During an interview, your body language probably talks more than the actual words that are coming out of your mouth. The interviewer already knows about your academic credentials, and they already know how much you want the job. What they are looking for is who YOU are. They want to know what kind of person they are going to hire. The best way for them to figure that out is by your body language. They already know that you’re going to tell them everything they want to hear and say all of the right things. That stuff goes over their head, and they are looking for certain attributes about you that you can’t hide or mask with a facade. They want to know about you. So, what they looking for? Here is a list of the most important things they are looking for:

1. Self-Confidence: You can show great self-confidence to the interviewer(s) in the first 10 seconds of the interview. Make strong eye contact and give a firm hand shake. It doesn’t matter if you are a girl or a guy, you need to have a firm hand shake. Don’t shake their arm off and hurt their hand, but just give a positive, firm shake for a two mississippi count. Look them in the eye while you shake and give a pleasant smile. Don’t grin like an idiot and don’t give a blank stare. This is so crucial, I can’t stress the importance of the first 10 seconds of an interview.
2. Arrogance: Interviewers are also looking to see if you have too much self-confidence. Too much self-confidence turns into arrogance. If you’re puffing your chest out or holding your chin too high, you may be giving off the wrong vibe. Keep a relaxed, yet strong posture while standing and while sitting. Also, don’t roll your eyes. It’s arrogant, and people will notice it.
3. Decision making skills: If you come across as too nervous during the interview, the interviewer may pin you as someone who has trouble making decisions. You need to be able to perform well under pressure. An interview is a high pressure situation, so if you show nervous tendancies, then you’ll it will count against you. Definitely don’t bite your finger nails or clench your fists. Also, wringing your hands is a tell-tale sign of nervousness. This is my biggest downfall. I do it when I am public speaking as well. If you don’t know what I am talking about, think of someone who acts like their hands are a wash cloth and they are trying to get every drop of water out of that wash cloth. That’s a bad habit, so try to be conscious about it. In fact, your hands can do you more harm than good. Try to either keep your hands folded or in your lap. Don’t hold onto the chair rails like you’re going to fall out of the seat. That also shows how nervous you are.
4. Trustworthiness: Employers need to have employees they can trust. It’s becoming harder every day to find people with strong morals and ethics. Make sure that you don’t lie during the interview. Don’t even make a little white lie. Studies have shown that there are obvious signs of body language that show when people are lying such as fidgeting, looking away, and heart beating faster. Its hard not to tell white lies when you are talking yourself up, but definitely avoid it. You’ll get sniffed out eventually, and it may cost you the job.

The best thing to do is be yourself. I’m not going to sugar coat this and tell you that the interview is not that important. It’s VERY important. Resumes get you interviews, and interviews get you jobs. Your credentials will only spark their interest, but the interview will get you the job.