Making your exit.When the time comes to leave, move calmly. Focus on
what you’re doing. Smile, shake hands with your interviewer, turn, and
head towards the door. No matter how fit you are, the last impression
you want to leave your interviewer with is your face, not your backside.
Of course, backing out of the room would appear odd, so to ensure that
your face is the last thing your interviewer sees, when you reach the
door, slowly turn, look your interviewer in the eye, and smile again.
Finally, when you exit the room, leave the door in the same position as it
was when you entered.People who seem to share a comparable business or social standing are seen
as suitable for further interaction. If you appear to be of a higher business or
social standing, people look up to you. People seek and cultivate your com-
pany, recognising that your valuable contacts can benefit them. Even though
someone of a lower business or social standing is tolerated, he isn’t invited
into the inner circle. If you’re being interviewed for a position, you can
choose to mirror the corporate culture, or not. That decision impacts upon
the outcome.Minimal gestures for maximum effect .............................................
The higher up the hierarchy you go, the fewer and more precise the gestures
you see. Someone who’s innocent, inexperienced, and insecure flaps his
hands, tosses his head, and jiggles his feet, whereas the person at the top
keeps his movements cool and contained. His gestures look precise, concise,
and devoid of extraneous activity.Research shows that a direct link exists between a person’s status, power,
and position, and his vocabulary. The higher up the corporate and/or social
ladder a person rises, the greater his facility with words and phrases. Further
research shows a connection between a person’s control of the spoken lan-
guage and the number of gestures he uses when communicating. The person
at the top doesn’t need a lot of gestures to get his point across. He has his
words. Lower down the pecking order, people rely on gestures to convey
their meaning because they’ve not had the training, skill, or opportunity to
develop their vocabulary.The higher up the social and career scale, the fewer gestures you see. During
an interview, keep your gestures clear, simple, and deliberate. When appro-
priate, mirror the other person’s gestures and expressions. Keep your hands
away from your face and mouth. Avoid nervous gestures like straightening
your tie or fiddling with your hair. Leave alone any items you may nervously
toy with, such as a pen or a piece of jewellery.232 Part IV: Putting the Body into Social and Business Context