As I type this the woman sitting at the table next to me in Starbucks is waving her hands in the air and being incredibly animated during a business conversation. It sounds like she knows the person she’s with (yes, I’m easdropping-its for the benefit of our readers after all) but is also attempting to pitch her ideas to the person to gain more responsibility in her current role. Essentially, she’s interviewing and her animated demeanor is so distracting that I’m struggling to focus. Imagine what the person she’s meeting with is experiencing.
Talking with your hands is something many of us are guilty of. I know I am. I get excited and can’t contain it physically. I want to wrap my arms around the person and hug them until they understand my excitement. I want to grab them by the arm and drag them into my enthusiasm. This is something I’ve learned to contain over the years. As our society becomes a hugging society it becomes even harder to keep our hands to ourselves but it’s crucial when interviewing. I’m not suggesting sitting on your hands and pretending to be a statue but instead learn to control your gestures to show professionalism.
