A recent survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam, asked job interviewers how important different body language cues are. The five they notice the most are not enough eye contact, weird facial expressions, bad posture, a bad handshake, and too much fidgeting.
Here are tips for all five that might help in a job interview, or any situation where you want to seem confident
1. Eye contact. Make sure you maintain regular eye contact. But look away sometimes, or it can seem overly aggressive
2. Facial expressions. Don't be stone cold serious the whole time. Smiling a little bit can make you seem warmer and more enthusiastic.
3. Posture. Sit up straight, and lean forward a little bit. It makes you seem confident, and more engaged in the conversation.
4. Your handshake. Make sure it's firm, but don't crush the other person's hand. And don't let it drag on too long. Three or four seconds is plenty
5. Fidgeting. Just try to catch yourself doing it. Things like bouncing your legs or tapping your fingers can make you seem anxious and intimidated