Job Interview Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them

Job Interview Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them

I was recently interviewed by Monster.com on interviewing mistakes. Here is the full article. For more information on body language for interviews you can get my book, “SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions Body Language and Charisma.”

7 Rookie Job Interview Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Nail the Audition by Avoiding These Common Snafus

By Daniel Bortz | October 13, 2015

Many recent college graduates flunk their first job interview. In fact, that’s an understatement, according to an Office Team survey that asked senior managers to recount the most embarrassing interview mistakes they’ve witnessed.

Some of the more cringe-worthy stories: an interviewee was so nervous she almost fainted; one dude fell asleep; one candidate even did a song-and-dance routine in hopes of getting the job (err, the performance didn’t go so well).
The list goes on.
However, the most common job interview blunders are less jaw-dropping. To ace the audition, avoid these rookie slipups.
1. Forgetting to do your homework
It sounds basic, but many job seekers don’t sufficiently research the company ahead of time, says Belinda Plutz, founder of the New York-based Career Mentors Inc.
“So many people look at the job posting and the company’s website but don’t dig deeper,” she says.
Start with a simple Google search for recent news about the organization; a new client acquisition, for example, is a good talking point. Study the company’s competition and stay on top of industry news, advises Plutz.
Social media is also a good source for current information about the company, says Atlanta career coach Hallie Crawford, so review the company’s recent tweets and Facebook posts.
2. Walking in unprepared
Call ahead to find out specifics, including what to bring, and how long you should plan to be there. “If they say 30 minutes and you’re out in two hours, you know it went well,” Plutz says.
Ask whom you’ll be meeting with so you can gather intel on each person. Check their LinkedIn and mention commonalities (same alma mater?) or interesting projects the person has worked on. Don’t worry about coming across as a stalker.
“LinkedIn is public for a reason,” says Crawford. “Today’s managers expect you to look them up ahead of time.”
3. Reciting scripts
It’s prudent to prepare responses to common questions (e.g., “Tell me about yourself”), but don’t be robotic. Instead of memorizing answers and repeating them line-by-line, focus on the overall concept.
“It’s like giving a good PowerPoint presentation,” says Crawford. “You have your talking points, but every time you present it, it’s a little different.”
4. Asking the wrong questions, or (gasp!) none at all
You’re there to be interviewed, but take advantage of the face time by asking thoughtful questions. Avoid run-of-the-mill queries so you stand out.
Limit yourself to three questions, since the hiring manager’s time is finite. Find out whether it’s a new position.
“If it’s brand new, ask why they created the job,” advises Plutz. If you’re replacing someone, ask why the person left or why they got promoted, and whether it’s the company’s preference to promote from within.
Crawford recommends inquiring about the expectations for the first 30, 60, and 90 days. “You’ll get a flavor of what the job is like without being mundane and asking, ‘What’s a typical day like?’” she says.
Last, pose a question that establishes a personal connection with the hiring manager; for example, “I saw from LinkedIn you’ve been here for four years. What has your experience been like?”
5. Overlooking your body language
Nonverbal communication can create a great first impression—or immediately turn off a hiring manager. “When we talk about getting a gut feeling about someone, what we’re really talking about is reading his or her nonverbal cues [subconsciously],” says Atlanta-based body language expert Patti Wood.
To improve your posture and eye contact, role-play the interview with a friend. Also, make sure you have a firm handshake—research shows that if it’s weak or flaccid, the hiring manager might assume you lack confidence.
Don’t be stiff, says Wood, who recommends occasionally leaning forward with your head, upper torso, or whole body to show you’re interested in what the interviewer is saying, and remember to smile.
6. Talking salary
An initial interview isn’t the right time to discuss compensation unless the hiring manager broaches the subject. The same goes for benefits like vacation days, telecommuting options, and flex-time, which “aren’t relevant until they’re more serious about hiring you,” says Crawford. Save those topics for the final interview.
7. Botching the follow-up
Set expectations at the end of the interview three questions: “What’s the next step in the process?” “When do you want to bring someone on board?” and “How should I follow up with you?”
Instead of relying on your memory, Plutz says make notes of what you spoke about immediately after the interview and send a short thank-you email within 48 hours that cites specifics from the conversation (e.g., “The way you described the company culture really resonated with me”).
Give references a heads-up they might be hearing from the company and supply each person with an updated resume, says Crawford.

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.

Most Important Skill for Getting a Job, Skills Listed as Number One

Patti was quoted in Fox Business News on the "Importance of Strong Verbal Skills in Relation to Getting a Job." Verbal skills is listed as number one on a survey by the National Association of College and Employment.

Check the link below for Patti's insights!

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/03/03/um-like-college-grads-lack-verbal-skills/



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://pattiwood.net/. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Body Language for Job Interviews

Body language expert Patti Wood is quoted in an article on, "Interviewing for a Job" the link is below. The recommendations were made for college students. I coach clients on job interviewing and college students sometimes feel that an interview is performance where they must prepare word for word answers to possible questions and "shine." An interview should be a conversation and not a performance.

In conversations people make mistakes, it is real. You don't have to shake your head, apologize or ask to start over. Having a conversation means that you should also not "click on" when an interviewer gives you a question you prepared for and "click off' when you finished answering. Stay connected to the interviewer as you answer the questions.

Look at the interviewer when you finish speaking. Respond to their body language. You may not realize you're doing it, but make sure you don't give any "Whew, glad I am done with that." body language or "Shucks I messed up" body language as you finish answering a question. That means don't do the funny little tells such as breathing out a sigh or huff of breath as you finish speaking. Don't make a little relived or upset face as you finish talking. You would be surprised how often interviewees do that. There is something very unsettling about those expressions to an interviewer. Oddly it is more upsetting when they see a little smirk of glee on your face. It may sound creepy but it is a smirk I see on liars who think they have gotten away with their lie. Also, don't suddenly drop or relax your posture or sit back as if you have just finished an operatic solo.
One of the things I emphasized in the article was making good eye contact when you're listening to the interviewer. Another tip is to end strong. Even if you don't think you did well give a good handshake as you leave and stay up and confident. Again, you wouldn't beat yourself up in a conversation for not giving an answer exactly as you rehearsed it. If you want more on job interviewing you may wish to buy my body language book by linking to my website.

http://www.kansan.com/news/2010/oct/21/sell-yourself/?jayplay

Sell yourself
By Brenna Long

Originally published October 21, 2010 at 6 a.m., updated October 21, 2010 at 6 a.m.

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CloseCommentFacebookDiggDeliciousPrint.Dressed to impress, Rachel Schallenberg shook his hand with confidence. She had done the simple greeting before. Then he stopped her and made her do it again. Her professional shake did not meet his standards.

Thankfully, this was a learning environment. Using the career services at KU, Schallenberg, Olathe senior, left her mock interview prepared to pursue a real job.



Under pressure: Whether your interview is in an office, at a career fair or on the phone, remember to be enthusiastic and engaged. If you’re in need of practice to eliminate nervousness, check out the resources at the University Career Center, which offers mock interviews and practice questions.
A quick shake counts for three hours of continuous interaction says Patti Wood, body language expert.

Start every interview with these 10 steps and you’ll be closer to getting a job.

Walk to the person confidently with head level and hands at your side, not in your pockets. If carrying a purse or portfolio, switch it to your left hand.

If sweaty palms or clammy hands plague you, wipe your hands before any handshake.

Briefly smile but don’t go over the top and look cheesy.

Make eye contact, but don’t stare. This lets the person know you want to interact.

Face the person directly, not at an angle.

Make sure you fully extend your right arm, or you may look timid.

Position your hand straight up with thumb on top.

Open the space between your thumb and index finger so your hand easily slides into theirs, keeping your other fingers straight so your palms touch.

Wrap your fingers around their hand and lock hands.

Shake firmly three times and release. The grip is not a contest of strength. Make sure to match the pressure of the other person.

Learning how to interview can help students feel more confident when they nervously sit down to impress future employers. At the University Career Center (UCC), students can get personal guidance on preparing for interviews.

To prepare, the UCC has practice questions, mock interviews and a virtual interview program online. Talking through questions with family and friends can help students get comfortable talking about themselves, says Ann Hartley, associate director at the UCC. For professional advice on interviewing performance, Hartley says the mock interviews at the UCC can help. The staff records and watches the interview with the student. “As much as students hate it, seeing yourself can help you notice the umms and pauses,” Hartley says.

When the interviewer has arrived, Hartley reminds students to take a résumé, pen and paper, but to leave the cell phone behind. “The danger of forgetting [to turn it off] is high, and that won’t make a good first impression,” Hartley says.

Next, take a deep breath and brag about yourself. While your mouth is moving, body language expert Patti Wood wants you to remember eye contact, listening and posture. Wood, who wrote Success Signals: Body Language in Business, says students today lack eye contact. Keeping the eye connection tells the interviewer you are paying attention and are interested in the job. After each answer, remember to listen to the interviewer. “Don’t click off,” Wood says. Along with consistent eye contact, engage the rest of your body. Lean forward slightly with your feet firmly planted on the ground.

After the nerve-wracking part is over, don’t forget to end an in-person interview with a solid handshake, Wood says. Even if you feel like you made mistakes, a firm handshake accompanied by words of interest can leave the interviewer with a good impression.

But not all interviews happen in a sit-down environment. Ryan Watson, Mascoutah, Ill., sophomore, experienced brief in-person interviews at the business career fair. “My goal was to not look like an idiot,” he says. Watson learned the importance of preparing a résumé and researching employers before attending the career fair.

Hartley at the UCC says the 30-second speech about yourself is the most important skill to have in career fair scenarios. “They want to know who you are and what you are there for,” she says.

A phone interview brings a different challenge. The interviewer can’t see your reaction. “Be enthused and animated,” Hartley says. Find a secluded spot and dress up so the mood of your conversation doesn’t turn casual. Hartley also recommends using this type of interview to your advantage by laying out your résumé and cheat sheets.

Heather Luth, Olathe senior, says her stomach filled with butterflies as she answered her cell phone for her first phone interview. “I just tried to focus on sounding excited.”

Nailing a job isn’t all about the interview, but these tips can help that part of the job hunt. If you need more help, visit the UCC in the Burge Union or online. They can help you organize your résumé and send you out of their office prepared to land your dream job.


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Networking, How To Start A Conversation At A Job Fair, Small Talk

I was coaching a client who is from outside the US. He is extremely smart and motivated. Because English is his second language, he wanted to know how to start conversation and "small talk." During one of our first coaching sessions, I suggested he ask what I call "commonality questions." Commonality Questions are questions that relate to a situation or event you are with the other person. You ask them what they think of the food, the music, the speaker or perhaps current events and vacations. We used, "How was your summer?" as one of the practice questions as he was starting the Fall Semester of grad school.

The next coaching appointment, he and I laughed at that question, "How was your summer?" it was gleaning a lot of "I worked" responses. We worked on more small talk questions that he could use to network at a job fair and an upcoming event where a company was meeting grad students. Here is what he said worked and didn't work for questions to start a conversation.

He said, "I went to a social event last night with a company. What
worked well were the questions you suggested, such as "What is the best part of your job?" and "What do you think makes your company unique or different from other companies like yours?'" You also suggested several questions around family and children and I tried "Are your kids excited about school?" and other children related questions and that led to some great conversation. What didn't work for me again surprisingly, was
asking them, "How was your summer?" They all told me they just worked
and nothing else. I'll report to you again after tomorrow's career
fair. Thank you for all your help.

Job Interview Tips - Body Language And Interviewing

Patti Wood, body language expert, on how to ace the non-verbal part of the job interview.

Nonverbal communication often makes a bigger impression on an interviewer than what you say, says Patti Wood, a body-language expert based in Atlanta, who has worked with executives at many Fortune 500 companies. Here’s her advice on what you can do to improve your chances of making a great first impression.

The first 10 seconds are the most important: Most hiring decisions are made within the first ten seconds of the interview, sometimes before you even formally begin the conversation. We’re able to read up to 10,000 non-verbal cues in less than a minute. When we talk about getting a gut feeling about a person, what we’re really talking about is reading all those nonverbal cues really, really quickly. Many hiring decisions in interviews are based on reading those cues in an instinctual way.

The most common mistake: The mistake I see most takes place in those first essential moments. Sometimes you’re so focused on you (your nerves, how you look, etc.) that you’re not doing what you would do naturally, and that’s focus on the other person. Making contact and a connection with the interviewer should be uppermost in your mind rather than, how do I look? how do I seem?

That seems obvious until you think about how those first few moments unfold. What if you’re sitting and somebody comes out to greet you? Don’t do what most people do first: pick up all of your things. Leave your stuff where it is and stand up to greet your interviewer. Shake hands. Make eye contact. Connect with that person. Then, pick up your belongings and follow your interviewer into the office.

Know when to make eye contact: In typical conversation, you’re making eye contact about 60 percent of the time. But it’s also important to realize that it is normal to look away from time to time as you’re speaking because you’re accessing information in your brain. Really, the listener should be the one making eye contact. So make sure that when your interviewer is talking, you’re locked in.

If your interviewer loses interest: The interviewer may back away from you, break off eye contact, or stop giving you nonverbal feedback. If you’re sensing that something has shifted or changed, don’t freak out. Keep being yourself: listening, connecting and answering their questions. If it’s appropriate and fits your personality, you can even choose to be a bit feisty and say, “What can I do right now to convince you that I’d be the best person for this job?”

Women—Watch your voices: I typically tell women that they need to be sure that their voices stay strong until the end of the sentence. There’s a tendency for women’s voices to go up at the end of a sentence as if they’re asking a question instead of making a definitive statement. That makes you sound as if you don’t trust yourself and can leave a bad impression. You want to sound confident.

What to do with your hands: Ideally you want your hands visible. Don’t hide them under the table or between your legs. Keep your hands open and in view on the table or the arms of the chair—but don’t grip them for dear life. Or gesture. If you’re really nervous, you may want to briefly hold your own hand to comfort yourself. That’s actually very natural. But don’t keep your hands closed through the whole interview. When you close your hand the amount of tightness and the way the fingers curve show how you feel about the topic being discussed, the person you are with, and most of all how you are feeling.

Posture that communicates confidence: Use what I call “up” body language. It’s beautifully symbolic–you go up when you’re feeling up. Your gestures move up, your head comes up, your shoulders come up and back, and your step is upwards.

Before the interview, do fun things that make you feel good and positive instead of rehearsing the interview. Consider talking to a friend, watching something funny, or listening to great music that makes you sing in the car. Do things that would naturally make your body language go up.

The end matters too: Make sure your belongings are on the left side of your body so you can shake with your right hand. At the end you may shake hands more than once and that’s fine. You could shake your interviewer’s hand when you get up, at the door, or sometimes you’ll end up talking a little bit more and you’ll shake hands again. Make that seem like the most natural thing in the world, because every time you shake hands, you’re bonding, and that’s a good thing.

The end is very critical. Even if you feel like you didn’t do that well, you can still save it by closing strongly and confidently. Some people, when they feel they didn’t get it, they turn off. Instead, stay present and poised all the way to the end, because you still have a chance if you end strong.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://pattiwood.net/. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Job interview Tips, Body language and Interviewing

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in preparing for a job interview is not having someone objectively assess you body language and vocal behavior. We are often unaware how the our most mundane behaviors affect the way others view us. We can go into a job interview oblivious to our blind spots. No one will tell you unless you ask.

There is a makeover TV show called What Not to Wear. On the show, friends and family members appalled at how someone they know dresses, request the person get a makeover. I find the show entertaining on many levels. Why is the bad dresser always so surprised he or she was chosen for the show?
• The friends and family never told them
• Or, they didn’t believe what they were told
• Or, they do not know what good dressing look likes.
Think about it. Most of the people at work are strangely uncomfortable telling you what’s wrong with you or have trouble telling why they think certain things about you. As you prepare for a job interview you need to know. On the TV show, the fashion consultants put the guest in a four-way mirror booth so they can see themselves from all sides. That alone is painful for the guest. Then they come in and start coaching. They are brutally honest. They say things like, “You look horrible in that.” “That color is awful with your hair color.” “These shoes went out in the 80’s when they were never in.” Then they give coaching on good dressing and even have mannequins dressed appropriately. Finally, they have the person go and shop for the clothes and wear them. The guest is always surprised to find they didn't look as good as they thought and happy to learn how they can make changes to look and feel fantastic.
You may not be a bad dresser or have poor body language, but you might want to improve some aspect of your behavior for a job interview. There may be things you don’t know about yourself. If you want to improve you need to get into a four-way mirror on your behavior, be brutally honest with yourself, find models of the best nonverbal behaviors and see in ways in which you may wish to grow. Then get someone objectives opinion. You may think you know how you come across to others, but you may not really be aware of little body language quirks and vocal habits that could turn an interview off. You may think your best attribute is confidence but you need to get a objective viewpoint to make sure you don't actually appear conceited to interviewer They may think they sound smart when their answers sound condescending and they jut their chin out defiantly. A person can think they are warm and friendly and they but someone meeting them in an interview for the first time may wonder why they don't take a breath and let them talk.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional Panel guest on Fox Five News Job Search.
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Tips to Reduce Stress and Build Confidence for a Job Interview

Tip for building confidence and reducing anxiety for a job interview.
When you get upset or nervous or just plain stressed out during your job search notice your breathing. Right now look at your watch, you cell phone or clock and begin to count the number of times you breath in and out in a minute.You may notice that even at rest your nervous breathing is faster than the "average" rate of 12 to 14 times a minute (a rate which is already faster than it needs to be). In fact, many of us, without knowing it, habitually "hyperventilate"--that is, we take quick, shallow breaths from the top of our chest. This kind of breathing sharply reduces the level of carbon dioxide in our blood. This reduced level of carbon dioxide causes the arteries, including the carotid artery going to the brain, to constrict, thus reducing the flow of blood throughout the body. When this occurs, no matter how much oxygen you may breathe into your lungs, your brain and body will experience a shortage of oxygen. The lack of oxygen switches on the sympathetic nervous system--our "freeze, fight or flight reflex"—The that reflex enabled our ancestors to freeze so we wouldn't be seen or flee from a saber tooth tiger but now it is just making you tense, anxious, and irritable. When you take quick shallow breaths you reduce our ability to think clearly. During a job interview it may keep you from answering questions quickly and succinctly, and you can beat the mercy of obsessive thoughts and images. You may start thinking, Oh my gosh I am going to mess up." "Oh my gosh I am a failure." "I bet he thinks I am stupid." We may even stop breathing as we get to end of each obsessive thought. Some researchers believe that hyperventilation can actually magnify our psychological problems and conflicts, and that chronic hyperventilation is intimately bound up with our anxieties, apprehensions, and fears. One key to feeling clear headed, energized and confident,is to breath deeply, from low down in your belly. You can practice breathing more slowly using your diaphragm, belly, rib cage, and lower back in the breathing process. I have been reading and practicing tantric breathing to be more awake to how I breath and really get inside my body and increase my power. It is amazing how strong and powerful I feel when I take deep belly breaths making a lot of noise as the air fills me up and and let out that breath fully and completely in deep releasing sighs. Of course your not going to be doing tantric breathing during your interview, but it could help calm you and clear your energy the night before or in the car before you go into your interview. Try it right now. Take four deep belly breaths in on a count of four holding for a count of two and making lots noise as you sigh deeply out all your breath. Now say. I feel wonderful. How does your voice sound? More powerful? More Alive? (link to voice articles) See The Tao of Natural Breathing for more information.
________________________________________
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Fox Channel Five Job Search and Job Interviewing Webcast.

For great information on finding a job, writing an ageless resume, using social networking and body language for job interviews check out Atlanta Fox News website for a webcast panel discussion. As a body language expert on the panel today, I shared how important it is to visualize your success before the interview. Job seekers sometimes get so anxious before an interview that they imagine all the mistakes they will make. Instead prepare by first practicing live then visualizing your success. Practice how you will shake hands well and sit with confidence, be warm and friendly, listen well and answer all the questions your asked with confidence and play the movie of you giving a successful interview in your head over and over so that when you are under stress you can easily go to the positive successful responses you have rehearsed and played over and over in your mind. You body will go to what you have rehearsed the most. Rehearse and nail the interview response. For more tips go to the search portion of Patti's blog and type in job interview body language.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Job Interviewing Tips on Eye Contact by Patti Wood MA, CSP

Gaze sends a message of power. It also gives you control of the conversation even as the listener. To build rapport you need to gaze, looking and then looking away about 60 to 70 percent of the time. If you are not sure if you look enough ask yourself if your getting the attention and results from people that you want. Eye Contact sends the message that you are serious. If your still not sure ask the people you interact with wither you give enough eye contact.
You need to make good eye-contact with others. A lack of eye-contact can make you look dishonest, disrespectful, evasive, rude, incompetent, lacking in confidence or lacking in conviction. In North American Culture we expect people to look at us when we are talking to them.
If people find you overbearing I can bet your eye contact is part of the problem. If you look too long and don’t break away enough it’s intimidating. You want to gaze not stare. Gazing is very different than staring if you gaze more than that 70 percent of the time people are going to think you’re a bully, you’re weird or that they have spinach between their teeth.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Job Interviewing Tips by Patti Wood MA, CSP

Are you interested in Job finding, Resume Writing, Body Language and Interviewing Tips? I will be on a three person panel of experts today discussing interviewing tips for Channel Five News. You can find articles I have writing on the topic by going to the search portion of this blog and typing in job interviewing tips or body language and job interviewing tips. Here are are a few quick tips.
Life is good. Hard but good. With the economy being what it is some people are looking for new jobs or going on sales calls like never before. If you are in that situation you cannot afford to become stressed or "psyched out" before talking to a potential customer or employer. As a body language expert trainer and one on one coach I would like to share some great tools to "... prepare you mentally to go into the sales call or job interview and be at your best.

• One powerful technique to gain confidence and keep yourself from getting stressed during and meeting is to imagine the emotions you want the prospect or interviewer to have about you and deliver the body language that elicits those emotions. A recent job interview coaching client of mine was very anxious about an upcoming interview and his stress was evident in his body language. He was holding hands in his lap and had his feet tucked under the chair and his voice was so soft I was having to ask him to repeat his statement. I asked him what he wanted his interviewer to feel about him. He said the emotion he wanted the interviewer to feel was excitement. I asked him to imagine how he behaved when he was excited. Then I asked him act that way. His body language and paralanguage changed immediately. He held his head and torso up then he leaned forward and gestured up and out and used a energy charged voice to share his positive work experiences . He smiled and even laughed as he relayed one particular story. He didn't feel excited in the moment before he started moving his body, he felt afraid. But he said, "It was weird as soon as I brought my shoulders back and smiled and put some energy in my voice I got it excited." "It felt like I had just had a cup of Starbucks" So go into your interview showing excitement with up, energetic nonverbal behavior. Do know, of course that there are caveats to excitement being the appropriate response. But overall your demeanor can illicit the appropriate emotion for the situation.

• A second techniques to build confidence is to move and hold your body “UP” upward posture, head held up, gestures with up motions. When we are happy are body naturally moves up and holds itself up. When you hold or move your body the way you would like to feel the posture actually sends a message to the brain, “Hey I am feeling great, positive and up.” As you hold your body the little pharmacy in your brain starts producing the chemicals that match that state, (in as little as a 40th of a second.) and pumps them into your body and you begin to feel up. The combination of your up posture and movement up and chemical up state is felt by the interviewer. They start to give you attentive nonverbal cues and that makes you feel more confident. I call this the fake it till you make it technique. You only have to fake it for a fraction of a second before it actually effects how you feel.

• A third tool is to choose a word that expresses how you would like to feel in your interview and then get into a posture that matches it. So if your word is CONFIDENT your put your body in an open position, arms away from your body, legs uncrossed shoulder back heart forward, extending eye-contact for as long as three seconds, voice going down at the end of sentences.

• And a forth techniques is to use that same magic word to replace any negative thoughts you have about the interview. For example, replace the thought, “ I am going to mess up is and forget what to say with your magic word. “I am going to be CONFIDENT and remember what I want to say.”
E-mail Patti - Patti@PattiWood.net

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

More Body Language Tips for Job Interviews

Continuing with the more tips for body language in Job Interviews using SOFTEN. The E in Soften stands for Eye Contact. "He didn't look me in the eye. I just couldn't trust him." In a job interview your eye contact makes you look credible and trustworthy. When your scared or we don't like a question during a job interview you might avert your eyes, blink, or shut them. What makes someone credible? According to the research, competence, trustworthiness and dynamism are the three main components that make up credibility. Competence is defined as the communicator's knowledge and expertise about the communication. Trustworthiness is a measure of the communicator's honesty and sincerity. Dynamism is a person's energy and confidence in communicating. Nonverbal communication is vital to competence, trustworthiness and dynamism because these qualities are rarely stated directly. For example, people rarely say, "I am competent" or "I am trustworthy."
THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE BEHAVIOR AND EYE CONTACT
The most noticeable nonverbal behavior that affects credibility is eye behavior and eye contact. Like the old saying, "Eyes are your window to the world," eyes can be the window to credibility. Studies on eye contact and its effect on communication and credibility find that maintaining a steady gaze while communicating is beneficial to credibility, and conversely, averting eye contact is detrimental to credibility. Eye contact studies have produced information about the effect of eye contact on the three components of credibility. In tests where these three components were isolated, eye behaviors had little effect on dynamism. The competence and trustworthiness categories, however, produced a significant link.
When volunteers were asked to rate the competence of communicators with low eye contact and with high eye contact, the competence ratings were significantly higher for the subjects who exhibited high eye contact with the audience. The same test produced the same results in measuring trustworthiness of those with low eye contact and high eye contact.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
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More on Six Tips For Body Language in Job Interviews

In a previous post on Six Tips for body language in a job interview I recommended you just remember to S.O.F.T.E.N. T in SOFTEN refers to turn off technology. You want to make sure that all your electronic devices are turned off before your job interview. That may sound like a "no brainer." but sometimes when your under stress you forget the little things. You do not want your baby sitter calling you during your job interview asking you were the TV remote is hiding. Make it a ritual in you interview rehearsal to turn off all your technology. Also ideally keep everything out of view. Don't have anything clipped to your belt and or in your hands or sticking out of your pocket. The focus is on the interviewer. If technology is in view it says symbolically that another person's call or email is more important to you than the interview. Turn off technology and put it out of site before the interview.

S -mile
O- pen windows
F- orwad Lean
T- urn off technology
E- ye-Contact
N- od your head

This information is from Patti's video Nail the Interview Get the Job for information about the video or Patti's coaching or training contact us at Patti@PattiWood.net To purchase Patti's body language book Success Signals go to our website to the products section at the link below.


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Body Language Tips for Job Interviews

To show you are interested and listening in a job interview you want to occasionally lean forward. Leaning forward slightly with your head, your upper torso or your whole body shows you are connecting to what the interviewer is saying. Don't over due it! Gentle timely forward leans. Your not trying to "get in their face." Interviewees tend to pull back when they don't like a question or are fearful of a question. Just making an effort to move forward shows the interviewer your focused on them not on yourself.

This information is from Patti's video Nail the Interview Get the Job for information about the video or Patti's coaching or training contact us at:
Patti@PattiWood.net

Patti does training and one on one coaching on Job Interviews. Please contact us for details.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

More Body Language Tips for Job Interviews

Open your body language for job interviews. When your afraid you body retracts and gets smaller. It makes sense. If you feel like you may be attacked you would tend to make yourself a smaller target. But, in a job interview, no matter how you feel when you start, act like your brave with your body language and keep your body open. It will help you. The body sends messages to the brain within seconds so you will quickly feel brave.
So keep your heart facing toward the interviewer. It is common to shield your heart when your answering the tough questions. Make sure your don't hold your hands in you lap in front of you or gesture to close to the body.

This information is from Patti's video Nail the interview, Get the Job. For information on the video, training or one on one coaching with Patti email us at Patti@PattiWood.net
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Powerful Body Language for Job Interviews

Power and Confidence for your body language in a job interview are established by:

Space
Open Windows
Relaxation
Up body language

Space
To look powerful and confident in a job interview you want to take up space. When you feel good your body expands. Let your arms and hands reach out and gesture your legs come from underneath the chair. Don't be afraid to put your arms on the arms of the chairs. Of course don't overdue it. You don't want to kick your feet way out in front of you.

This information is from Patti's video Nail the interview, Get the Job. For information on the video, training or one on one coaching with Patti email us at Patti@PattiWood.net

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

SOFTEN Body Language for Job Interviews

You want your body language in a job interview to show that you are listening and connected with the interviewer.
Here Six tips for body language in a job interview just remember to S.O.F.T.E.N.

S -mile
O- pen windows
F- orwad Lean
T- urn off technology
E- ye-Contact
N- od your head

This information is from Patti's video, Nail the interview, Get the Job. For information on the video, training or one on one coaching with Patti email us at Patti@PattiWood.net To purchase Patti's book Success Signals please go to our website. www.PattiWood.net
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Body Language Tools to Build Confidence in Job Interviews

I just responded to a media request for tools to "... prepare people mentally to go into the interview and do the best they can. With the job market in the shape it is in now, people who have an interview are extremely lucky and they cannot afford to become stressed or "psyched out" before talking to a potential employer. I responded.

I am a body language expert I just had a coaching session with a client where we used some of my confidence building tools for job interviews.


One powerful technique to gain confidence and keep yourself from getting stressed during and interview is to imagine the emotions you want the interviewer to have about you and deliver the body language that elicits those emotions. For my client today the emotion he wanted the interviewer to feel was excitement. So you he said the word excitement and then moved and held his body up and leaned forward and gestured as he shared his positive work experiences . He smiled and even laughed as he relayed one particular story. He didn't feel excited in the moment before he started moving his body, he felt afraid. But he said, "It was weird as soon as I brought my shoulders back and smiled and put some energy in my voice I got it sighted." "It felt like I had just had a cup of Starbucks" So go into your interview showing excitement with up, energetic nonverbal behavior. Do know, of course that there are caveats to excitement being the appropriate response. But overall your demeanor can illicit the appropriate emotion for the situation.

A second techniques to build confidence is to move and hold your body “UP!” I created the label UP. to describe all upward posture and movements and facial expressions such as, head held up, gestures with up motions. When we are happy are body naturally moves up and holds itself up. When you hold or move your body the way you would like to feel the posture actually sends a message to the brain, “Hey I am feeling great, positive and up.” As you hold your body the little pharmacy in your brain starts producing the chemicals that match that state, (in as little as a 40th of a second.) and pumps them into your body and you begin to feel up. The combination of your up posture and movement up and chemical up state is felt by the interviewer. They start to give you attentive nonverbal cues and that makes you feel more confident. I call this the fake it till you make it technique. You only have to fake it for a fraction of a second before it actually effects how you feel.

A third tool is to choose a word that expresses how you would like to feel in your interview and then get into a posture that matches it. So if your word is CONFIDENT your put your body in an open position, arms away from your body, legs uncrossed shoulder back heart forward, extending eye-contact for as long as three seconds, and make your voice going down at the end of sentences. (We tend to tighten the vocal chords when we are tense and the high, sometimes screechy sound is not powerful. When we use positive words we can alter how are brain functions by increasing cognitive reasoning and strengthening areas in our frontal lobes. Using postie words in your life more than negative ones can kick-start the motivational centers of the brain, propelling them to action.

And a forth techniques is to use that same magic word to replace any negative thoughts you have about the interview. For example, replace the though, “ I am going to mess up is and forget what to say with your magic word. “I am going to be CONFIDENT and remember what I want to say.”

So imagine confidence and use the word to motivate yourself and move up to be more confident!

E-mail Patti - Patti@PattiWood.net