Learn Body Language
i have a verbose -plus-my body language is dramatic-help?
my friends and family have accepted this after joking/ridiculing for years, but i really want to get over this. have to appear in inteview for admission to business school in 23 days
Public Comments
- as a highly verbose, overly dramatically-gestured individual, who just finished business school, I think that I am highly qualified to comment on your question. The admissions guys (or gals) are looking at you interms of whether you've got what it takes to make it through the program (smarts, experience, grades, people skills, and most importantly...funding). Unless you are a total jerk on top of simply being demonstrative and verbose, tehy will probably not hold this against you. It is important to be honest with them and yourself during this process...acting like someone else is cheating both them and you. Many of my fellow classmates were not authentic and honest in the program and it eventually showed, much to their detriment and that of their classmates. Be prepared for more joking/ridiculing from your classmates/peers/friends as you go through B-school. By the end of this, you will have made many new and valuable life-contacts. One thing that I did learn during this process, however, is that when it's your turn to give a presentation to the class (which WILL happen), be prepared to tone it down and only say what needs to be said. After a decade of being an executive, it took my fellow classmates to help me realize that sometimes people only want to hear the tip of the iceberg and really don't care about the rest...respect that and you will do well. Occasionally, you will have a great story to tell and people will want to hear it if you don't regularly wear them out.
- I know your situation, and had a similar problem when I interviewed. I interview many people for jobs now. Use a technique called "modeling"; consciously imitate the behavior of your interviewers. If they are serious, you be serious, if they sit back in their chairs, you should too. Copy their speech patterns. Automatically your interview behavior will become more mature and appropriate. Here are the advantages of this technique: Interviewers are looking for someone like themselves, and you can offer a little of that through your behavior. Second, if you have a style that contrasts with expectations -- you speak too rapidly or slowly, appear too excited or too young -- copying your interviewers' behavior will correct for your style without you having to verbally remind yourself each time to keep your hands down and shorten your answers.
