You’ve perfected your elevator pitch, can explain your greatest weakness, and know exactly where you want to be in five years. But have you studied your body language? If not, you could end up costing yourself a job offer.
Even talented candidates can torpedo their chances if they make certain body language mistakes during an interview, according to a recent survey of more than 2,500 hiring managers by job search website CareerBuilder. Fidgeting, a weak handshake, or a constant grimace can leave a bad impression and may even take you out of the running for the position. Combine those errors with other mistakes, like dressing inappropriately, swearing, or displaying an arrogant attitude, and you have a recipe for an interview disaster.
“Preparing for an interview takes a lot more than Googling answers to common interview questions,” Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder, said in a statement. “Candidates have to make a great first impression appearance-wise, have a solid understanding of the target company, know exactly how to convey that they’re the perfect fit for the job and control their body language.”
