Interview preparation often involves building a strong resume, preparing for common interview questions, a thorough study of the company and its policies, etc. While all of these parameters play a critical role, there are some other factors such as  'positive body language' that has got a significant role to play since the things that you say in an interview only partially elicit your thoughts. How you carried yourself out during the interview will also have a say in your selection. So it is important that candidates discern its importance and develop it into a habit.

Body Language Disasters Job Seekers Make During an Interview

5 Body Language Disasters Job Seekers Make During an Interview are :

1. No eye contact: 

Maintaining eye contact with the interviewers is critical. Most of the candidates don't take it seriously and make the mistake of not maintaining the eye contact. The reason why it is important is that maintaining eye contact is an effective way of showing interest to what the person in front of you is saying, and is certainly a good way of addressing what you say to the concerned person. So not following the protocol might give the person an intuitive feeling that either you are disinterested in having the conversation, or you lack the right etiquette. Therefore, in an interview, it can be disastrous for a candidate, and hence, they must acknowledge its importance and develop the habit of maintaining eye contact even while having causal conversations with friends or family members.

2. Appearing fidgety: 

Being nervous before or during the interview is natural but make sure that you don't succumb to the nervousness because you won't be able to perform well. Appearing anxious can trigger actions such as fiddling with fingers, biting nails, slouching in the chair, etc. fiddling with the fingers is an indication that you are bored by the conversation, biting nails imply that you are extremely nervous and not having a proper posture while sitting in front of the recruiters fails to create a positive impression. All these actions can put you in jeopardy as it implies that you need self-soothing and do not have control over your actions, thus sending a negative message to the recruiters.

3. Excessive gestures: 

Most of the time we tend to use hand gestures while talking, or in some cases, we observe people performing moves during the conversation. While it can be helpful in certain situation but excessive use of those gestures can be detrimental as it indicates that you don't have proper control over your thoughts as well as actions. So it is important that you avoid doing them by starting to observe great speakers and their body language when they meet other people.

4. Not smiling: 

A smile brings warmth and fills the entire environment with positive energy. It puts the job seeker and the interviewer at ease in a tensed atmosphere. It is also observed that when the interviewers are met with a smile, it makes them feel happier and encourages them to reciprocate the smile and is viewed as a sign of confidence. Smiling also encourages the recruiters to know you better and failing to keep a smile on your face might  portray you as a grim and distant personality, and they will be less inclined to know you or the candidate in front of them. However, a smile must be natural, timely and appropriate. So it is important that you greet the recruiters with a smile as soon as you enter the room.

5. Sounding weird:

Now this might not classify as a body language but still most of the candidates appearing in front of the interview panel often have the habit of stammering or making a 'thinking sound' , something like ' ummm..' every time they find themselves in a state of confusion. It is important that candidates must understand the recruiters don't appreciate this at all and in fact, is something very annoying to hear. It also indicates your lack of confidence and inability to think vividly. So it is advisable to accept your lack of knowledge or understanding if you are not able to answer instead of making that poker face or a bizarre sound.

Succeeding in an interview requires a candidate to walk the extra mile while preparing for it. Nowadays, the abundance in the number of applicants has made the recruiters finicky while choosing the right one. Therefore, recruiters keenly observe the candidates based on hard as well as the soft skills. Hence, in order to pass the litmus test of the recruiters it is necessary that job applicants equip themselves with the right tools and adopt a progressive attitude.

Career and career development are the most widely discussed and debated topics. People in the middle of their careers experience a blip as they find themselves in a maze where they are unaware of the direction in which their careers are heading. But every individual aspires his/her career to be progressive and certainly desires to achieve new heights. But due to lack of proper plan and management, most of them fail to achieve the said goals and all their plans remain fantasies instead of transpiring into realty. Therefore, it is critical to take necessary steps that can boost your career and help in the long-run.

Expand Your Network and Create Opportunities

1. Read: Reading is to the mind what food is to the body. When it comes to boosting career, reading can be an effective tool. It can help you in learning about the recent developments in your profession. Apart from that, reading articles on career development can get you good insights about the profession and various ways in which you can successfully evolve in your career. Besides, reading also helps in developing writing skills. It increases your exposure to words, and with that it can help you write exquisitely. In addition to that, it helps in enhancing your analytical skills as reading involves noting all the details in the given context and can certainly moot your response or point of view to the various nuances that you come across. Most of the individuals do not realize its potential, or have the habit of reading thereby suffering the consequences in their careers. So it is important to read different stuff that can help in enhancing knowledge related to your profession.

2. Invest in right relationships: Nurture the relationships that matter the most and give them proper time and always be available for them. Investing time in maintaining such relationships must not be viewed as a liability because the same people can turn out to be assets for you and your development. So identify your circle, places where they operate and figure out how they can provide you assistance in achieving the goals. Also invest in how to develop right networking methods.

3. Be socially active: Socializing is important in the professional sphere. In order to grow in a career, it is important to learn for which it is essential to give up “I- know-it- all” attitude, and start developing good relations with your colleagues. Developing connections with people can help you in unimaginable ways. They cannot only provide information, but also assist you in overcoming obstacles in your professional life. People can also be a good source of learning, So being around them and having extracurricular activities enables you to learn new things. Also attend social gatherings, seminars, and conferences where you get to know new people, their point of views, and a plethora of information that can be vital.

4. Actively participate on the social media: Using social media can be a boon as it enables you to be virtually connected with people across the world. It not only help you to be in touch with your friends and colleagues, but also to develop new contacts. Not only that, it can be a great learning and sharing experience as information can be exchanged at an enormous pace. With the development of professional networks such as LinkedIn, it is possible for people to connect and collaborate with people from their fraternity across various corners of the world. Such platforms give them free access to many professionals who offer services on selecting career and development. So  these professional networks have opened new avenues for job seekers looking to catapult their career.

5. Invest in a career coach: Staying focused and managing your time while working can be difficult. You might lose focus and momentum in achieving your career goals. So a mismanaged career can be detrimental in your quest for achieving success in your career. Hence, investing in a career coach can be a good option to boost your career as you will have a personal assistance who can provide you with tools and opportunities to stay focused in achieving your goals. The coach will also guide on drafting effective resume to get an interview call.

Developing your career is not an easy task and is time-consuming. You can't expect a turnaround with a wave of a magic wand. It requires the right plan and a pro-active approach along with a high level of dedication and discipline. Furthermore, it needs developing and maintaining strong networks, investing in improving yourself and capitalizing on opportunities. Professionals usually fail to achieve that feat in their careers as they lack in implementing requisite steps during the tenure of their work. So by adhering to the tips mentioned above you can successfully develop and expand your network in order to achieve the goal of career growth.

Do you find yourself lost in the crowd of job seekers? Are you questioning yourself which job is better for you as you have no experience or required qualifications? Hunting for a job without any relevant experience or qualifications can become frustrating after a while when you get no positive outcome. At such times, instead of giving up, demonstrate your abilities to a prospective employer and convince the hiring manager to hire you.

How to Get a Job With No Experience or Qualifications

Here are ways in which you can land yourself with a dream job that you have always aspired for :

Embrace the reality :

When you are applying for entry-level positions or are a complete novice in the field, it is a fact that the recruiters do not expect the candidates to put up experience in their resume. You can use this shortcoming as a motivating factor and show your willingness to learn. Hiring managers are often on a lookout for candidates who express curiosity, dedication and show commitment to do hard work and learn. To present these skills on your resume, refer resume samples.

Identify your potential skills :

Do not get discouraged after reading job description and just lose hope because you do not have the listed skills. Before applying to any job, inspect yourself and understand what are the things you do exceptionally well. Understand what you enjoy doing and what help do other people usually ask for. Are you having a problem-solving approach or can communicate your ideas well to the audience? In this way, you will recognize your true potential.

Make the link between your strengths and job relevant skills :

When you have identified the job that suits you the best, have a self-belief that you will excel at it. Perform analysis of the given job responsibilities and match it with your personal traits. Once you have an idea about why you fit the position, you will be in a better position to explain the same to the employer.

Know your worth :

Even if you do not have the relevant experience, understand what other background can be used to demonstrate your worth to the employer. It could be your graduate-level internship, a part-time job at a popular food chain restaurant or a short stint in theater during school-days. Experience does not come in traditional options always, there can be many more ways to it. However, to land a job, don't fake something just to make the cut.

Be willing to learn :

An individual who is starting new in a field has plenty of opportunities to learn. When you are a beginner, you get a chance to make something from scratch and excel in it. Always have a curious attitude and show willingness to learn new skills. This will definitely prove useful in the long term of your career. At the same time, confidently show that you are capable of doing the task while maintaining a modest attitude.

Become a volunteer :

The job hunt is a lengthy process and is bound to take time before you start your new gig. As you are not going to be hooked to the job application process the entire day, in the meantime, try some volunteering activities. You will not only learn something new, but also it will help you get some skills and add an extra section that will make you stand out in an interview process. Also, it will increase your contacts and the interactions with different people might help you have a foot in the door.

Grow your professional network :

If you think you have excellent skills that will help you excel a field, think of ways in which you can sell the same to others. Exceptional self-marketing proves you have the ability to bring about transformations and want to improve each day. Develop your own personal network and even connect with friends of your friends to avail the job opportunities at the right time.

Look beyond the specified requirements :

The vacancy advertisements often come with a phrase stating the required years of experience. However, most of the times, the entry-level jobs or openings do no have a hard requirement. It is mentioned just to filter out probable candidates and is usually used to describe the kind of candidate an organization is looking for. If you think that you have the required skills and can prove it to the employer, you should give it a try and persuade the recruiter for scheduling an interview.

Lying about yourself and fudging with the contents in resume is a terrible way to market yourself as an able candidate. Selling yourself to a prospective employer is an art, and you must have a realistic mindset when you are applying for a position. Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter and understand what qualities will make him/her take interest in your profile.