The importance of understanding body language

Mike has never forgotten his first interview for a job in PR. He looked the part, had done his research and was confident he could answer any questions the interviewer might throw at him. Then fate took a hand (his, unfortunately) - and it all went horribly wrong.

"I rapped firmly on the door, walked in, smiled and sat down," he recalls. "The interview was going brilliantly until I glanced down and noticed blood literally pouring from my knuckles. I must have cut my hand on the nameplate on the door when I knocked. I froze: had the interviewer seen? Had I got blood on him? Did I need stitches? I fumbled in my pocket for a tissue and tried to mop up the blood, while continuing to answer his questions. He pretended not to notice, but I could tell he wasn't impressed. Needless to say, I didn't get the job."

Accidents will happen - but Mike's experience illustrates an important point: however qualified, experienced and well rehearsed you are, you won't impress an interviewer if your body lets you down. You may have the eloquence of a politician and a vocabulary to rival Shakespeare's, but the story your body language tells is as important as anything that comes out of your mouth.

As for those little embellishments on your CV ("I was captain of the rugby team, student union president and Nelson Mandela's pen-friend, honest"), you can rehearse the details all you like, but you won't be able to disguise the facial reddening, sweating and toe curling that proclaim: "I'm a big fat liar".

It's almost 30 years since research by American psychologist Mehrabian revealed that the content of what you say only counts for 7% of your credibility. Non-verbal cues, such as the tone of your voice, count for 38%. But visual cues facial expressions, gestures, pupil dilation etc., make up a massive 55% of your credibility rating.

To make matters worse, while most of us can control what we say, we have little power over our body language. It's reckoned that we each have a 'vocabulary' of about 138,000 non-verbal and visual cues, but we can only control 150-200 of them and we can only do that for about 15-20% of the time.

And being a bit of a bright spark won't help the more intelligent and articulate you are, the more focused you'll be on what you're saying, making your non-verbal cues even more noticeable.

In an ideal world nobody would be shy, have facial ticks or apply for jobs when they'd rather be down the pub. But it isn't. So how can you make sure you sail through the interview process? You could hire an actor to stand in for you at your interview (method actors have got the body language game sewn up). Or you could just teach your body to behave itself.

It's not as hard as it sounds - after all, you've already learned not to spit or clutch your privates in public (footballers are a special case). All you need is a mirror, a video-camera and a cat.

Most people have no idea how other people see them. They don't see their habitual expressions and they can't tell if their words are backed up by the tone of their voice and posture.

When you prepare for an interview it's important not just to practise what you have to say, but how you say it. The best way to see how you appear to others is to practise in front of a mirror. If you can, you should videotape yourself and ask friends for feedback. If there's nobody around, practise with your cat. The more prepared you are, the more relaxed and confident you'll feel - and appear.

When it comes to the interview itself, adopt an open posture. Sit up comfortably and lean slightly forwards so you look alert and attentive. Breathe slowly. And make sure your clothes aren't too tight: it won't give a good impression if you make a gesture and your jacket buttons fly off. Just remember the mnemonic 'ROLE', which stands for relaxed, open, leaning and eye contact.

You have more control of your body language above the waist, so beware of 'leakage' lower down - such as picking your fingers or twitching your feet. This type of behaviour can make you look unconfident. And yes, it is a good idea to visit the loo before your interview, particularly if you're nervous.

There is no point attempting to lie - or exaggerate - in an interview. Just be yourself. If you say what you mean and mean what you say your verbal and non-verbal communication will match. Any interviewer worth his salt is interested in who you really are.

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