What Your Handshake Tells About You
Posted in Interview Preparation
People's personalities can be determined by their actions. There are ways that some experts can be able to distinguish different personalities even by a simple gesture as a handshake. It is actually one of the more important gestures that employers and hiring managers look to in order to develop a better impression of job applicants. Here are the different types of handshakes that they might be looking out for and that you, as a job candidate should be aware of.
Dominating Handshake
This handshake is usually made when a person offers his hand in a palm down manner. The other then has to reciprocate by offering a hand to shake with the palm facing up. In essence this might not mean anything , but it conveys dominance over the other. The person offering a hand palm down shows a dominating attitude toward the other. It is not usually the handshake that job candidates should be making during job interviews.
Submissive Handshake
The submissive handshake is just the opposite of the dominating handshake. A person offers a hand palm up to another. This would convey that the person is being submissive. Although some may see it as a sign of respecting the other, it is a type of handshake that must be avoided. Formal situations usually require both people to be in equal footing as much as possible, be it in business or even a job interview.
Double Hander
This type of handshake is done when the receiver also offers the other hand aside from the handshake. The receiver is trying to convey some sense of sincerity and trustworthiness in the handshake. It is usually being given by people who know each other well. Doing a "double hander" can also sometimes backfire especially if it is done between two people who barely know each other. It is a handshake that should also be best avoided especially during a job interview.
The Proper Handshake
In order to avoid the complexities that may arise from just a simple handshake, you should know how to do a proper one. A formal handshake can be done by extending the right hand with the thumbs pointing up when you approach within three feet of the other person. With the hands clasping, make sure that you do it firmly but not to the point of putting extra pressure on it. Then pump the hand two or three times and then let go. That would be the proper handshake to extend during formal meetings and gatherings.
