Summary: Body Language Experts Reveal How to Win at Job Interviews by Joe Navarro, Abbie Maroño and Anne-Maartje Oud

• This insightful video provides excellent tips from body language experts on using nonverbal communication to succeed at job interviews.
• Read on to learn proven techniques to display confidence, build rapport with interviewers and impress hiring managers.

Recommendation

When you sit through a job interview, your words might say one thing while, unbeknownst to you, your body language says quite another. Learn to align your words with your facial expressions and gestures while prepping for your interview with this quick-fire advice from body language experts Joe Navarro, Abbie Maroño and Anne-Maartje Oud. If you want a rapid recap of the dos and don’ts of interview etiquette, their shrewd recommendations are for you.

Take-Aways

• Don’t ad-lib your way through an interview. Thorough preparation is vital to progression.
• Give every person in the room equal respect and attention.
• During the interview, remember to pause and listen.
• You have more control when you conduct an interview virtually.

Summary

Don’t ad-lib your way through an interview. Thorough preparation is vital to progression.

Before your interview, take time to prepare. Try on the outfit you’ll wear in advance to ensure it’s a comfortable fit. Compose strong answers to sample questions, or have a friend do a mock interview with you. Practicing helps you to speak about your experience without hesitation during the interview and ensures that you won’t get caught off guard by a curveball question.

“Humans impress first visually, then vocally (tone of voice), then verbally, and the last is haptics, through touch.” (Joe Navarro)

Your interview commences before you enter the conference room. Recruiters will scroll through your social media, so clean up your online presence. Behave professionally from the moment you approach the site of the interview. Decision-makers might be observing your comportment, such as how you interact with auxiliary staff, without your realizing that you’re being watched.

Bringing a copy of your résumé to the interview will make you seem prepared. When handing it to the interviewer, treat it as though it were an important document rather than a mere piece of paper.

Give every person in the room equal respect and attention.

Humans judge one another within milliseconds of meeting, so be attuned to your body language to ensure it communicates the positive message you want to convey. Upon entering the conference room, don’t direct all your attention toward the hiring manager or the person with the highest status; show respect for all the interview panelists by making equal eye contact with each person. Use a strong voice when introducing yourself. Keep a confident, upright posture. Shake hands with each panelist before asking for permission to take a seat.

“Never try and dominate a handshake.” (Abbie Maroño)

When shaking hands, try to match the other person’s grip – neither too limp nor overly tight. Keep the handshake short – about three to four pumps. Don’t grasp the interviewer’s hand or arm, or extend the shake for longer than feels comfortable. Keep all your fingers below the other person’s wrist.

During the interview, remember to pause and listen.

Let the interviewer guide the direction of the discussion. Pause and take a breath before you start talking. Actively listen, and nod to indicate that the interviewer has your full attention. Tilt your head to express empathy. Remember to answer the question asked; don’t be so eager to impart an example or story that you fail to address the question. Beware of your body language. Fidgeting shows discomfort or disinterest, while crossing your arms exhibits a negative attitude. Don’t sit too stiff and upright or recline too much. Try to appear relaxed while still conveying an air of professionalism.

“Maintain that confidence level, maintain that posture, maintain that poise until you are fully out of the room.” (Abbie Maroño)

Once the interview has wrapped up, thank the panelists for their time and the opportunity to speak with them. Shake hands with everyone. If you have one, leave a business card. Remember that this is your final opportunity to give the panelists a positive lasting impression of yourself. The interview is over only once you are out of sight, so leave the room with the same positive energy and professional demeanor with which you entered.

You have more control when you conduct an interview virtually.

When you conduct an interview remotely, you have more jurisdiction over the interview setting. Ensure your sound and lighting are optimal. Don’t rely on your laptop’s built-in camera. Buy a good quality webcam. Clear your background of any clutter or any details that could distract the interviewer.

“The best conversations take place with comfort for both parties.” (Anna-Maartje Oud)

The interviewer can’t see your body, so put more emphasis on your facial expressions. Making eye contact through the camera is vital. When the interviewer speaks, look at your screen. When you speak, look at your camera. Don’t be tempted to look at yourself or you could fall victim to Zoom fatigue, the tendency to look and feel exhausted and disinterested when seeing your own image in online meetings. Communication platforms like Zoom can impose a technical delay on conversations, which can make turn-yielding trickier. Be alert to this foible when choosing the right moment to speak.

Ultimately, the interviewer’s goal is “information elicitation,” and your goal is to convey competence, confidence and dependability. With practice and good body language, you can show that you are the right person to represent the company.

About the Speakers

Joe Navarro is a former FBI agent and a body language coach. Abbie Maroño is a behavioral scientist. Anne-Maartje Oud is a communications expert.

Genres

communication, body language, career advice, professional development, psychology, self-help, business, success, interviews, human resources

Review

In this insightful video, renowned body language experts Joe Navarro, Abbie Maroño and Anne-Maartje Oud provide excellent tips on using nonverbal communication to make a great impression at a job interview. They explain how to decipher the interviewer’s body language to understand their feelings and attitudes, as well as how to consciously adjust your own body language to display confidence, build rapport and ultimately outperform other candidates.

Key tips covered include sitting upright rather than slouching, limiting nervous gestures like fidgeting, using positive hand gestures and facial expressions, actively listening by nodding along with the interviewer at the right times, and building rapport through subtle body language signals like mimicking the interviewer’s smiling or speech pace. Joe, Abbie and Anne-Maartje use clear examples and easy-to-implement techniques that can give you an authentic edge in your next job interview.

By applying these proven nonverbal communication strategies from premier behavioral experts, you can feel empowered, come across as genuine and enthusiastic, and convince the interviewer you are the right fit for an open position. This video provides science-backed body language advice to help viewers advance their careers.

Job seekers and career-minded professionals alike will gain tremendous value from Joe, Abbie and Anne-Maartje’s insightful and practical interview tips.