Though common sense during an interview typically defines professional behavior and consequence, sometimes it’s good to have an outside source confirm your suspicions.
The most important communication during the job interview is body-speak… NOT words from the mouth. Without doubt, body language (that crazy little thing called nonverbal communication) has a huge impact on the truth of how you are perceived by giving the interviewer an opportunity to tap into who you are without the benefit of filters. Problem is, we can’t always control how the one looking into your words and actions will define the product—that being you.
One of the problems of subjective perception (as you must be aware) is that each individual brings his or her own background interpreting YOUR behavior. In other words, what you do and how you act may seem normal (and without baggage) to one person, but to the next person, the “reality” may not be so kind. Let’s take a quick look at one nonverbal act of communication (not too worry, we will go through several looks as our posts progresses):
Fish or Fresh
Several individuals came to my office last week in response to a job posting. To me, and to the two other interviewers in the room, the first impression is THE important moment. In most interview settings, a handshake will be the first physical contact and with it, certain expectations should be considered.
For example, I don’t know many people who like or appreciate holding a limp fish… a handshake without confidence, without pressure, and without any response is like holding a wilted trawl. Needless to say, not a good impression and one which will (more often than not) be a topic of creepy ridicule once the interview concludes.
The initial interview handshake must:
* Not be a fish, limp and iced down
* Be responsive, firm, and fresh
* Be confident and confirmed with direct eye contact
* Last no more than a few seconds—over 2 seconds may become uncomfortable
What is the impression you make with a handshake? No matter if you are sure of the message being displayed, ask a peer or friend for an honest reaction to your handshake. Sure, it may seem silly at first, but the consequence of asking your interviewer to handle a fish is not in your best interest.
No matter the situation, you should never be intimidated (nor should you intimidate anyone with a superhero handshake), do not be afraid when approaching any hiring manager, and never be timid with your first contact impression.
For today, everyone should become familiar with the manner in which they shake hands. Next time we’ll look at another nonverbal act of communication…
Danny Huffman, MA, CPRW, CPCC, CEIP
[email protected]
