How to crack GDPI: Correct Body Language a must

By Ami Shah

The first form of communication a child is exposed to is the non-verbal communication; unfortunately as we grow up we fail to appreciate how important it is! As you are preparing for your MBA interviews, I would like to take you back to those days when you had memorised the nursery rhyme, “Johnny Johnnny… Yes Papa”. Although little Johnny was denying, his papa knew that he has been eating sugar and most importantly lying!

Your body language speaks a lot about you - your traits, your mood and your confidence. Here are a few Dos and Don’ts:

Irrespective of how comfortable the chair is, resist the temptation to lean back; you may appear as someone who is very casual or lazy or perhaps arrogant. The best is either you take a neutral sitting position or lean a little forward towards the interviewer.  This will make you look more engaged in the conversation.

You should face the interviewer and try to maintain good eye contact. You are not required to stare at the person, but make sure that you aren’t looking elsewhere while talking. Candidates who aren’t able to maintain an eye contact are considered to be either suffering from an inferiority complex or having a casual attitude or disinterest.

Keep a watch on your hands; best is to rest them loosely clasped in your lap or rest them on the table. If arms are crossed over your chest, it signals that you are aggressive. You may move your hands to express, but that should not be overdone. Finally, playing with hair, or touching your face or neck sends out a message that you are nervous.

Now let’s see what you are doing with your feet? If they are in vibrating mode, please stop immediately! It’s not only disturbing but also send a message that you’re not at ease and your mind is preoccupied by some thoughts.

You are encouraged to nod at intervals to show your agreement; however care should be taken that it’s not overdone! Wearing a smile should look natural and not pretentious and it should be at the right time – when you enter the room and greet the interviewer, at the time of a handshake, in between gaps and finally when you leave.

Non-verbal communication talks a lot and an experienced interviewer can easily ask you to open your mouth after he observes you for a few minutes … But unfortunately, like Johnny you can’t Ha Ha Ha…!

About the author:

Ami Shah is the co-founder and Creative Director of IntelliAssist. An engineer by qualification and a marketer by choice, Shah has worked with diverse organizations across industry sectors and geographies. You can contact her on Twitter : http://twitter.com/amishah0505 and Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/ami.shah0505