|
Body language makes up 55% of the impression you have on somebody who does not know you. Therefore, it is important to be aware of various do's and dont's.
|
|
|
|
HR managers are trained to pay attention to the applicant’s body language, which might disagree with their statements.
Your appearance (clothes, posture, gesture, facial expression) make up 55% of the impression you make on somebody else, your voice accounts for 38% and the statements you say for 7%. So your body language and the signals you send unconsciously are very influential when marketing yourself.
|
|
|
| |
| DOs |
|
Body Language
|
Meaning
|
|
Glances
- straight glance
- frequent eye contact
|
- attention, receptiveness, sympathy, signalizes open-mindedness
- openness, pure conscience, trust
|
|
Facial Expression
- open smile/enthusiasm
- raising the eyebrows
|
- open serenity
- underlines and reinforces what you say
|
|
Gesture
- firm handshake without exaggerating
- hands lying open and loose on the table
- using your hands while talking, e.g. when enumerating things
|
- sincerity, certainty
- self-assuredness
- openness
|
|
Posture
- Calm and upright posture, both feet touch the ground, upper part of the body tilted slightly forward
|
- self-assuredness, interest, sympathy
|
|
Way of Talking
- clear voice, not too loud
- moderate pace
|
- vitality and self-consciousness
- temperament and spirit
|
|
DONTs
|
|
Body Language
|
Meaning
|
|
Glances
- oblique glance
- frequently looking away
|
- distance
- awkwardness and lack of sympathy
|
|
Facial Expression
- corners of the mouth go down
- raising the eyebrows
|
- bitterness, pessimism, depressive
- incredulity or arrogance
|
|
Gesture
- exaggerated handshake
- flabby handshake
- crossed arms or hands
- touching the nose, holding hand in front of the mouth, frequent taking off of glasses, running hair out of your face, scratching your head
- fiddling around with your hand (ring, biro,…)
|
- recklessness, showing off
- insecurity, easy to influence
- rejection, closeness, fear
- awkwardness, insecurity, unease
- nervousness, insecurity
|
|
Posture
- shrugging of your shoulders
- sitting on the edge of the chair in a kind of “alarmed” position
- putting feet around chair legs
- rigid, military-like posture
|
- helplessness
- lack of self-consciousness and security, suspiciousness, fear
- insecurity, looking for hold
- suppressing fear
|
|
Way of Talking
- low, whispering voice
- fast pace
- weak accentuation
|
- weakness, lack of self-consciousness
- nervousness
- indifference, lack of flexibility
|
Source: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wirtschaft und Schule (May 2007)
 Body language.pdf (133.67 KB)
|
BBS English 