1. You Fail To Look At The Interviewer When Conversing
It may be uncomfortable for you to make eye contact easily with someone – especially if you are anxious with authority figures who have the power over your destiny. After all, they make the decision to hire you or not after a job interview.
Eye contact is important because most people read a lack of it as an indication that you’re evading the truth, being disingenuous, or just plain lying.
Do this instead:
Use the very simple trip trick of looking at the bridge of the person’s nose, if eye contact is too difficult for you. And practice with another person – for as long as it takes for you to be more comfortable – before your interview.
2. You Have A Limp, Fishy Handshake
Maybe you had a Dad like mine and you learned this one early and often – give a good, firm, handshake!
Research shows it takes about 1/10 of one second to form an initial impression about someone. And that impression is very hard to change.
A limp, wimpy, handshake (my Dad used to call it a “dead fish”) leaves the interviewer with a less than favorable impression. He or she may read it as a lack of confidence, a lack of respect, or even as a lack of engagement or excitement about the interview.
First impressions are made with both verbal and non-verbal cues. And a handshake is one of the most powerful tools you have for showing up strong in the process.
Do this instead:
Practice a firm, confident handshake with others before you go into an interview. If you double that up with eye contact and a smiling demeanor, you’re making a great first impression.
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