How to make your body language work for you during an interview

To contact us Click HERE
Patti was interviewed by Miriam Salpeter of US News on, "How to makeyour body language work for you during an interview." Check the link below!

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/12/12/make-your-body-language-work-for-you-during-an-interview

You’vebeen practicing what to say at an interview, but have you considered whatsignals your body language is sending? (The Merrabian research I think youwanted to quote here Is not actually valid. Perhaps better to say it has 4.3times the impact than words alone) Research suggests ____ percent ofcommunication isn’t transmitted via our words, but is broadcast through ouractions and attitude.
PattiWood, author of SNAP: Making the Most ofFirst Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, suggests the following tipsfrom the book to help you wow your interviewer:
Palm-to-PalmContact Is Key. Wood explains, “My research is theUS and Canada suggests that palm contact is more important than how firm yourgrip is…Ifsomeone shakes hands with you and gives you just her fingers and not her fullpalm, at a subconscious level you may think, ‘What is she hiding? What is shekeeping from me?” Evaluate the all-important handshake and worry less about ifyou have a firm enough grip and more about extending your entire hand and palmwhen you greet someone.
How to Sit. Don’t make yourself smaller in stature. Appear brave by keeping your bodyopen. Wood notes, “Keep your arms open and away from your body, legs uncrossed, andshoulders   back.” Take note of how you sit. Woodexplains, “Research says that women perch, sitting on the edge ofthe seat, curved forward, while men tend to slouch, relying more onthe backrest. Perching the entire time makes you look less powerful.Vary your position, use lots of space, and occasionally place your arms on thearmrest to look confident.” When you position yourself effectively, you’llappear confident, vital, and energetic.
 Show YourHands. Showing your hands helps you appear open, honest andapproachable, so Wood notes, “Don’t hide your hands under the tableor in your pockets or tuck them away. Keep your hands open and in view onthe table or the arms of the chair.” She explains, “Gesture normally. Yourhands show your emotional state. When you close your hand, the amount oftightness and the way the fingers curve show how you feel about the topic. Inan interview, you want to be open, not closed.”
Match andMirror. Research shows that people hire people who are likethem. Use body language to help convince your interviewer that you are a goodfit. Wood suggests you “match and mirror your interviewer enough briefly at the verybeginning of the interview to make him comfortable with you. For example, leanslightly in the direction he is leaning, for instance, or match his smile withone of your own.”
Get Grounded. When the going get tough, the tough get grounded. Wood explains, “When people arenervous, they tend to either move a lot or freeze. To overcome thetoughest interview questions, put both feet firmly on the ground. This makes iteasier to use both hemispheres of the brain— the rational and the creative-emotional.Or, if you feel yourself freeze, move your feet in some way.”
End Well. While first impressions are important, people will also remember the lastthing you do or say. Wood suggests, “The last impression, the recencey effect iscritical and can improve a bad first impression” As the conversation windsdown, make sure your belongings are on the left side of your body so you caneasily shake with your right hand. You may shake hands more than once — whenyou get up, at the door, and after talking for a bit longer while parting.”Even if the interview didn’t go as well as you might have liked, keep focusedand poised until the end and you may be able to improve the impression youleave.
 Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.