“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said. Conversation is read through the body not the words.”
Per se the quote as we know that the body language of a person defines the make-up of an individual or in other words the personality or attitude. Body language is undoubtedly the reigning epitome of an Armed Officer, the one thing that distinguishes him from others. Thus, body language plays a very pivotal role in communicating with others and it is very important to understand your own and others’ body language to be able to tackle the various situations and social interactions with a panache. It is very normal to be a little hesitant or nervous but for the better part you need to have a hold on your nerves so that your non- verbal language speaks volumes about you because these are such powerful agents that have the ability to add as well as subtract weightage of your words and in an unfiltered way reflect one’s state of mind, thought process, what we really feel and think so just be wise to master to control your body language during your personal interview round.
Pointers to keep in mind to improve your body language and personality while appearing for the Interview round-
- Posture and Gait- The way you walk, stand, keep your hands all indicate a lot about your personality because an erect posture with a steady gait oozes confidence and composure in the candidates so it is advised to always sit straight with your hands on your thighs and be confident while you walk because an unsteady gait shows nervousness and lack of confidence so keep your posture and gait in check.
- Hand Movements and gestures- The hand movements and gestures are complimentary agents that convey and emphasize giving weightage to your speech and are powerful agents of communicators thus it is imperative to control the hand movements because too much emphasis on the same exhibits nervousness and also in turn distracts and creates a negative impression upon the assessors.
- The facial index and eye contact- Maintaining proper eye contact while conversing is an important aspect of good body language but that does not mean you will keep looking straight because that will be deemed as you to be staring so just be calm and composed looking relaxed and maintain an eye contact such that sends a positive message. Apart from that the facial gesture should be such that exhibits your expression based on the context and situation because as we know that the human face is very expressive and you cannot go on revealing all of your expressions because that will make you look weak and an easy target to assess your feelings so control your facial expressions.
- Voice Modulation- It is advised to maintain the pitch while you are conversing because that shows your confidence and indicates whether you are open minded or not. Always speak slowly and clearly so that whatever you are trying to express is understood in a lucid manner by all and apart from that always choose and work wisely with the words because the vocabulary is like an ornament when you converse with anyone thus voice modulation stands as a very deciding factor in making a person interested in having a conversation with you.
- Fidgeting and eratic body movements- Uncanny repetitive or unnecessary movements like swaying back and forth, nodding and shaking your head up and down, fidgeting with your hair or pen all these refers to eratic body movements and are deemed as signs of nervousness, lack of confidence because these jolt up your personality and are not termed as natural gestures that enhance the quality of your conversation rather are termed as movements that encourage distraction and shows lack in confidence and self esteem so it is strictly advised to forbade from the same.
- The use of handshakes, head nods and smile- Well obviously your handshake should be firm and the way you greet should be a confident one with utmost politeness and of a warming and welcoming smiling nature which sends out positive vibes equaling a positive output. Even nodding your head will also speak up about you in your interview. It displays on behalf of your words that you are interested and concentrated on the topic and the discussion going on and that you are attentively supporting and encouraging your group members by being on the same page with them.
As observed that body language and personality are very important aspects of communication in SSB Interview. Always keep in mind whenever you are in a conversation with someone it is just not the verbalization of words but your whole bodily gestures and posture equally speaks volumes of your personality. Though they are deemed as agents of non- verbal communication yet they convey the entirety of a person’s thoughts, feelings, state of mind, emotions, etc. so grab a hold on the same by developing a positive body language and letting it be the epitome of your personality and behavior.
