By Bonnie P Posted on December 6, 2016

How to Avoid 7 Body Language Interview Mistakes

Actions speak louder than words —before you’re even given the chance to prove yourself at a new job, you need to make sure your body language doesn’t sell you out at the interview stage. Employers are looking out for a variety of things when you sit down opposite them in an interview.

Eye contact is an important one. Two-thirds of employers say that lack of eye contact is the candidate’s biggest mistake, so be sure to practice with a friend or in the mirror if you want to give the impression of a friendly and communicative associate who can be trusted. But there are less obvious tics and fidgets that can give you away too. Nodding too much can actually make you look confused rather than engaged. Poor posture or a weak handshake is likely to make you seem ineffective or uncommitted, even if you speak well.

We’ve compiled the top nine such techniques into a new infographic that makes for a priceless resource ahead of that nail-biting (don’t bite’em!) face-to-face test; be sure to get a grip on them before you even polish your interview shoes. It could be the edge you need to outshine fellow applicants.

Sources

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University of Iowa News Service. (2008). Research confirms a firm grip is key to successful job interview. news-releases.uiowa.edu

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Wallop, H. (2016). Tattoos bring a new form of body language to the office. ft.com

Thompson, J. (2011). Is Nonverbal Communication a Numbers Game? psychologytoday.com

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