Graduate Jobs: How to Shake Hands in an Interview

So you've secured an interview, are waiting in reception, and your interviewer is on his or her way to meet you. Suddenly, it occurs to you that you're not 100% comfortable when it comes to shaking hands. How firm should your handshake be? Who should initiate it? And for how long should you shake?

To help ease your interview nerves – and maximise your chances of graduate employment - here are a few tips to follow:

1. Make eye contact. When you shake hands, make eye contact with your interviewer. This will show that you 're confident and assertive.
2. Always stand. Don't accept a handshake while you're sitting down. Always stand and rise to the shake.
3. Smile. When greeting someone, make sure you smile and appear open and friendly.
4. Keep your hand open. Make your handshake a full handshake, and that you don't mistakenly seize the interviewer's thumb or finger – or that they do the same to you.
5. Be firm, but not overwhelming. A firm handshake shows confidence – but you don't want to leave your interviewer with a sore hand afterwards. On the flipside, you don't want to appear like a dead fish! So, squeeze but not too hard.
6. Let your interviewer take the lead. When it comes to the duration of your handshake, let the interviewer take the lead on how long it should last.
7. Close with a smile. At the end of a handshake, smile again and make eye contact once more.