Ankur Warikoo on using the 7-38-55 idea in job interviews

The 7-38-55 rule appears everywhere on social media lately. People quote it as gospel: seven per cent of impact from words, thirty-eight from tone, fifty-five from body language. The original research by Albert Mehrabian focused on emotional cues, not complex information, but the simplified version still travels.

Ankur Warikoo explains the viral 7-38-55 rule; how does it work?

Ankur Warikoo recently spoke about using the idea sensibly in interviews. His point wasn’t that content stops mattering — employers still care about skills and proof — but that how you deliver your story changes the way it lands.

Graduates, he says, often rush sentences, apologise mid-answer, or stare at the table. They know their projects yet sound unsure. A calm pace, clear pauses, eye contact and grounded posture make a stronger first impression than cramming every accomplishment into sixty seconds. Think of it like meeting someone at a party: you remember warmth, steadiness, a sense they actually hear you.

Warikoo suggests simple practice: speak answers aloud, film a mock interview, watch your shoulder tension, listen for upward inflection that turns statements into questions. None of this creates fake confidence; it helps your real experience show through.

He also reminds candidates to bring substance. Numbers help: “I led a team of four,” “The campaign lifted sign-ups by eighteen per cent,” “We solved an onboarding delay by changing the form.” Social feeds often treat interviews as theatre. Employers smell rehearsed lines quickly.

The real lesson behind the famous ratio: communication is a whole picture. Words matter, tone colours them, posture anchors them. You do not need to become a performer. You just need to sound like the capable person you already are.

(Story by Esha Aphale)

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