When it comes to a job interview, the importance of body language should never be underestimated. These tips should help to ensure that your body is sending the appropriate messages.

Strong and Natural

The interview begins the moment you enter the room. Walk in standing tall with your head held high and keep your presentation professional but natural. Greet the recruiter with a firm handshake - not weak, but not a bone-crusher either.

Good Posture

More than likely, the interviewer will invite you to have a seat. Make use of the entire chair and avoid sitting on the edge; this will make you look nervous. Sit straight up with your back flush against the chair and look the interviewer directly in the eye.

Know How to Express Yourself

Natural movement such as hand gestures show great passion and energy on your part. However, a mellow recruiter might be turned off by too much movement. As always, you want to appear natural, but may have to tone it down a bit here.

Every interview is a learning experience. Although you can’t always predict the outcome, you can better your chances by practicing good body language and remaining calm and confident.

On average, out of every 200 resumes, only one applicant is granted an interview. By following these suggestions, you can avoid some of the most common mistakes and possibly land the job.

Objective

This is your chance to detail what you’re looking for an employer. Narrow your objective down to a specific position and get straight to the point, leading into why you’re the best candidate for the job.

Summary

Here is where you list your qualifications. Be sure to list qualities that are relevant to the position and impress the interviewer without overdoing it. If you’re applying for a sales position, your auto-mechanics certificate doesn’t need to be mentioned.

Employment

While it’s a good idea to list of your previous jobs, you especially want to highlight those that relate to the position in question. Omit any insignificant or brief gaps that may indicate that you you’re a job-hopper.

Two-section Approach

In general, all great resumes are composed of two sections. In the first part you’ll list abilities and achievements that represent your qualifications. In the section second is where you back up these assertions with solid evidence in the way of your employment history and attributes.

The hiring practice has changed drastically over the years. However, many of the same resume myths are still circulating. Here are 5 of the most common misconceptions:

# 1 - One-page rule - In truth, overall quality is more important than length. If you’re concerned about length, add a few extra pages to serve as an addendum and you’ll be just fine.

# 2 - It’s okay to lie - lying on your resume is the ultimate “no-no”. If you do get the job, there’s a great chance that the employer will check your references later, leading to termination or worse.

# 3 - You need an objective - though it wouldn’t hurt, an objective is not required. Many of them merely contain generic information the employee has seen on hundreds of resumes.

# 4 - You need references on the resume - contrary to several myths, your references do not have to be listed on the resume itself. Usually, a separate sheet is added to serve as the reference page.

# 5 - A broad resume is suitable for all jobs - this may be the case if you’re specifically looking for work in the warehouse field. Just don’t go advertising your experience as a hi-lo driver when you’re applying for a telemarketing position.

You finally made it through that intense interview, but your work isn’t done just yet. If you want to be considered for the job, you must follow up the interview with proper etiquette.

- Ask the recruiter when the company expects to make a decision - you don’t want to sound pushy, but this will show that you’re very interested in the position.

- Follow up the interview with a phone call to check the status of your application - too many potential candidates miss out on opportunities because they sit back waiting to receive a call. Be proactive and give yourself an advantage over competing applicants. You can take this one step further by following up with a thank you letter. Wait at least a week to 10 days before placing the follow up call.

- Keep your references alert - let your references know they that may be receiving a phone call from a potential employer. If not, they might be caught off guard and possibly ruin your chances of getting hired.

- Keep looking for jobs - even if you gave your best at the interview, you should always continue the job search. Keep landing interviews until you find the right job.

The pressure in the room gets so intense that you feel like you’re being interrogated rather than interviewed for a job. Staying attentive, calm and delivering educated answers all at once can be very difficult, especially when you’re nervous. No one is perfect but there are a few things you should never do during an interview.

- Scratch the back of your head - this type of gesture will make you appear disinterested to the interviewer. If your head is itching, tough it out for a few more minutes.

- Scratch or rub your nose - some recruiters see this as a sign of dishonesty. Aside from that, it’s totally gross.

- Sit with your arms folded - this suggests that you’re either unfriendly or have a major attitude going on. No one wants to hire a grump or a know-it-all.

- Slouch down in your seat - posture is very important. Slouching back in your seat doesn’t make you look cool but disinterested and unprofessional.

- Constantly look at the clock or the door - sure, ready to get it over with, but you want to give the recruiter your full attention. Keeping your sight on the clock or even the door indicates that you’re not all that interested.

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