I just saw a website that gives job interview tips to graduates. It listed five key things that interviewees need to do to get the interviewer to ‘adore you’. All five things were to do with body language- maintaining eye contact, smiling, nodding, posture and standing close but not too close. It made me realise how easy it is to mislead people on the internet, even when there was no intention of doing so.
Of course body language is important. Nobody denies that. But body language alone never clinched a job for anybody. Success in interview comes down to your ability to communicate effectively using language, not posture. The fact that an employer ‘adores you’ does not mean they will give you a job.
A successful interviewee tends to be someone who can demonstrate that they understand and can meet the requirements of the job. That they have researched the company, they understand what problem the organisation is trying to solve by recruiting, and crucially that they, the candidate, not only have the credentials and ability to solve the problem but will be a good fit within the team. It’s common sense really.
The internet is a powerful tool and plays an increasingly important role in shaping all our lives. But we don’t read it carefully, people tend to skim website articles and the piece that I read, though no doubt well meaning, risks being totally misleading. An article that focuses exclusively on body signals without setting them within the context of the verbal message is likely to produce adverse results.
The moral is dont take everything you read at face value.
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