Dressing up and body language while facing interviewTo make a good impression dress conservative and clean cut, wear clothes appropriate to culture, hair clean, neat and tidy, keep jewellery to a minimum, no after-shave or perfume, clean shoes, suits dry-cleaned if worn, overall cleanliness, hands, nails etc. Practice good hygiene, comb or brush your hair, and dress appropriately. Even if you know that company dress is business-casual, dress up anyway. It shows professionalism and respect.
Dress conservatively and avoid bright, flashy colors. Navy blue or gray is usually best but wear colors in which you feel confident. Interviewers might be offended by strong body smell. Don't wear strong perfume. Fragrance is a matter of personal preference and your interviewer might not like your choice. It's best to have soft perfume a few minutes before interview; a little mouthwash may be good.
Body Language Remember body speaks louder than words. Body language comprises 55% of force of any response. Verbal content only provides 7% paralanguage, or intonation, pauses and sighs given when answering, represents 38% of emphasis. How to Act During Interviews
Greet them as per time of day. Smile and have a firm handshake if offered. Read mood. If interviewer is formal, then you probably should be, too. If interviewer is casual, then follow along while remaining courteous and professional. Wait to be told to take a seat and say thank you. If it's possible, scoot your chair a little closer to interviewer's desk or take chair closet to desk. This shows interest and confidence. But don't invade interviewer's personal space, a perimeter of about two to three feet. Sit with good posture. Even formally trained interviewers are regular people like you, so they'll expect you to be a little nervous while sitting in hot seat. Still, try to avoid obvious signs. Maintain comfortable eye contact with interviewer as failure to maintain eye contact indicates that you are lying, reaching for answers or lacking confidence. Take your time to answer questions - this will prevent you from providing a poor answer. Speak clearly and thoughtfully - be sure to speak at an appropriate volume and do not speak too quickly If interviewer offers coffee or other beverages, it's okay to accept if he insists otherwise say no thanks. It's probably better to say no thanks to snacks. How to Sit at Interview
With upper limbs guideline is that less a person moves their hands and arms, more powerful they are. This supports view that they are used to people listening to them and they therefore do not have to resort to gesticulation to get their point across. Try to keep your hands lower than your elbows, rest them on arms of chair. Try to gauge interviewers' preferred distance by their seating arrangements. Move closer only if they seem skeptical about what you're saying.
Where you sit, too, is as important as how you sit.
If you are sitting on edge of seat it can make you look eager but also scared, like you are ready to bolt out of room. Go ahead and slide to back of chair and sit tall and straight. That will make you look confident and comfortable. Girls should not cross their legs and instead sit with their knees together. Men should avoid sitting with their legs too wide apart. Anything that creates an intimacy before there's a rapport established will signal to interviewer that you don't use good judgment and that you resort to inappropriate behavior. Here are some typical interpretations of body language.
Openness and Warmth:·Open-lipped smiling, ·Open hands with palms visible.
Confidence: Leaning forward in chair chin up, Hands joined behind back when standing.
Nervousness: Jiggling pocket contents, running tongue along front of teeth, clearing throat, hands touching face or covering part of face, pulling at skin or ear, running fingers through hair, wringing hands, biting on pens or other objects, twiddling thumbs, biting fingernails. Looking at your watch very frequently. Nervous hand habits, like nail biting, hair twirling and hand twitching, can distract interviewer and, convey nervousness and insecurity. Untrustworthy/Defensive: Frowning, squinting eyes, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, chin down, touching nose or face, darting eyes, looking down when speaking, clenched hands, gestures with fist, pointing with fingers, chopping one hand into open palm of other, rubbing back of neck, clasping hands behind head while leaning back in chair.
Interpretation of Various Postures Crossed arms - means that person is in a defensive and reserved mood. ·Crossed arms and legs - means that person feels very reserved and suspicious. ·Open arms and hands - means that person is open and receptive. ·Standing before you with his hands inside pockets - means he is not sure or feels suspicious. ·Standing before you with his hands on his hips - means he is receptive and ready to help you out. ·Sitting in a chair shaking one of legs - means he feels nervous and uncomfortable ·If his eyes are downcast and face turned away - means he is not interested in what you are saying. ·With palm of hand holding or stroking his chin - means he is in an evaluating position and being critical. ·Leaning back in his chair with both hands clasped behind his head - means he is in an analytical mood, but it is also a gesture of superiority. ·Rubbing or touching his nose when answering a question - means he is not telling complete truth. ·Rubbing back of his head or rubbing or touching back of his neck - means conversation is not really interesting. ·If he moves his body and sits with his feet and body pointing towards a door - means he wants to end conservation and leave room. ·Steepling your fingers, particularly in an upright position, when answering a question. This can be perceived as arrogant, saying I know more about this subject than you do.
Tips about using your Voice
Add Volume to Increase Authority. Remember that your voice always sounds louder to you than to anyone else. Also remember that your voice is an instrument; it needs to be warmed up, or it will creak and crack at beginning of your presentation. If you warm up with a high volume, as though projecting to those in back row, your volume also will improve your vocal quality. Volume adds energy to your voice; it has power to command or lose listeners' attention. Lower Pitch to Increase Credibility. Pitch, measurement of "highness" or "lowness" of your voice, is determined largely by amount of tension in vocal cords. When you are under stress, you may sound high-pitched; when you are relaxed and confident, you will have a naturally lower pitch. Authoritative vocal tones are low and calm, not high and tense. Inflection is a pitch change-from "Stop!" screeched at an assailant to haughty "Please stop" directed at a stranger using your department's copy machine. You can lower your pitch to some degree by practicing scales (as singers do, dropping voice with each word) and by breathing more deeply to relax your vocal cords. Remember that a lower pitch conveys power, authority, and confidence, whereas a high pitch conveys insecurity and nervousness.