How To Sit At An Interview

How To Sit At An Interview

The interview is the interaction of views between two people. It is the most important level or step to be selected for a job. In other words, we can say that it is a life-changing point as doing well in a job interview will highly get you a job. One has to prepare for an interview, and the first thing is knowledge which has to be gained as much as possible for the position applied. The questions by the interviewers have to be listened to very carefully and patiently. 

Attitude, personality, and dress-up also matter a lot. Of course, there are many such things to be taken into account for an interview. But one of the most important things to be kept in mind is how to sit at an interview? So often, many of them are confused before an interview about how to present themselves in an interview, and in nervousness, they create a mess out of it. 

How to sit at an interview means controlling our unwanted body language and displaying decency and soberness through subtle gestures in front of the interviewers. In an interview, even the tiniest thing is judged. Hence, one needs to be very alert for everything, be it a hairstyle, accessories we carry, or the outfit because we are perceived with different opinions by different people. Therefore, before an interview, one must do some of the preparations. One must know their strength and weakness, likes and dislikes, and of course, one’s goals. 

One must be properly dressed during the interview because it is the first impression one can make through it. A formal dress code is accepted at most places, or one should follow the instructions. All aspects of appearance should be taken care of. There is a saying that ‘action speaks louder than words which is very true, so one should dress to impress.  When talking about how to sit at an interview, i.e., the body language, many things should be noted as it plays an important role in making or breaking your career. Positive body language plays a crucial role in the selection of a job.

Some basic points that should be followed during an interview process are:

  • Sitting posture on the chair should be straight and stiff
  • Eye contact should be maintained throughout.
  • Control of usual hand gestures and use them occasionally to express.
  • Try convincing the interviewer that they are agreed simply by nodding your head.

The 10 things which can help in helping to get perfect body language during an interview so one can be stress-free and sit at an interview with no confusion: 

  • Eye Contact. Having maintained eye contact with an interviewer is an important aspect of the body language or gesture. By this, the interviewer is convinced that one is listening to their point and that you are engaged in the conversation. There can be a case where there are many interviewers at a time and one may get confused about where and whom to look at. Then simply address the one who has asked the question and make sure to make eye contact with each one of them. So eye contact should be steady this shows the confidence of the person.
  • Posture. The posture of sitting shows your personality and discipline. One should sit straight with shoulders at the back and feet firmly planted on the ground. Crossing of legs should be avoided as it gives a bad impact and expresses that one is too relaxed to be a part of an interview, the other person may think of you as being bored and defensive. The posture should be in a focusing manner such that one is ready to answer all the questions asked.
  • Sit Up Straight. Sitting up straight gives a signal that one is quite confident and reliable. Slouching front and back and shaking any part of the body should be avoided as it makes feel too casual. When asked a question, there should be an action through the body to show one’s curiosity and eagerness like leaning forward would do. It is a disciplined way to express oneself. 
  • Avoid Touching Your Face. Touching faces during interviews shows that one is dishonest and not trustworthy. It also shows that one is not comfortable giving the interview. Some unusual habits of touching the face should be avoided like playing with hairs, rubbing the nose, rubbing the head or neck. Biting lips with teeth is also considered unusual behavior. 
  • Hand Gestures. There are some of the usual hand gestures which we use in front of our family and friends should be strictly avoided as it makes one look too friendly and relaxing. Hand movements like touching fingertips, clasping palms, moving hands or figures when start speaking, clenching fists, waving hands, biting nails (which makes one seem nervous and distracting) should not be done. It’s better to rest your hands in the lap at that time.
  • Smile : ). Smile is the best makeup one can wear, truly said. A smile is a simple and important part of body language that conveys happiness, openness, and also a sense that a person is excited to be there. Having a smile is an easy way to create a positive rapport with the interviewer. Smiles are also proven to be contagious as studies show that we mirror the facial expressions of those around us. This means you could trigger that happy response in the interviewer too, which can also help create a more relaxed atmosphere. A smile should be completely genuine and true. It should be a fairly balanced smile. Avoid forcing a smile and smiling too much can also be taken as negative behavior.
  • Stay at One Spot. One should keep them in one spot. Sometimes people lean on the chair backward or towards the chair arm, this shows that one is not at all interested and the interview is just a formality for him/her. Staying at one spot will help you seem more focused and interested in the ongoing interview session.
  • Handshake. Practice shaking hands in a proper manner before an interview. Don’t crush the hands of the interviewer i.e. that handshake should not be too tight. Also, a soft, floppy handshake should also be not done. Hands should not shiver during shaking hands, this shows that the person is quite nervous and afraid. Wipe your hands if it is sweaty, as this can go negative.
  • Focus. There should be a complete focus in an interview. One should not look here and there or the ceiling or some other objects around. Being alert gives a positive attitude and focused. There should be no confusion regarding CV details, one should know what’s written on it. The answer to the interviewer’s question should have a beginning, middle, and end; this is the systematic way of answering indeed.  
  • Mirror Image. The last factor of a good interview is to be a mirror image. Adopting some of the good behavior that the person in front of does, shows that one has good values to learn things. Intimating to the extreme is not accepted too. But trying to be a mirror image and sharing a common body language is good and it can help in getting good books of the interviewer. 

Apart from these points, one must be respectful, grateful, and show regard to the people sitting on the opposite side of the table professionally. This shows dignity towards the other person to earn points. Other than this, some minor but significant things to be kept in mind are talking politely, with correct pronunciation, the tone of speaking should be formal, don’t get rigid at any point of discussion. One must not show superiority. It’s good to know more, but boasting it should not be there. There should be a sorry and apology tone when one doesn’t know any of the answers or is unaware of any topic. After the interview, there should be a “thank you” on a good note without thinking the one would be selected or not, which means there should be a graceful goodbye. 

We can say that interview is the final stage of the job we all have dreamt of or applied for. This stage is critical, and many of us get nervous beforehand, but we should not do that. An interview is just an interaction between two parties in a formal manner. Therefore instead of getting afraid of it, we should work on our personality development and weakness. One must show that the particular job is completely the one which the person desires. Taking help from an experienced person regarding interviews can also be fruitful. The duration of sitting at an interview either gives a job or a better experience, so we should be prepared to face the battle with confidence, patience, and calmness. 

How To Sit At An Interview

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to top