ITList Information Technology Blog » Body Language http://itlist.com Current IT field related information Mon, 27 Dec 2010 04:35:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 Tips to overcome Pre-interview Fear http://itlist.com/tips-to-overcome-pre-interview-fear/ http://itlist.com/tips-to-overcome-pre-interview-fear/#comments Sat, 11 Dec 2010 17:37:00 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/tips-to-overcome-pre-interview-fear/ Pre-interview panic is not an uncommon affair. Many of the beginners and young professionals go through acute anxiety and fear before the interview session. At times pre-interview anxiety is so serious that it results into fear, nausea, fever and many other uneasiness. Such fear can not only make one sick and result into poor unsatisfactory performance in interview but may also result into missing of interview opportunities.

Here are some tips about overcoming such undesired fear.

Don’t think too much

Never let the stress get on you. Be at ease. Don’t think too much about the interview. Live your day as any other normal day. If you stay at ease, you will remember things, appear confident and at your best.

Be truthful

Don’t put any information in your curriculum vitae which is not true, half-true, misleading. Remember what you have put in your CV. Be truthful. False information not only has a scope of landing you into problem but you may also forget what you have lied about. Put valid information. It will make you confident and appear credible. Don’t forget interviewer may verify all information.

Talk to your mirror reflection

If you are scared of facing interviewer and speaking in public, start practicing. Stand in front of mirror. Talk to yourself. Shoot questions. Answer it back. See how you look while you speak. Make your body language apt for interview purpose. Check your words, vocabulary, style of talking, pronunciation and pitch. Modify accordingly. It will not only help you to overcome your shortcomings but also boost your confidence immensely.

Know about the company and job profile

Do your thorough research about the company you are going to visit for the interview purpose. Know about the company’s history, span of presence, clients, owner group, achievements, failures, tie ups, marketing policies etc. Know the role of the profile you have applied for, skills required for it and other requirements. Prepare yourself about probable questions and answers. It will keep you confident and prepared.

Keep things ready

In well advance of the interview date keep all documents, testimonials, dress ready. Last moment hurry and tension of misplacement may delay your arrival at interview and the entire process. It will de-stress you too.

Go for it. Give your best. Success will follow.

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How to Impress Your Boss? http://itlist.com/how-to-impress-your-boss/ http://itlist.com/how-to-impress-your-boss/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 01:18:31 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/how-to-impress-your-boss/ Don’t relax once you are into the right job. It’s not enough! Just dressing right, flattering your boss or just being competent won’t fetch you a salary hike or a better position in the company. It’s much beyond that.

The person who hired you can fire you too. Just working hard won’t make your name in his favorite’s list. It’s necessary for you to prove that you don’t work merely for money or position; but you are there to pursue your dream. But nothing will turn real unless you can impress your boss, as fortunately or unfortunately he is the ladder to your success. Learn some tips and tricks here, to impress your boss.

  • First important thing is competency. Nothing can substitute it. You must be competent in the area of your specialization. Improve yourself every day. Set a defined goal and march towards it. Prove you are simply best in your domain. Nothing can impress your boss more than your knowledge, performance and perfection at work. Bosses always assign duties and responsibilities to skilled and competent employees. Keep abreast of industry and company trends by reading related journals and attending professional association events. Stay updated with technological, legal and knowledge advancements. Upgrade your skills and learn new things.
  • Be confident in whatever you do. It will reflect in your performance, body language. A confident person easily attains goals in life.
  • Develop self-control. It’s a key to success. Control over emotions and instincts will make you win his heart. You will soon turn into a leader. Don’t let your personal emotions and motives intrude into your professional arena. Don’t discuss personal life with colleagues, drawing their sympathy and pity.
  • Accept job challenges. Courage to accept challenge makes you half winner of the race. And fulfilling such challenges will make you great in his eye. Always set high benchmarks for yourself and your team. It will reflect your confidence, competence and ambitious self.
  • Always be honest. Even if you commit mistake, own your fault. It will develop his faith and confidence in you.
  • Don’t take any shortcut to success. Don’t rush for immediate success. Don’t manipulate things. Never turn jealous of others success. Always stay away from people who are into office gossips, spreading rumors and negativity.
  • Enjoy your work. Show your interest in the task provided. Remain enthusiast about each project. Work hard and still have fun. Don’t let the pressure get on you. Display a positive attitude throughout.
  • Work in team. Don’t sit back alone and try to crack things; rather communicate with your team and indulge into team work. Boss appreciates it more when you show that you are a good team player. Always acknowledge others help and appreciate it before all. Own team’s mistake and share success with all. Such humbleness will definitely make you a winner.

When your purpose is genuine, when you are dedicated towards your work and your performance is great what you need to worry for? Just follow these small tips to impress your boss and set wings of your dream spread high.

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What should be your Body Language at the Interview Table? http://itlist.com/what-should-be-your-body-language-at-the-interview-table/ http://itlist.com/what-should-be-your-body-language-at-the-interview-table/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 03:08:11 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/what-should-be-your-body-language-at-the-interview-table/ Your résumé is flawless, your academic record and experience have been good throughout, and you are just perfect for the job. Still every time you are rejected. Have you ever wondered what goes wrong at the interview table? It may be your body language, the non-verbal communication. Even brilliant knowledge is often marred by poor body language; as non-verbal communication accounts for 90% of the message that you send during interview.

If you are not confident enough about your body language take help of the following tips.

Before entering the room, take a look of yourself. Make sure your hands are dry, warm. Shake hands firmly, yet don’t overpower. Sit straight, yet comfortable. Erect posture reflects energy, enthusiasm, and self control. Don’t move quite often. Make yourself feel comfortable. Slouching posture doesn’t reflect a positive attitude. Sitting on edge of the chair is to be avoided, as it reflects nervousness and lack of self-confidence.

Make good eye contact, but avoid staring. Do not let your eyes wander. While answering questions look into the interviewer’s eyes. Even while listening to the interviewer maintain direct eye contact. It makes you appear confident, attentive and pleasant. Avoid aggressive stares, blinking often, wandering eye movements, staring below. Over eye contact can again make you appear bossy, challenging and seductive.

Control your hands by being aware of what you are doing with them. Set them free, loosely clasped in your lap or on the table. Keep hands off your face. Avoid folding hands near chest, it shows defensive attitude and mind blocks. Too much hands movement is distracting. Less of movement makes you look in control, confident and disciplined. Avoid putting hands in pocket.

Place your feet firmly on the ground and avoid fidgeting. Crossing legs are okay, but shouldn’t invite too frequent crossing and re-crossings. Crossing legs at ankles appear smart and professional. Leg movements are distracting. Point knees towards the interviewer.

Speak in a clear, controlled, well-modulated voice. Avoid monotone and same pitch. Breathe properly in-between. Tone should be professional and confident. Don’t let your personal emotions reflect in your voice or words. Smile and nod, but not too loud or often.

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Give Better Presentations http://itlist.com/give-better-presentations/ http://itlist.com/give-better-presentations/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:06:58 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=1729 If you’re working in the corporate world, at almost any job, you’ll find that at times you have to give presentations.  If those presentations have to be given during a meeting, in front of an audience, you’ll find you’re judged on a lot more than just what you have to say.  Writing a good presentation isn’t even half the battle of being a good presenter.  Your words aren’t as important as how you use them, and that’s all part of becoming a good presenter.

The first place you should start, is knowing what you’re talking about.  Having a well written presentation is all well and good, but you need to really know your stuff.  No presentation is complete without a Q&A period at the end.  If you don’t really know what you’re talking about, you won’t be able to answer those questions.  That would make you look really bad, so know your stuff!

Understand your audience, because you’ll have to tailor your presentation to them.  Are you trying to sell an idea or a product?  Are you trying to make a name for yourself and what you’ve accomplished?  Or is your presentation purely to educate somebody about a certain work related topic?  All questions you should ask yourself when preparing, as the answers should change how you decide to do your presentation.  The way an idea is presented when you’re trying to sell it, is much, much different than how you would teach.

Now plan your presentation.  Make a detailed outline of the topics you want to touch upon, and decide the best order possible for you to bring them across.  Consider your audience, and the goal of your presentation, and choose the best arrangement to serve those needs.  Try to influx your ability into this part, so that you can ensure your presentation will flow, and will gain the attention you want.

Finally, in the actual delivery of your presentation, make sure your body language is on point.  You want to appear positive, and in a good mood at all times.  Even if things aren’t going your way, stay insightful and courteous.  Dress to impress, so stay professional, and keep your body language positive.  That means good posture, and healthy gestures with your hands while speaking.  Practice your speech so that you aren’t nervous during delivery, and so that you don’t fumble across any words.  With the practice and knowledge on hand, you’re on the right path to making your presentation successful.

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Make A Great First Impression http://itlist.com/make-a-great-first-impression/ http://itlist.com/make-a-great-first-impression/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:24:47 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=1707 Knowing how to make a fantastic first impression is ridiculously important.  Not only could this make or break a job interview, but it could also have a huge influence on your candidacy for promotions at your job.  By giving a good first impression, you instill a positive memory into everyone meeting you for the first time.  Ensuring that when they look back on potential job candidates, you’ll have a warm place in the selection.  Not to mention the fact that it’s extremely hard to repair any damage done by making a bad first impression, especially at a job interview.

Work on your body language.  You want to have a good healthy natural posture, and to look positive and upbeat.  Smile, not a ridiculous fake smile, but a genuine smile that shows you are a positive person.  People want positive attitudes in the office, as they make getting work done all the easier.  Nobody wants more negativity in the air, and appearing as though you’d only add some is a very bad thing.  So make eye contact, keep that smile working, and stay relaxed and comfortable.

Make sure that you’re a friendly and fun person through professional, and appropriate joking or laughing, or conversation.  Stay away from politically charged topics that people tend to have strong opinions about, like religion, government, etc.  Stick to more simple ideas or topics, or anecdotes about your own life and experiences.  Anything to show that you’re an open person, and one that is genuinely interested in communicating with others.

Keep your attire professional, and make sure that you match.  You want to choose clothing that’s flattering, as well as professional.  Anything to help you look more positive and friendly.  Pick an outfit that says you’re a friendly open person.  Hardworking, but also a good person to have around, to make the environment more comfortable for everyone around.

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