Fazal Mirza

MV01419

ENGL 393

Professor Christopher Justice

Wiki Page

Eye Contact in Presentations and Interviews

Description

Before walking into any kind of meeting, job interview, presentation, etc. the biggest advice you will
get is to make eye contact with whoever you are speaking to. “Eye contact is an important element of
establishing your professional persona” says Markel. Making eye contact to your audience shows that
you are not awkward and the listener will pay much more attention towards you. To most people,
making eye contact is something that is absolutely necessary.
Is giving eye contact something that is extremely necessary? To some extent, making too much eye
contact in an interview or presentation may not be the best. The reason why is because making too
much eye contact might make the listener uncomfortable. It is also very easy to just doze off and lose
your train of thought. Although presentations and interviews are two very different situations. Eye
contact plays a huge role in both.

https://thenextscoop.com/job-interview-art-eye-
contact/

Eye Contact in Different Cultures

In many different cultures, especially in American culture, eye contact has always been an sign on
confidence. Making eye contact in a presentation and/or job interview is one of the key strategies in
presenting yourself well. “As a general rule, though, direct eye contact ranging from 30% to 60% of the
time during a conversation - more when you are listening, less when you are speaking - should make
for a comfortable productive atmosphere” said Gorman.
In early histories, eye contact has also been a sign of respect to the group or individual you are
speaking with.
Arguments for and against eye contact

Against Eye Contact

• “Too much eye contact is instinctively felt to be rude, hostile and condescending; and in
a business context, it may also be perceived as a deliberate intent to dominate,
intimidate, belittle, or make ‘the other’ feel at a disadvantage” (Goman, 2014.)
Especially in a job interview, you do not want to feel overpowering towards the one
interviewing you.
• Making too much eye contact in a job interview may also make it awkward between you
and the person who is interviewing you.
For Eye Contact
• “Eye contact produces a powerful, subconscious sense of connection that extends even
to drawn or photographed eyes.” Making eye contact in any type of interview draws
more connection between you and the person you are speaking with.
• “If a speaker actively seeks out eye contact when talking, he or she is judged to be more
believable, confident and competent,” says Goman.
• “I’d like to see when your eyes show real enthusiasm about something you’ve
accomplished or sincerity about wanting to do a good job for me (Ann, 2008.)”

Terminology Variation
Body Language
Eye contact is a sign of body language. You might not think that when you think of body language, but
eye contact is one of the most important forms of body language in presentations and video
conferences/interviews.

Nonverbal
Eye contact is nonverbal communication and it says a lot about yourself as someone who is either
presented or getting interviewed.

Process
These steps represent the process of how to effectively use eye contact in interviews and presentations.
Presentations:
• Make sure to have keywords and to prepare beforehand so when you are up on stage you
are prepared to glance towards the audience.
• Do not make it look like you are only looking at your paper; the audience will not build
a connection with you as the presenter.
 • Look around when you are presenting. If you are not looking at most of your audience
members and looking at one direction, they will notice and feel awkward toward you.

Job Interview:
• During the job interview, do not look at the person interviewing the whole time during
the interview. Yes, eye contact is important, but if you keep on staring it might make the
person interviewing you feel awkward toward you.
• Be comfortable and make the person who is interviewing you feel comfortable.
Analogy

Difference between eye contact in presentations versus eye contact in a job interviews.
Presentation
• There are usually more than one person in the same room as you.
• Different goals in the presentation for the most part. In a presentation, you are usually trying to
send a message to the audience.
• More eye contact in the interview since there are so many people.
Job Interview
• It is only you and the person who is interviewing you.
• More pressure, since you are only trying to impress one person and their impression of you is
more important.
• If you use too much eye contact in the middle of the interview, it is going to be very noticeable.
The chances of the interview being awkward would become high.

Group Interviews

Group interview is also another kind of interview you may need to go through when trying to get a job.
This is when there are other candidates who are interested in the same position as you in an interview
environment. There are many ways to prepare for one such as standing out, asking questions, but eye
contact plays a huge role. Looking around to your other candidates as well as the one interviewing you
makes you stand out. If you are just reading out of your notes and resume and not looking at anyone
else, it will show you do not have a confident personality.
Work Cited

“4 Easy Tricks To Create An Epic Presentation.” Goalcast, 5 Oct. 2016,

www.goalcast.com/2015/11/03/4-easy-tricks-to-create-an-epic-presentation/.

Experts, TNS. “Essential For Your Next Job Interview - The Art of Maintaining Eye Contact.”

The Next Scoop, 8 Aug. 2017, thenextscoop.com/job-interview-art-eye-contact/.

“Facts About Eye Contact.” Visian Implantable Collamer Lens, us.discovericl.com/blog/facts-

about-eye-contact.

Ann, Ronnie. “15 Things I Look for When I Interview People.” Work Coach Cafe, 11 Dec.

2013, workcoachcafe.com/2008/05/19/15-things-i-look-for-when-i-interview-people/.

Haden, Jeff. “How to Prepare for a Great Job Interview: 8 Practical Tips.” Inc.com, Inc., 2 July

2018, www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-to-prepare-for-a-great-job-interview-8-tips.html.

Goman, Carol Kinsey. “Fascinating Facts About Eye Contact.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 25

Aug. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2014/08/21/facinating-facts-about-eye-contact/.

\Markel, Mike “Technical Communication” n.d.