101 Handshakes
Go to WBJournal.com for a video clip on handshake etiquette.
You’ve likely spent hours fine-tuning your resume and perfecting your “elevator pitch.” You’ve probably even strategically selected your clothes, determined to wow a future employer or business partner. But have you given any thought to your handshake?
The following advice will help you strengthen your grip on shaking hands.
What’s in a shake? Remember what a handshake represents. “A handshake is a grasp, an expression of ‘self,’ as well as an expression of mutual greeting and willingness to be together,” says Bob Giles of handshake20.com.
Start strong. A good handshake can get everything off to a good start, but a poor one can leave a lasting impression. “They [interviewers] are looking for anything to distinguish you from the pack,” says Anthony Balderrama of careerbuilder.com, “so they will let the handshake set the tone for the rest of your meeting.”
A Happy Medium. In the attempt to be firm, don’t go too far. “The best way to completely ruin a first impression is to physically harm the person with whom you’re shaking hands,” says Katie Konrath of brazencareerist.com.
But being too weak can have equally disastrous results. “A lazy handshake makes you appear disinterested, sort of like a five-fingered yawn,” says Balderrama. “If you’re overzealous, however, it’s distracting and annoying.”
Something Fishy. Shaking someone’s hand when it’s limp and lifeless is off-putting. Don’t let that hand be yours. “A dead fish handshake can be just as dooming as ripped jeans and a neck tattoo when it comes to landing a job,” says Greg Stewart, a business professor from University of Iowa.
Fool proof. While there are plenty of wrong ways to do it, there’s no need to over-analyze a handshake, either. “To shake hands correctly, extend your hand with the thumb up, keeping your wrist straight,” says Konrath. “Grasp the other person’s hand firmly, look them in the eye, shake once or twice, and then release."
Watch as staff members at the Worcester Business Journal comcially act out the do's and don'ts of shaking hands.
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