Nonverbal Strategies for Acing the Job Interview

Abstract

At the beginning of each semester I have students write a paper called, “First Impressions.” Their assignment is to report on their first impression of someone they never met before, such as a new professor, classmate, retail salesperson, etc. The objective of the assignment is to characterize the person as nice, approachable, rude, arrogant, etc., based on nonverbal features such as how they dress, how they speak, and how they manage eye gaze and gestures. An initial first reaction to the outcome of the assignment is students saying they never noticed the importance of nonverbal actions when they first meet someone. While the assignment itself is based on the cliché “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” the results are relevant for how students prepare for future, more consequential interactions, such as going on a job interview (see Imada & Hakel, 1977).