5 Nonverbal Mistakes to Avoid During Your Job Interview

You may think that the most vital part of a job interview is the content of your answers. This is indeed true, but you should focus on the verbal and nonverbal interaction with your potential employer, as well. In today’s post, we will focus on nonverbal mistakes and how to avoid them during an interview.

Through the means of a great nonverbal communication, you may increase your chances of getting hired. On the other hand, if your nonverbal communication is strange and inefficient, your chances of making a good impression will decrease.

Here are five nonverbal mistakes that you should avoid using during an interview:

1. Odd handshake

It’s important to make this differentiation when shaking someone hand. A soft handshake may project insecurity, while an overly strong handshake may imply an arrogant attitude. Remember, your handshake should be firm and clear. Also keep in mind that maintaining the handshake for too long might tell the employer that you’re there only to impress him.

2. No eye contact or too much eye contact

Not making eye contact may signify that you are not confident in yourself or too nervous to keep your head up and ask for the job you want. Having low self-esteem is an indication that you do not trust yourself and therefore, you would be a bad addition to the company. On the flip side, too much eye contact may seem awkward or signal that you are trying to intimidate the interviewer.

3. Uncontrollable gestures

Not being able to control your gestures is a pretty big red flag for your employer. Gestures like shaking your legs or clicking the pen only show that you are anxious and that you can’t control your emotions.

Ted Smith, HR manager at Essayontime shares his experience, “I once had an interview with a man that was constantly gesticulating while shaking his legs. I was getting tired only by looking at him. He almost knocked down my cup of coffee. He was extremely nervous and I couldn’t manage to appease his anxiety. The interview came to an end. I told him to work on his emotional problems and then to give me a call.”

4. Lack of facial expressions

As we all have emotions, we are meant to show them through our facial expressions. When people don’t do that it’s either because they have some inner barriers or because they don’t empathize with other people. Not being able to smile or show positive facial expressions is an immediate turnoff for an employer.

5. Poor posture

Through your posture, you should give the impression that you are focused and interested in the interview. Having a poor posture means that you are either bored or not interested in the discussion. Therefore, keep your back straight and your arms relaxed. Show the employer that you are a focused and committed individual.

Conclusion

As you can probably notice, your nonverbal communication is vital during any sort of interview. Therefore, make sure to learn how to act and how to use your body expressions in order to impress the interviewer. A charismatic person will always get the position desired. Be that person!

Thinking of hiring a career coach to help you improve your verbal and nonverbal communication and get the job you want? Browse our directory of career coaches and get a FREE consultation or request a personalized coach recommendation!