Body language and the job interview

I tried not to squirm in my seat as our guest speaker, only about four feet away at the podium,  advised us on what our body language might be revealing about us at our next job interview.

I crossed my right foot onto my left knee, bracing myself into a position that provided comfort while allowing me to give the speaker my full, alert attention. 

“When you cross your foot at the knee, you may be perceived as arrogant,” warned our speaker, a professional psychologist. 

Oh, no, I thought. Do I shift to a pose with a bit more humility, or just sit tight? A man at the next table shot me an amused, sympathetic grin.

We were all there for the weekly meeting of the MAG!C  networking group, the Marketing-Advertising-Graphics-Communication offshoot of the Southlake Focus Group. Victoria Pederson was there to speak to the group as it celebrated its second year of helping professionals from these fields network for new jobs.

I’ll share an interesting nugget from her presentation.

What should the interviewee do if asked, “Would you like a soda or some water?”

The dilemma seems simple enough, but it is fraught with peril indeed.

If you opt for the soda, you may be perceived as someone who’ll spend too much time in the break room at your new job.  And the water option has its pitfalls, too.

If you do accept water, hold it in your left hand so that your right hand – the one you’ll shake with – doesn’t become cold and clammy. If it comes in a disposable container, take it away with you after the interview.  Don’t put the interviewer in the position of cleaning up after you.  And if you take just a few sips from a proffered water bottle, take it with you so you won’t look like someone who will waste company resources.

The worst thing you could do is dash into the interview with a parched throat, slugging down that complimentary water like a thirsty camel. It could give the impression that you have health problems.

That would be all too easy to do with the 100-plus temperatures we’ve had lately. So the best tactic, if you can manage it, might be to freshen up in the restroom before the interview, dabbing your sweaty brow and tanking up with water before you go in.

That way you can say, “No,  thank  you,  don’t need a thing” and carry it off.

MAG!C meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. at  1401 N. Main in Euless at United Memorial Christian Church.