Eye Contact Is The Second Key To A Successful Interview
Why is this important you may ask? Your eye contact will give the observer (in this case the interviewer) the impression that you are honest or you are trying to hide something. If the interviewer asked if you liked your former supervisor and you looked up at the ceiling with your eyes and then answered yes. The interviewer would think that this was an untruthful answer and might probe deeper or feel that you were not an honest person and shorten the interview. Looking up at the ceiling in response to a question tells the person that you are speaking to that you are looking for the answer. Looking down and answering is just as just as bad as looking at the ceiling because it establishes you as taking an inferior position or not being honest. Remember your goal during the interview is to establish a good relationship with the interviewer.
To be successful you must maintain good eye contact. When speaking to the interviewer you should look him or her in the eyes. Do not stare, and do not allow your eyes to wander around the room. People feel good about you when they feel that you are giving them your undivided attention. Maintaining good eye contact is important to establishing trust and developing a good relationship.
Does the culture or gender of an individual influence their eye contact when speaking? Most definitely yes, in some Asian, and Black cultures looking down when answering a question is sign of respect. Some females may also look down when answering a question because they are shy. This can be a hard habit to break when it is time for your interview. But it is a habit and can be changed. I recommend that you conduct a mock interview with a friend of a friend. It is important that this person provide you with real life interview questions and will give you honest feedback. I suggested a friend of a friend because if your friend was conducting the mock interview you might find it very easy to talk to that person and you will not exhibit the negative behaviors discussed earlier. Practicing is the best way I know to become more comfortable with maintaining good eye contact and helping to develop a good impression with the person interviewing you. Remember, the interview is about establishing a good relationship with the interviewer, good eye contact is the key to a successful interview.
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February 15th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
hi there. that again was a nice tip. you know, your blog kind of interests me a lot. not that i wasn’t aware of all this stuff you write, but its’s just that i enjoyed reading them ‘coz u really write in a friendly and interesting way. keep up the good work. I hope you would enjoy visiting my blogs as well. u r free to leave comments as well…
February 20th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Thanks for the tip. I’m up for a difficult job interview. I’ll see what the eye contact tip can do.