Below are Patti's body language tips for banking interviews that appeared in eFinancialCareers.com from a recent interview she did.
Ex-Barclays VP shares top body language tips for banking interviews
Ex-Barclays VP shares top body language tips for banking interviews
2 April 2015
Palm to palm
Ferdinand Petra started his banking career as
an associate at J.P, Morgan. After four years, he moved to Barclays’ investment
bank, where he spent five years as a vice president (VP) in client coverage.
Now an affiliate professor of finance at elite business school HEC in Paris,
Petra also trains M&A analysts in investment banks and corporates and has
run an M&A interview preparation company. If anyone knows about non-verbal
communications in financial services, it is, therefore, he.
According to Petra,
there are three essential pieces of body language for financial services
interview success. We’ve listed these below, supplemented with suggestions from Patti
Wood, a body language expert who coaches Wall Street bankers. This
is what you need to know.
1. Never project nervousness. Never imply
negativity
When you’re sitting in front of an
interviewer, you should never play with a pen or fiddle with things – this will
simply convey that you’re stressed. Most importantly, when you’re asked a
difficult question, Petra says you must be very careful not to manifest the two
signs of defensiveness: don’t lean back in your chair and don’t cross your arms
or legs (and particularly do not do the two things at the same time).
“Fiddling
things is what I call a ‘self-comfort cue,” says Wood. “You sit there, fiddling
with your shirt collar, or your watch and what you’re really doing is creating
an excuse to touch yourself, which stimulates chemicals that are reassuring to
you.” It’s incredibly important that you don’t seek this kind of reassurance
when you’re answering questions about your suitability for the job and, says
Wood.
Similarly,
she says any attempt to protect the ‘windows to the body’ – the heart, chest,
neck, mouth, eyes, or hands – can be interpreted as hiding something or holding
something in. For this reason, crossing your legs, putting a hand to your neck,
or shielding your eyes, are all inadvisable.
2. Anticipate the bodily cues of the people
you’re interacting with
“When you stand up suddenly to shake hands,
you will give the person who’s interviewing you the impression that you’re not
prepared,” says Petra. Instead of waiting seated for the precise moment of the
handshake, you need to anticipate the event: be ready, not flustered.
“You
need to ease yourself into the handshake,” says Wood. “You shouldn’t be jumping
up to shake hands. When you’re waiting for the interviewee, sit down on the
edge of the seat in the waiting area so that you can rise easily and
confidently.” For the same reason, Wood says you should avoid looking at your
phone before the interview. And when the interview’s over, she says you should
shake handsbefore you gather up your stuff.
3. There is more to a handshake than you
think
The handshake is all-important, but it is not
all. Petra says you need to coordinate shaking hands with two other essential
elements: smiling and looking someone in the eye. Practice the ensemble before
you go in. “I always get my students to practice this with their friends,”
Petra tells us.
Wood
says execution of the handshake-eye-contact cluster should depend upon the
gender of those involved. Male-to-male handshakes require eye contact of at
least three seconds: anything less suggests weakness. Female-to-male handshakes
require two seconds’ eye contact, a look away, and then a look back: three
seconds of solid staring implies sexual interest; two seconds of staring
followed by a glance away and a glance back implies that you’re not coming on
to someone, but are prepared to interact robustly with them in a business
environment.
All
handshakes should also involve full frontal alignment between the parties
concerned.”Your body windows need to be aligned to the other person’s,” says
Wood. “During a handshake you are saying I trust you, and yet I am threatening
your vulnerable areas and you are doing the same to me. You are both sizing
each other up and determining who will be alpha.”
Handshakes
should also always be palm to palm, says Wood. Women must resist the temptation
for ‘finger shakes': “You don’t want to present your femininity first in a
business situation. You want to show that you are strong and powerful and
unafraid.”
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.
