Tag: handshake

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Does a Handshake Effect a Job Interview?

Interviewees are always looking to get an advantage over other applicants.

We already know that the way you answer the job interview questions; the structure you use, the tone of your voice and the passion you state your words with have a powerful influence in  a job interview.

You will also understand the power of a first impression.

A first impression isn’t just based on what you wear (which is what most people wrongly believe) The first impression is assessed at an unconscious level, and your facial expressions, body language and handshake effect the outcome of the employer’s prejudices.

Visual and Touch

Your brain is in its own world. The mind cant see or feel. Instead, it relies on electrical impulses that are fired off via your senses – what your body see’s, hears and feel’s sending a different electrical impulse to your brain, your subconscious then through learned experience tells you how to respond.

If you see an overweight man, as an example, you will have an instant opinion about this person. Maybe your experience has taught you that overweight people are lazy? Or maybe you have the belief that overweight people are kind and hardworking. We all have and make instant opinions about new people we meet, and we make them instantly.

These opinions can be changed, but often the opinion the interviewer has created about you is a filter that they will use when they interview you – which means you need this first impression to be a positive one.

Your handshake, which is physical, which means its a highly powerful influence, has to help you to create a positive first impression.

   

Powerful Handshake in a Job Interview

Below you will learn a basic technique to give you a powerful handshake. It will sound so basic, that you won’t at first believe the power of it. So, I recommend you test the different shakes out on a friend. Do this with your eyes closed and focus on the feeling you get when shaking their hand in the following ways

As we said before, handshakes like all body language give away how you are feeling – nervous or confident? And employers prefer to offer jobs to confident interviewees. Employers are not taught what a certain handshake represents but unconsciously your handshake and body language will give clues to the employer’s subconscious mind.

  • If your Palm is facing up this can be taken as a sign of submission
  • A palm facing down can be taken as aggressive
  • A palm facing sideways is taken as a sign of equality

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Interview Handshakes

Shaking Interviewers Hands:

You want to give an employer an equal handshake, you don’t want to dominate the interviewer and you don’t want to be seen as submissive, again these thoughts are always subconscious. If you ask an interviewer they will often say they make their mind up about someone after the interview. Research has proven this to be wrong.

If you shake hands with your palm facing upwards you will come across as submissive – From this, we can see the origins of the phrase – “Giving someone the upper hand”.

If you shake hands with your palm facing downwards you come across as domineering or aggressive.

You need to shake hands with your palm facing sideways, as this will give an equal handshake.

If an employer walks towards you with their palm facing downwards (they want to dominate you) all you need to do is take their hand and clasp your other hand on the back of their hand and use this to gently turn their hand so that it faces sideways.