THE EMIRATES FINAL INTERVIEW
Remember that your body language is very important. When you do not get the GC, many are unaware that their body language was seen by the recruiter as somewhat less than positive, it could even show lack of confidence or you are insincere.

Your body language says more about you than what you say verbally. You may have answered their questions well, but your body language speaks differently of you.

DEVELOP GRAVITAS

Lots of people are terrific at what they do, but they don’t seem to be able to get their dream job. It isn’t a question of competence at their job; it’s often to do with ‘Gravitas’, and their lack of it.

But what is Gravitas? Well, the literal meaning of the Latin word Gravitas is, “weight, heaviness as in gravity”. This suggests that people who display Gravitas are grounded, possess sound judgement and are able to deal with significant issues – in other words, ‘grace under fire’. You are trusting when you speak with gravitas. Increasing your external gravitas helps you to increase your personal confidence – something we all need in our professional lives. You'll get people's attention quicker. The good news, it can be learnt!

Body language

A lot can be said by saying nothing at all. People with Gravitas don’t just express confidence verbally; it’s in their body language too. It’s no good fiddling anxiously with your hair, tapping your pen or slouching in your chair. To convey Gravitas successfully, your body language needs to match with the message you want to convey, so walk tall, sit-up straight. Use your hands to emphasise points.

Don’t say too much

Less is more. Gravitas is about waiting for the right moment to make your point and learning how to use silence successfully. When you do speak, keep it clear and concise. Avoid repetition and don’t make it a long story.

Pausing

Pauses give you time to think and allow you to regain focus. People with Gravitas know how to use pauses to their advantage – whether it’s adding emphasis to a particular word or to break-up speech. Remember that nervous people are uncomfortable with silence, so to use pauses well is very powerful indeed.

Eye contact

“Don’t just listen with your ears”. Eye contact is a sign that you’re a good listener and is a big part of building trust with your recruiter or team. When you fail to make eye contact with your recruiter, you look less authoritative, less believable and less confident. But remember, staring too much can be off-putting!

Resonance of voice

To achieve Gravitas, it’s not just about what you say, it’s how you say it. People with Gravitas know they don’t have to shout to be heard. Study the situation to know how you want to come across. A steady, firm pace suggests confidence, while a deeper tone conveys authority and adds seriousness to your speech, making people more likely to listen to you.

Your achievements
Talk about what YOU achieved, not what WE achieved. It’s about you here not your team.

Stay in point
Keep to the point, and answer the questions asked, do not waffle or digress.

Stay grounded
Not crossing your legs and keeping your feet planted on the ground will help you to stop fidgeting and stay calm. It can also help you to answer more complex questions, as your brain is able to switch from creative to rational thought more quickly.

The following will help you develop confidence in your body language.

SLOW DOWN YOUR SPEECH

Confident, clear and well-paced conversation is an essential skill to master before entering any interview room. While everybody is a bit anxious during an interview, you don't want your information to fly by like a speeding bullet. A rapid speaking rate is difficult to follow, and speed talkers are seen as nervous. Slow down your racing heart by doing some breathing exercises before the interview. To avoid rushing, listen to the question, and then count two beats in your head before answering. When you finish a sentence, count two beats again before continuing. Don't be afraid of silence. Pausing is an effective communication technique. The interviewer needs a few seconds to process what you just said anyway.

DO NOT USE WEAK WORDS

Wimpy words modify or water down your conviction and in the end your position. When you start a conversation with "hopefully," "perhaps," "I feel," “like a”, "kind of" and "sort of," the message you convey is a lack of confidence. Use power words such as "I'm confident that," "my track record shows," "I take the position that," "I recommend" or "my goal is." The language you use gives the listener an impression about your level of confidence and conviction.

SPEAK IN COMPLETE SENTENCES

The interviewer may question your education when you use incorrect grammar or slang. Expressions such as "ain't" "she don't," "me and my friend" and "so I goes to him" aren't appropriate. Be sure you speak in complete sentences and that tenses agree.

AVOID NON-WORDS

Filler words such as "um," "ah," "you know," "OK" or "like" tell the interviewer you're not prepared. A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional "um," but don't let it start every sentence.

BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER

In addition to practicing your rate of speech, developing active listening skills is another handy method to pace both your individual speech and the speed of the conversation itself. In typical social situations with friends or family, familiarity with individual’s speech patterns often leads us to run over, interrupt or anticipate others’ comments. In an interview, however, candidates should make a concerted effort to listen to the interviewer’s full questions and explanations without adding in extraneous comments or interjecting.

BUY YOURSELF TIME

Slowing down gives the listener a moment to "take in" what you are saying, as well.

If you find yourself speeding up, try taking a deep breath before you speak.

Make eye contact, relax your shoulders, pause, stop every few sentences to ask if they have any questions on what you have shared.

Make sure you are really listening to what the other person is saying and even paraphrase the question back to them out loud.

EMPHASISE KEYWORDS

Don’t rush your words. Raise a voice a little and put subtle emphasis on keywords and phrases.

Listen to how Obama speaks. This is a man who is completely at the top of his game and is the poster boy for gravitas in this speech. He doesn’t hurry his speech and takes his time over his words. Although he is using an autocue, he uses huge amounts of pauses for impact. Next time you need to up your gravitas take your time over what you are going to say. Make eye contact with people around the room and add in pauses to emphasise key words or phrases.

RELAX & BREATHE

If you feel your nerves starting to act up during an interview, try taking a few deep breaths to collect yourself. Limit the amount of caffeine you take in prior to the interview as this can spike blood pressure and cause artificially induced jitteriness. If you find yourself doubting your ability to remember, try bringing a notepad into your interview. Your prospective employer will appreciate both your preparedness and attention to detail and you can use your notebook for a quick self-confidence.

As the last word of advice, the best way to combat nerves, slow your speech and increase your chances at landing a golden call with Emirates is to show up prepared with plenty of practice under your belt. Plenty of practice prior to your interview will serve a variety of important functions, all of which will help you move that much closer to landing the Emirates cabin crew role.