Editor’s note: This is the ninth article in a series providing interview tips and techniques for attorneys. Links to previous articles in the series follow this article.
The adage “It’s not what you say, but how you say it” is true, even if you’re not talking. In interviews you need to effectively communicate your professionalism both verbally and nonverbally. It’s been said that your verbal content provides only 7 percent of the message the interviewer receives; body language communicates 55 percent and tone of voice accounts for 38 percent.[FOOTNOTE 1] Therefore, when someone says one thing, but their nonverbal communication says another, we usually believe the nonverbal message.
