Establishing Rapport with Job Interviewer - Continued

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Eye contact is crucial. Look the person in the eye when you are speaking and listening. To avoid giving the interviewer the impression that you are boring through him with your transfixed gaze, take breaks and look away to the right or left.

Mirror the interviewer.

People feel comfortable when you do the same things that they do, provided your imitations are not obvious. If the interviewer is smiling, smile. If the interviewer furrows her brow at a certain point, do the same. But if the interviewer smokes, don't light up. Mirroring works not only for behaviors, but also verbal statements. If you briefly say what you hear when someone else says it, you show that you are connected. Again, this engaged listening tool should be used with discretion. Too much can be awkward.

Example: The interviewer says: Our company has doubled in personnel and tripled in revenue over the last five years. The interviewee: Tripled in revenue. The interviewer: In order to meet the constraints of the current economy, we are refocusing our business practices. We have had to reduce the workforce in some departments without reducing our client load. While this means that we expect our employees to work more efficiently, we also intend to equip them for this efficiency by providing more thorough training and clearer direction. The interviewee: Employee efficiency is important.