You’re sitting outside of a door, dressed in your new snappy outfit and clutching a resume-stuffed padfolio in your hands. It’s interview season. We’ve all been, or are going to be there soon, and it’s a time for your A-game and utmost performance. Whether you are interviewing with a well-known professor for your third on-campus job, or with complete strangers representing your dream company in a downtown high-rise, interviewing is testing of the nerves. Often times, people get so caught up in what to say, they completely forget about a key part of human interaction: nonverbal communication.
Dr. Albert Mehrabian, author of Silent Messages, conducted several studies on nonverbal communication. He found that 7% of any message is conveyed through words, 38% through certain vocal elements, and 55% through nonverbal elements (facial expressions, gestures, posture, etc). Subtracting the 7% for actual vocal content leaves one with the estimation that 93% of all communication is in fact nonverbal communication. This blog post hopes to help you better understand both the importance of nonverbal communication in interview, and provide some tips on what to do to avoid sending the wrong signals.
The nonverbal portion of the interview starts as soon as you get dressed in the morning. Your appearance is a huge factor in interviews. Women and men should both wear conservative suits which are well ironed and clean. Women should aim for sensible pumps and minimal makeup. Men should wear ties that match the suit and be clean shaven. Everyone should have neat but attractive hairstyles and proper personal hygiene. You should show up early to the interview and greet the interviewer with an appropriately firm handshake and a warm smile.
Throughout the interview it is critical to sit up straight, appear alert, and make good eye contact. Don’t be afraid to relax a little, and make sure you are comfortable, but slouching, putting your feet up on the table, or getting too comfortable will be seen in a bad light. Refrain from any nervous mannerisms such as pen-flipping, foot-tapping, thumb-twiddling or other repetitive and annoying behaviors. The interviewer will notice these. Once again, eye contact is critical. Your hand gestures should be conservative, yet strong. Do not cross your arms, or leave them awkwardly by your side the whole interview. Rather than holding your own hands, use them in light gesticulations to emphasize points as you talk. Avoid pointing at your interviewer or using your hands to fidget with clothing or hair. Finally, remember to smile!
At the end of the interview, shake the interviewer’s hand yet again, while smiling and maintaining eye contact. These basic tips in nonverbal communication aim to give you suggestions on how to best ace your interviews. While the material you speak on in interviews is important, remember Dr. Albert Mehrabian’s statistic that 93% of conversation is expressed nonverbally. Keep in mind what both your mouth and body are saying, and you’ll do fine. Good luck!
Dylan Dickens is a Peer Career Advisor from Martel College. He is a junior studying political science, anthropology, and policy studies.
