to bear in mind is speaking with a medium tone, but moderating and regulating your voice so as not to sound mechanical.

Good manners also come in handy, like asking your interviewer if you can sit and saying your greetings and goodbyes promptly.

By: Source:rediff.com