Somebody’s watching you

Once you’ve walked through that door, be aware that everything you do and say may already be under close scrutiny. The interview process has already started.

Be courteous to everyone you meet – their vote may count and it’s good practice anyway. If you are offered a seat while you wait to go in to the interview, use your discretion as to whether to accept or not. Accepting might seem the right and polite thing to do, and standing up may make you look stiff and awkward. But some experts advise against sitting down, the reason being that you are lower down than a person coming to greet you and you put yourself at a disadvantage when you have to get up again and readjust your clothes.

You may be offered a beverage before you go in to the interview. Do you accept it or not? There may genuinely be no ulterior motive, and there is no correct answer. Once again, use your own judgement but be aware that your behaviour is probably already under observation. Possible reasons for politely declining include: having a drink can be a distraction and take your mind off the purpose of your being there; drinks, especially hot ones, are easy to spill, particularly if you are nervous; if you let your drink go cold it’ll probably taste horrible – you may find yourself wondering whether to slurp it down to avoid looking rude. If you have taken the time to relax with a drink before arriving, chances are you won’t really feel like another one.

Body language

Your body language can reveal a wealth of information about you. According to the widely quoted 1971 study by Dr Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, ‘Silent Messages’, others "listen" to you and evaluate your message based on the following input:

• visual / body language 55 percent
• voice / tone / inflection 38 percent
• contents / words 7 percent

A skilful interviewer will look closely at your gestures for clues to your confidence and honesty, and these may go some way toward determining the types of questions that you are asked, and which of your answers are probed more deeply.

While a single gesture or position is often meaningless on its own, patterns or combinations of signals and the transition from one body position to another can give useful clues to building up a fuller picture of what makes you tick.

Even if an interviewer is not actively examining your body language for signs as to how you are feeling or the type of person you might be, your body language will affect the way that you interact and thereby influence the course of the interview.

A good interviewer will be aware that body language varies across cultures and individuals and not treat it as evidence of employability or place too much emphasis on a single signal.

Posture

The way you sit should show that you are interested in and receptive to what the interviewer is saying. Sit comfortably, and lean forward slightly to appear confident, alert and attentive. Breathe slowly and evenly.

Avoid crossing your arms or legs as this puts a physical barrier between you and the interviewer, and if you are given a choice of where to sit, avoid sitting directly in front of the interviewer and the desk, instead take the seat that’s beside the interviewer.

Don’t slouch, but equally, don’t sit up so straight that you are rigid. And don’t lean back or put your hands behind your head – rather than looking relaxed, you’ll come across as overconfident.

Hands, arms and face

Keep your handshake firm but not aggressively strong.

Talking with your hands, especially if your palms are open, may be seen as an indication of your involvement, interest and openness, but be careful not to overuse your hands. In order to look positive and honest, keep your hand movements slow and away from your face, avoiding abrupt or jerky gestures or sweeping movements. You might find it useful to draw an imaginary square that’s the width of your shoulders and the distance from your chin down to your waist and confine your hand movements to this area – you will appear confident, in control, and unthreatening.

Nodding to acknowledge key things the interviewer has said may be seen to indicate agreement, understanding and interest, but nodding continuously will probably be interpreted as an indication of loss of interest.

Shaking your head, frowning and narrowing your eyes are obviously negative while smiling and humour are positive and can facilitate the development of a rapport with the interviewer.

Covering your mouth

May be seen to indicate that you are uncertain. The interviewer may probe a particular question more deeply to ascertain whether you are sure of the answer you have just given or not.

Scratching your nose

May be interpreted as sign that you are not telling the truth. The interviewer may try to discover whether your answer contains any lies/untruths and what you are trying to cover up.

Steepling your fingers

May indicate that you feel superior or confident. The interviewer may be happy for you to feel this way or may look for ways of bringing you down to earth with a bump.

Raising a finger

May be seen as a signal that you have a question to ask or that you wish to correct a misunderstanding. The interviewer may ask you if you have anything to say at this point.

Resting your chin in your hand/on your elbow

May indicate boredom, and will not endear you to the interviewer.

Crossing your arms

This can be seen as an indication of boredom, defensiveness or resistance to what is being said. The interviewer may ask questions that seek to discover whether you disagree with what has been said; or if you are being defensive, and what you have to be defensive about.

Eye contact

Maintaining eye contact with the interviewer will probably win you points – you should come across as honest, confident and interested. Remember to look away occasionally – no one likes being stared at continuously and, rather than focus on a single point, allow your eyes to roam around the upper part of the interviewer’s face. If you suddenly avert your gaze it could be seen as a sign of discomfort or guilt and the interviewer may try to find out if your answer to a question has been truthful or what has caused you to feel uncomfortable.

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