How NLP can improve your chances of getting a job

Job interviews are a stressful experience for most people. Having plenty of experience of being interviewed definitely helps, as does preparing properly by researching the company and understanding the role, but some people are simply better at presenting themselves than others.

If you tend to get nervous before job interviews, that’s normal, but you can boost your confidence and increase your chances of securing your perfect job by using neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques. The things you actually say at an interview account for just 7% of the way interviewers perceive you, research suggests. Body language, on the other hand, influences them far more.

The basics are fairly straightforward – don’t cross your arms, as this will make you appear defensive, maybe even aggressive. What you should do is open up your body and use hand gestures, showing your palms. This will make you seem personable, engaged and sincere – these qualities are important in themselves, but will also help the things you are actually saying to be heard in a positive way. Gesticulating as you speak also helps to show that you are genuinely interested in the things you are discussing.

At the end of the day, an interviewer needs to warm to you as a human being if they’re going to give you a job. You can build rapport and create a sense of mutual purpose and empathy by mirroring their body language, and looking them in the eye will help convince them that you are genuine.

In almost all cases, you won’t get a job simply by using the right body language, but it will certainly give you a much better chance, and will allow you to emphasise the content of the answers you give and the questions you ask in a positive way. These skills are something you can then continue putting into practice in your future career.

Find NLP courses in your area.