Firstly, it is important to know that your personal impact and credibility is determined by 7% of what you say, 38% of how you say it, and 55% to your non-verbal skills such as body language, posture, gestures, facial expressions, etc. As you can see, Non-verbal cues have a tremendous impact on how well you’re perceived in an interview. Following are some tips that will help you gain 55% of your credibility:
- Keep the phone switched off or on silent, not vibrate, and in your bag. Even if there’s a Pokemon in the room, keep the phone in the bag.
- Knock on the door and present yourself fully. Don’t poke your head into the room. The first 12 steps, the first 12 inches of your body and the first 12 words make up your first impression.
- Smile, make eye contact and shake hands with everyone once you enter. Match the grip of the handshake with that of the interviewer’s, as too firm or too weak may portray dominance and lack of confidence respectively. In case you aren’t comfortable with shaking hands, you can replace it with a ‘Namaste’.
- Take a seat only when asked to. Don’t fold your arm or slouch when you sit. It’s quite natural to do so, however, it signifies nervousness and/or defensiveness. Open your body, sit upright, keep your hands open and lean slightly forward. This shows that you’re interested in the interview.
- After you sit, take a deep breath and collect yourself. If your chair is uncomfortable, take the time to adjust it.
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