Body language is more important than most people realise. When we speak to someone, we’re not just paying attention to their words. We also evaluate their tone, posture, facial expressions, and movements.
In fact, according to a study conducted by Albert Mehrabian, only around 7% of any “message” we send to someone during a conversation is conveyed in our words. The rest comes from our body language. This makes it crucial for anyone in the engineering industry to think carefully about how they present themselves during an interview.
Mastering body language improves your chances of building an emotional connection with your interviewer and ensures you’re conveying information effectively. Used correctly, it can significantly boost your chances of walking away with a job offer.
The Importance of Body Language in Communication
Body language can complement or contradict the words we speak. For instance, if you’re sitting in a job interview telling the hiring manager how excited you are about the opportunity but constantly fidgeting, frowning, or checking your watch, that sends two different messages.
Being aware of your body language is how you ensure you make a positive impression on your interviewer and strengthen your chances of a job offer; it can influence:
How Interviewers Perceive You
In an interview, hiring managers often form first impressions of a candidate in seconds. Part of what contributes to their perception of you is how you hold yourself (or your body language). Sitting straight, making eye contact, and smiling shows professionalism, enthusiasm, and confidence, improving your chances of success.
Your Ability to Build Rapport
While interviewers don’t decide who to hire based exclusively on which candidates they like the most, they’re unlikely to offer a job to someone they don’t feel comfortable with. Your body language helps to build trust and rapport, making interviewers feel more comfortable around you and increasing your likeability.
Conversation Clarity
Your success in a job interview is based on your ability to communicate effectively with an interviewer. You need to demonstrate your strengths as an employee, and appropriate body language can support this. It can help improve your message clarity and show employers how effectively you communicate.
Top Tips for Effective Body Language in Engineering Interviews
Mastering body language for your interviews can be more complex than it seems. It takes practice to ensure unconscious behaviours aren’t getting in the way of you making the right impression on your interviewer.
Fortunately, there are certain things you can focus on to improve your chances of success.
1. Be Mindful of your Posture
Posture has a significant impact on the impression you’ll make to a potential hiring manager or employer. It instantly sends an interviewer a message about your attitude and personality. For instance, sitting up straight with your shoulders back shows confidence, while slouching can demonstrate disinterest.
Avoid crossing your arms or hunching, as this can make you look defensive. Remember, your posture should stay strong throughout the interview, whether sitting down, standing up, or even conducting an interview over a video conferencing platform.
2. Maintain Eye Contact
Maintaining regular eye contact during an interview can be tricky. You don’t want to spend the entire conversation staring at your interviewer. However, establishing regular eye contact helps convey attentiveness and sincerity.
If you look away from your interviewer, be careful not to look at clocks or your shoes, as this can make you look less confident and disengaged. If your interview occurs via video conference, look at the camera to establish eye contact as much as possible.
3. Watch Your Facial Expressions
A smile is incredibly valuable during a job interview. It shows your potential engineering employer that you’re happy to be there, confident, and engaged in the conversation. It can also help to build rapport, paving the way for a positive relationship with the interviewer.
Smiling regularly conveys warmth and approachability, but ensuring your smile appears genuine is important. It’s also worth paying attention to when you should be smiling and when you might want to adjust your facial expression to show thoughtfulness or sincerity.
4. Control Your Hand Gestures
Sometimes, hand gestures are a valuable form of body language. They can emphasise points, illustrate ideas, and show enthusiasm. However, excessive and erratic movements can be distracting and confusing in some interviews.
Use your hands purposefully throughout the conversation, and know when to place them on your lap and keep them still. Avoid allowing yourself to fidget during the interview, as this can make you appear nervous.
5. Rethink Your Clothing Choices
Dressing professionally is important in any job interview, but finding the right balance between professional and comfortable attire is crucial. Discomfort can distract you and the interviewer, leading to unconscious behaviours like fidgeting.
It might seem like a great idea to buy a new belt or pair of shoes for your interview, but if you’re uncomfortable with them, it can make it harder for you to focus.
Using Effective Body Language at Work
Mastering body language is essential to boost your chances of success in a job interview. However, your focus on nonverbal communication shouldn’t disappear when you’re offered a job. Remember to keep working on your body language throughout your career.
In the office, prioritise an open and inviting posture to help build beneficial relationships with your team members. Sit up straight when you’re working, as slouching can make you seem disengaged from managers and the rest of the team; it’s also bad for your back and posture!
Use your body language to strengthen rapport when working with other team members. Show engagement during conversations with active listening strategies like nodding occasionally, maintaining eye contact, and adjusting your facial expressions to suit the topic.
Consider using mirroring and matching techniques to simulate others’ body language. This will help to establish an emotional connection between you and your colleagues. Match their energy level and gestures for a harmonious interaction.
Finally, ensure you’re cautious about respecting personal space and boundaries. Maintain an appropriate distance during interactions, and pay attention to how people respond to your behaviours to avoid making anyone uncomfortable.
Master the Art of Body Language
Using body language to your advantage is a valuable way to improve your chances of getting job offers in the current market and build stronger relationships with your colleagues. Whether preparing for an interview or looking for ways to enhance workplace interactions, being mindful of your nonverbal cues can work wonders.
Practicing everything from displaying a confident posture to controlling your facial expressions can help to strengthen your chances of success throughout your career.
Remember, practice does make perfect. The more you pay attention to your body language and look for ways to improve, the more effective you’ll be at nonverbal communication.
All the best
Steve
At Coalesce Recruitment we have been partnering with engineering candidates for over 28 years; if you would like our input on mastering your body language in job interviews, then give me a call on 07512 821708 or email us here.