11 forbidden gestures in a job interview

It is true that it is impossible to read people's minds by observing their gestures, but that does not mean that in the world of nonverbal language there are no codes of behavior.

They are not rules that we are taught in classrooms or that we have had to memorize by reading texts, of course, but, even without realizing it, we are always judging what kind of postures and movements speak well of a person and which ones speak ill of her.

The fact of knowing how to use or not this code or "label" of non-verbal communication affects us in many facets of our life, but if there is a context in which this dimension of our behavior is decisive, is in the job interview, where the person who interviews us will try to know as much as possible about us in the shortest time.

Gestures and postures to avoid in a selection process

Below you can see the most common mistakes during a job interview when it comes to non-verbal communication.

1. Weak handshake or "steak hand"

The handshake is usually the first contact with the person who is going to interview us, and therefore

has great importance as a way to make a first impression in the most literal sense. In this situation, some people may get a very weak grip (known as a "steak hand") because of nervousness or because they feel intimidated by the situation.

It is important to avoid this: the grip must be firm, to show assertiveness and avoid showing a passive attitude. What's more, It must be accompanied by a direct gaze into the eyes of the other person.

2. Hands in pockets

When nerves appear, it is common to realize that "you have a pair of hands" and do not know what to do with them. We are so afraid of being wrong that we begin to question all our possible moves, and that paralyzes us. One of the solutions to this is to end the problem by making our hands disappear into our pockets. However, it is a bad idea.

Having your hands in your pockets during a job interview or during the transition between handshake and moment in which we are going to sit in the chair that the other person offers us causes the impression of passivity and unsafety. The alternative to this is to let the arms hang normally and use the hands to gesture accompanying our speech.

3. The crossing of arms

Crossing your arms appears as a solution to the problem of nerves mentioned earlier. However, it's even worse than putting your hands in your pockets, since it is a less discreet gesture and also denotes a defensive attitude.

4. Pounce on the table

Once seated at the table where the interview will take place, it is important to maintain an upright position, making the back and thighs maintain a 90 degree angle. Advancing the body on the table supporting a lot of weight on the arms is a gesture of fatigue and causes a bad image because it is considered unprofessional.

5. Head touching

Another reaction to stressful situations is touching certain parts of the head and face. Typically these are the nose, mouth, or hair. It is important to keep an eye on yourself to make sure this does not happen as a repetitive act., because it hinders communication by forcing to keep the gaze somewhat lowered or to hide part of the face behind the hand and arm.

6. Avoid eye contact

Keeping your gaze fixed on the face and eyes of the person interviewing us when they speak to us is essential. However, it is important that instead of focusing on looking her in the eye, we worry more about not stopping looking at her. the eyes, that is, becoming aware of when we break eye contact instead of during eye contact, since what otherwise it can make us worry too much about the image we give and stop paying attention to what we are told.

7. Support your head in your hand

Supporting the weight of the head on one arm can be an automatic gesture that appears in response to stress and the fatigue caused by the situation of having to manage our role well during the interview. However, it is something that we have to avoid completely, among other things because it makes our posture become asymmetrical, which gives an image of fatigue and disinterest.

8. Get too close

It is important to bear in mind that a job interview belongs to the professional field, in which personal distances are greater than during informal treatment. That should be translated into our non-verbal language and we must leave a space between us and the interviewer or interviewer.

9. Maintain an oblique posture

Positioning yourself diagonally with respect to the person interviewing us is an automatic reaction that some people have when they want to hide part of their face or prefer not to reveal all of their Body. This is interpreted as a sign of insecurity and a strategy to stay on the defensive..

10. Bend your back

Staying in a hunched position while sitting is very common in people not used to sitting correctly and, In addition to being bad for your health, it gives a bad image, being a sign of fatigue.

11. Do not gesture

Nerves can cause us to "freeze" the whole body and limit ourselves to talking. This turns our message and our expression into something devoid of nuances and uninteresting. It is advisable to accompany what we say with gestures of hands and arms at the same pace in which we speak.