Interview is the interaction of views between two people. It is the most important level or step in order 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. There are many things that 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 very carefully and patiently. Let us know ‘How To Sit At An Interview?’.
How To Sit At An Interview?
Attitude, personality and dress up also matters a lot. There are many such things to be taken in account for an interview. But one of the most important thing to be kept in mind is that how to sit at an interview? Often many of them are confused before interview how to present oneself in an interview and in nervousness they create a mess out of it.
How to sit at an interview means how to control our unwanted body language and display a decency and soberness by a way of subtle gestures in front of the interviewers. In an interview even the tiniest thing is judged so one needs to be very alert for everything be it a hairstyle, accessories we carry or the outfit because there we are perceived with different opinions by different people. Before and interview one must do some of the preparations. One must know their strength and weakness, likes and dislikes and of course ones goals.
One must be properly dressed during interview because it is the first impression one can make through it. 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. Now when talked about how to sit at an interview i.e. the body language there are many things which 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 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 it occasionally to express.
- Try convincing the interviewer that they are agreed simply by nodding head.
The 10 things which can help in help to get a perfect body language during an interview so one can be stress free and sit at an interview with no confusion:
Eye contact
Having a 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 where and whom to look at. Then simply address to the one who has asked the question and make sure to make eye contact to each one of them. So eye contact should be steady this shows the confidence of the person.
Posture
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 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 question, there should be an action through the body to show ones curiosity and eagerness like leaning forward would do. It is disciplined way to express oneself.
Avoid touching your face.
Touching face during interview shows that one is dishonest and not trustworthy. It also shows that one is not comfortable giving the interview. Some unusual habits of touching face should be avoided like playing with hairs, rubbing nose, rubbing head or neck. Biting lips with teeth is also considered as unusual behaviour.
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. Its better resting your hands in the lap at that time.
Smile : )
Smile is the best makeup one can wear, truly said. Smile is a simple and important part of a 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. 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 a negative behaviour.
Stay at one spot
One should keep them at one spot. Sometimes people lean on the chair backwards 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 to shake 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 hand shake 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 an 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 behaviour that the person in front does, show 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 of these points one must be respectful, grateful and show regards to the people sitting on the opposite side of the table in a professional manner. This shows dignity towards the other person to earn points. Other than this some of the 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 their superiority. It’s good to know more but boasting it should not be there. There should a sorry and apology kind of tone when one doesn’t know any of the answer or 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 quite critical and many of us get nervous a beforehand but we should not do that. 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 is desired by the person. 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.
