As a newcomer to Canada, finding a job is likely going to be a top priority. It’s a good idea to start preparing for your job search before you arrive in Canada because it can be intimidating to start over in a new country with a different job market. You might even have been practicing your responses to frequently asked interview questions in your spare time if you are expected to arrive in Canada in the coming weeks or months.
However, employers frequently consider more than just your responses when making hiring decisions. They also want to see how enthusiastic, confident, and approachable you are. Additionally, your body language has a significant impact on conveying your message. If you feel anxious during your interview, which is perfectly normal, Negative nonverbal or behavioral cues can be a subconscious manifestation of your anxiety. Fortunately, you can improve your body language, impress the interviewer, and land your first job in Canada with practice.
How does body language work?
It’s not just what you say that matters when you talk to someone in person or over a video call. Your body language also says a lot. The term “body language” refers to nonverbal cues that are used in communication.
While speaking with you, the majority of people, either consciously or unconsciously, interpret your body language to determine your level of interest, honesty, and other traits. Your posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and other movements are all examples of body language. Body language also frequently has a cultural component. For instance, while it may be regarded as disrespectful in some cultures to look someone more senior in the eye, in Canada, the opposite is true, and averting your gaze typically suggests that you are not being truthful.
Even though body language is unconscious, you can control or alter the nonverbal signals you give an interviewer or listener with enough practice.
Why is body language important in Canadian job interviews?
In an interview, your body language can tell the interviewer a lot about you—even when you’re not speaking. Negative body language like fidgeting, not sitting up straight, or avoiding eye contact, can reveal if you’re feeling nervous, anxious, bored, overconfident, or even if you’re lying.
On the other hand, positive body language can tell the interviewer you’re genuinely interested in what they are saying and in the job. It projects the right amount of confidence and garners the interviewer’s trust.
Unfortunately, body language doesn’t always paint an accurate picture. Often, people pick up certain mannerisms or subconscious or cultural behaviours that don’t necessarily reflect their feelings at a given moment. When you’re interviewing for your first job in Canada, it becomes all the more important to mind your body language, so you don’t give the interviewer the wrong impression.
What is the significance of body language in Canadian job interviews?
Even when you are not speaking, the interviewer can learn a lot about you from your body language. Negative body language, such as fidgeting, not sitting up straight, or avoiding eye contact, can indicate whether you’re anxious, nervous, bored, overconfident, or even lying.
Positive body language, on the other hand, can show the interviewer that you truly care about the position and what they have to say. It conveys the appropriate amount of self-assurance and earns the respect of the interviewer.
Make a wardrobe plan in advance.
Even though you want to look your best for interviews, you shouldn’t wear anything that makes you feel bad or that you have to keep changing. It will be distracting for both you and the interviewer if you are constantly tugging at your skirt’s hem or sleeve.
Additionally, if you are prone to shoe bites and blisters, an interview is not the time to test new shoes. Ideally, you should plan your outfit well in advance and try it on to ensure that you feel good in it. When you know what you want to wear a few days before your interview, you also have enough time to iron or dry clean your outfit so you can do your best during the interview.
Start off well.
Your evaluation begins as soon as you enter the building if you are conducting an in-person interview. Keep in mind that hiring decisions are frequently made collectively and that you are unaware of the decision-maker.
Always greet people with a smile and courtesy, including the receptionist. Sit straight in your chair and avoid pacing or fidgeting if you have to wait to be interviewed. Having to wait a long time before your interview begins can be stressful, but try not to keep checking your phone or watch.
As you enter the interview room, pay attention to your posture. When you enter the room, smile and shake the interviewer’s hand while looking them square in the face. Because the interviewer can only see your face and shoulders on their screen, your posture, eye contact, and smile are even more crucial when conducting a virtual interview.
Look at each other.
Keeping the interviewer’s attention throughout the interview is essential. That does not imply observing! By looking directly at them, you establish a connection and convey confidence, honesty, and an interest in what they have to say.
While responding to questions, you should avoid looking at the desk, your hands, or any other objects in the room. When you talk, if you don’t look the interviewer in the eye, they might think you’re lying or don’t believe what you’re saying.
Demonstrate that you are listening.
When the other person is speaking, open, positive body language such as nodding, swaying your head to the side, and leaning slightly forward demonstrates your interest in what they have to say. In most Canadian job interviews, your interest in the interviewer is a sign of your interest in the company. You can also ask to take notes, but don’t let it take you away from the conversation. It’s best to ask before you start to make sure it’s okay.
You should know how to use your hands.
It’s okay if hand gestures accompany conversation for some people. Your personality and enthusiasm for your work can be seen through some gestures and animation. However, as it can be very distracting for the interviewer, you shouldn’t wildly move your hands while speaking. You also don’t want to be fidgeting, tapping your knee with anxiety, or repeatedly touching your face or hair.
It’s a big no-no to keep your arms crossed in front of you because it shows distrust, lack of interest, or a closed-off personality. In a perfect world, you should keep your arms relaxed by your side or in your lap. To reduce involuntary movement, fold your hands over one another or interlace your fingers if you tend to fidget.
Pose with confidence.
Even if you’re nervous, it’s important to look confident during an interview, and your posture shows a lot about your confidence. Although correcting bad posture can be difficult, you can still project confidence during your interview if you are aware of how you sit and hold yourself.
Maintain a relaxed posture while sitting straight up, with your knees pointing in the direction of the interviewer and your feet planted firmly on the ground. It is acceptable to slightly lean toward the interviewer. If you feel more at ease with your legs crossed, make sure the leg on your knee is not perpendicular to the ground but angled downwards.
A lack of confidence, boredom, or a combination of the two can be perceived as slouching in your chair. However, if you sit up too rigidly, you run the risk of appearing distant, unfriendly, arrogant, or anxious.
Breathe deeply.
Take a few deep breaths before entering the interview room to calm your nerves. When they are anxious, people typically speak quickly and take shallow breaths. So, if you find that you are answering questions too quickly or that you are losing your breath, slow down and take a moment to breathe. Deep breathing helps you relax and evens out your heart rate.
Keep at it until you get it right
Because you are frequently unaware of the physical mannerisms that you are exhibiting, it can be challenging to precisely interpret your body language. So, how do you fix something you don’t know about?
A helpful hint: Record yourself speaking during practice sessions and note any behavior or movement patterns that keep coming up. Then, in the subsequent practice session, consciously attempt to correct them.
Other mistakes that can be made when communicating nonverbally during an interview
Body language is not the only non-verbal communication method. Even before or after the actual interview, you might be sending the wrong message to the interviewer by acting in a different way. For your next Canadian interview, avoid these nonverbal blunders:
being behind schedule at your interview.
The work environment in Canada is highly punctual. Even though being on time is always courteous, it is absolutely necessary for interviews. Showing up after the expected time (or joining a video call late) shows that you don’t mind to the point of being on timing and, thusly, that you’re not put resources into the result of the meeting.
The impression you make on the questioner might be of somebody who’s not especially worried about courses of events or who doesn’t regard others’ time.
not attending your interview in a professional manner.
Professional attire does not always imply business attire. Based on the company’s culture, your attire should be carefully selected—ideally one level above what employees typically wear to work. If you don’t dress appropriately for the company you’re interviewing with, you may come across as arrogant, uninformed, or disinterested.
leaving behind your possessions.
Employers want to know that you are careful and pay attention to detail, regardless of the position for which you are applying. During your first meeting with the hiring manager, you should avoid exhibiting carelessness or absent-mindedness. After the interview is over, be sure to bring all of your belongings with you so you don’t have to come back to get them.
Tips for using body language in virtual interviews
The fact that your body is only partially visible to the interviewer is one advantage of virtual interviews, in addition to the fact that you can conduct them from the convenience of your own home or even from your home country before you arrive in Canada. However, this does not mean that you should disregard your body language. Because there is a greater risk of misinterpretation, nonverbal communication can be more challenging in virtual settings.
While many of the points covered in the sections before them can be applied online as well as in person, the following are some additional tips to help you impress the interviewer during a virtual interview:
- Nod and smile: Your facial expressions need to be clear, pleasant, and attentive because the interviewer is only looking at your face. Keep a smile on your face and occasionally nod to indicate that you are listening to the interviewer.
- Keep eye contact: Make sure the window with the interviewer’s video is directly below your camera because your eyes naturally focus on the speaker. You’ll always be looking directly at the interviewer in this way. During the interview, don’t look at your notes or any other open windows on your screen. Stick an eye-shaped sticker next to your laptop camera to remind yourself to “look the camera in the eye” if you find that your eyes wander.
- In your chair, sit straight up: Sit up straight because your posture shows how confident and at ease you are. Pro tip: You need to sit up straight in order to properly appear on the screen, so adjust your chair height and camera angle.
- Adjust your camera settings and adjust the lighting: You ought to always be visible to the person conducting the interview. Sit in your chair and make sure you can see everything before your interview. Make sure there is no glare on your face or the screen if you are near a window. It can be distracting to adjust your seat, camera, or lighting during the interview, so prepare your setup before it begins. Also, make sure there is nothing in your way that could distract the interviewer from your presence.
- Whether or not to use your hands: A restricted measure of motions can make a discussion show signs of life. Hand gestures can be a great way to nonverbally convey passion and vitality when done correctly. However, if you have a tendency to fidget, you can keep your hands under your desk, fold them in your lap, or sit on your hands.
what you can learn from the interviewer’s body language.
You can assess how your interview is going by reading the interviewer’s non-verbal cues, and in some cases, this can be an opportunity to improve the outcome. During your Canadian interview, be on the lookout for the following body language clues:
- squinting brows: Raised eyebrows can be a positive (pleasantly surprised) or negative (shocked) sign, depending on the situation. If the interviewer is raising their eyebrows, mentally reflect on what you just said to see if you have made them question your credibility. If this is the case, you might want to elaborate on your previous point and provide additional evidence.
- Eye contact isn’t made: It’s possible that the interviewer is not interested in you if they don’t make eye contact with you. Try to find something in common with them or give them an example that has to do with their position in the organization. To regain their attention, you can also inquire about their work.
- Fidgeting: It’s possible that the interviewer is bored or distracted if they are fidgeting, looking at their phone, watch, or the door. Check to see if you’ve spoken too long or given an overly complicated example, and try to wrap up your response quickly. It’s also possible that you’ve been providing more information than is necessary; therefore, when they ask you a follow-up question, keep your responses succinct and inquire if they need more information. Utilize the STAR method to keep your responses succinct and to the point during interviews.
- Whether they cross their arms or lean back: The fact that shows abhorrence or lack of engagement makes slanting away from you or keeping their arms crossed before their body a negative signal. Consider whether you have said something that the interviewer might not agree with or like if you observe the interviewer doing this. Try asking them a question to get their attention back, and make sure your body language doesn’t sound defensive.
Negative nonverbal signs aren’t always cause for concern, but it’s always a good idea to pay attention to the interviewer’s body language. Sometimes the interviewer’s body language is misleading. For instance, in an effort to make interviewers nervous, some interviewers employ the stress interview method and purposefully use their body language to convey their lack of interest. However, keeping an eye on the interviewer’s nonverbal cues can help you keep their attention and impress them.
It will help you make a good first impression and increase your chances of getting a job in Canada if you pay attention to how you move. You can start by recording your practice interviews or asking a friend or family member to watch you and note any mistakes you’ve made with your body language, whether you were aware of them or not. You can use this as a starting point to actively avoid these postures and gestures so that you can appear more confident, friendly, and knowledgeable during your job interviews.
