Don’t Slouch! And Other Signals

Surely at some point in your life you’ve heard about body language and how others may interpret your behaviors. It’s possible that your parents told you not to slouch, or a teacher graded you on your eye contact during a presentation. These, and many other behaviors, are important as they can convey a negative attitude. Through an article on LinkedIn, Dr. Travis Bradberry highlights 15 behaviors that successful people DON’T use, because they want to portray positive body language. Here are some of the behaviors of which college students should take note:
1. Slouching. Ok for when you’re tired in an 8am class. Not ok when you’re in an interview! Slouching indicates that you are disinterested in what is going on around you.
2. Watching the clock. Again, ok for when you’re tired in an 8am class. Not ok when you’re in an interview, or at a networking event- it shows you just want to get out of there!
3. Crossed arms can be interpreted as literally closing out other people, as if you don’t care what they have to say.
4. Avoiding eye contact can be perceived a few ways, most often that you are either hiding something or don’t have confidence in what you are saying.
5. Poor handshaking, either too weak or too strong, can be negative. A weak handshake shows a lack of confidence, while an overly-strong handshake can seem too aggressive.
Although these are suggestions for college students to note, it’s important to be aware of all 15 behaviors so you can be better prepared to show your most open, confident self in the workplace. Read more about all 15 here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/15-body-language-blunders-successful-people-never-make-bradberry?trk=hp-feed-article-title

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