Interviews

There’s an old myth

Look at me, else I don’t trust you.

if you won’t look at me I can’t trust you. It might be true, might be not. But if they believe it, it’s true!

Eye contact is a non-verbal ability to communicate, and it often equals to our ability to verbally express a thought. Maintaining eye contact during your conversation is very important. Eyes can captivate an audience and express what words may not be able to deliver.

An old Yiddish proverb says, “The eyes are the mirror of the soul”, and they are. This is why eye contact is important.

A word is a word, but a word expressed upon the sincerity of the eyes will allow the words spoken to reach the minds of those they are spoken to. Failing to maintain eye contact during a conversation can send mixed signals to the person you are speaking with. It is often construed as a tell-tale-sign that you might not be forthcoming or truthful in what you are saying—liars tend to not keep eye contact.

If the lack of eye contact is not construed as a lie the person may be trying to conceal, it is often perceived as lack of interest or an indication of a short attention span. When you maintain eye contact, you present an air of confidence in yourself and what you are communicating. People who are listening to what you are saying will take you more seriously, and will take what you say as important.

Eye contact can relay our inner most intimate thoughts and desires. It can let the person we are speaking with know our emotional connection and interest in what we are conversing about.

Is your eye contact aggressive, is it soft, is it inviting, do you love with your eyes? Eye contact is a very tricky art to master but vital to effective communication. How can you make it better?

Make sure that your eyes sparkle

It’s all very well having good eye contact at your interview, but if your eyes aren’t looking dazzling and attracted then you’re making life difficult for yourself! Make sure that you have a good night’s sleep your interview.

Remember – this is a very important day – you need to look your best and have no bags under your eyes! If you want your eyes to sparkle then it’s advisable getting some whitening eye drops. It doesn’t cost much but it will work.

One cooperative tip is to imagine the interviewee as someone you feel comfortable with: a intimate member for instance. Picture intellectually how easy it is to  eye contact with this individual and  this normal ease to the interviewee.

Be sensitive not to stare or look wide-eyed as this can give the visual impression of a tense rabbit caught in head-lights; possibly not the exact impression to be giving a potential employer! If an interruption occurs, such as a new individual entering the workplace or a telephone call, drop eye contact to show you manner the interviewee’s privacy. Casually look through some of your report to show this manner actively. If there are several interviewers, the rule regarding eye contact is very easy. Maintain comfortable eye contact with the interviewee addressing you but when you answer, make sure that you look at some fact during your monologue at all the interviewers present.