Making your entrance. How you move signals how you perceive your-
self and expect to be treated. When you’re invited to enter the interview
room, do so with focus and energy. If you want to be perceived as some-
one with an upfront, upbeat, and positive attitude, move confidently,
smoothly, and purposefully. Put down whatever you’re carrying, shake
the interviewer’s hand, and take a seat. You’re demonstrating that you’re
comfortable coming into another person’s territory.
When you enter someone’s office, move with purpose. A slight hesita-
tion resulting in a small shuffle makes you appear unsure of yourself. In
order to project a commanding image, walk at a brisk pace, taking
medium-length strides.
Shaking hands. Instead of shaking hands across the desk, which puts a
barrier between you and the other person, move to the left of the desk
to avoid receiving a palm down handshake and being put in a sub-
servient position. Hold your palm straight and return the same amount
of pressure that the other person gives. Let the interviewer decide when
the handshake should end.
Include the person’s name in your remarks twice within the first 30 sec-
onds of having introduced yourself, including when you first meet. Speak
for no longer than 20–30 seconds at one time.
Positioning yourself.When you’re invited to sit, make sure your body is
at a 45 degree angle from the other person. Move the chair to this angle,
if you can. If you can’t, shift your body. Facing your interviewer directly,
especially if you’re seated across the desk from one another and your
chair is lower than his, makes you look like a child about to be repri-
manded. If you’re invited to sit away from the desk in a more informal
area, silently rejoice. Few rejections are made from this position.
If the seat you’re offered is soft and low, sit on the edge, leaning slightly
forward to avoid sinking into the seat and lowering your status. If you
don’t, you’re going to look like a mini head perched on two sticks.
Respecting the other person’s personal space is bound to win you some
points. In determining what the appropriate space is, keep these guide-
lines in mind:
- The greater the familiarity between you and the other person, the
closer you sit; the less familiar, the farther away.
- Men tend to move closer to a woman they’re speaking to, whereas
women generally back away.
- If you’re being interviewed by a person of a similar age, you sit
closer than you would if you were being interviewed by someone
significantly older – or younger.
As the meeting progresses, and all being well, the parameters of this
area close inwards, inviting you to come closer. If you move in too soon
the other person feels invaded and moves back and away from you.
Chapter 14: Interviewing, Influencing, and Playing Politics......................................
