There are many things you can do to take some of the pressure off during an interview. The way that you behave is one of the most important. It’s not all in the words that come out of your mouth, but often has a lot to do with the mannerisms you use. Interviewers are not just wondering if you are skilled enough for the job, they are often wondering if you would fit in nicely with your co-workers. Your personality is a big part of your interview and can make all the difference.

Following are some of the little things you should pay particularly close attention to during an interview:

(1) Show confidence – You cannot enter into an interview with a defeatist attitude. You cannot mope or exude too much placidity in your manner. It is not inviting, and does not give the impression of a person that you want to face every day. Be sure of your abilities without appearing cocky or narcissistic. You want to let you interviewer know that you are equipped to perform well at your job, without alienating other workers. You should point out your accomplishments in your field while remaining somewhat humble. List your accomplishments in a matter of fact way without going into too much detail. Sit straight. Practice good posture, and keep your head up.

(2) Keep a positive attitude – Smile and keep a positive outlook during your interview. If you are hearing something that doesn’t sound good to you, don’t frown and look disgruntled, just keep a slight smile on your face until it is time for you to say something. Then approach your interviewer with your questions or concerns when the time is appropriate.

(3) Maintain eye contact – Maintaining eye contact with your interviewer is very important, especially when one of you is speaking to the other. If you are looking around the room or at the items on the interviewer’s desk, you will appear uninterested. Just imagine what you would be thinking if you were speaking to him and he was looking all over the room. You would probably think that you already lost the interview.

(4) Watch your body language – Avoid fidgeting while speaking to your interviewer. It shows a lack of self confidence. Avoid speaking while using overly expressive hand gestures. It is distracting. Avoid biting your lips in between sentences. It gives the impression that you are making things up. Do not sit with your arms crossed because it makes you appear stand-offish. Do not shrug your shoulders when asked a question that you are unsure of. Take a second to think of your response. Shrugging your shoulders gives the impression that you don’t know the answer. Don’t answer with nods and head shakes. Use your words to answer questions. Get plenty of sleep the night before the interview. You don’t want to yawn in front of the interviewer. He will think that you are expressing boredom.

A few additional interviewing tips – Don’t chew gum or breath mints during your interview and don’t speak in slang as it is unprofessional and rude.