The Importance of the Handshake

Monday, February 1st, 2010
By Gerriann Fagan - CPI firm The Prism Group

A well prepared, well read career coaching client recently reminded me of the importance of a firm handshake.  Frankly, I’d been taking the handshake for granted.  The handshake completes the first impression package.  Here are a few tips:  stand up, make eye contact and smile before you shake, thumb to thumb and web to web.  Shake up and down not side to side.  End with a smile.  Women, don’t be shy about shaking a man’s hand.  Men, women won’t break.  If interviewing, generally, the interviewer will offer his/her hand first.  In business, the higher ranking individual should offer his hand first.  Some etiquette experts advise that a man wait for a woman to offer her hand in a social setting.  From this woman’s perspective, don’t wait.  Practice makes perfect.  I’d be interested in comments about passing germs through hand shakes and how germs have affected the handshake.  My strategy on reducing germs is to wash hands early and often.

Gerriann Fagan
Career Partners International

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 10:46 am and is filed under Career Transition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “The Importance of the Handshake”

  1. Eugene Says:

    February 12th, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    Great advice. Another tip: while a “wet fish” grip is awful, a steel vice clamping grip is almost as bad – maybe worse. In my experience former collegiate football players are the worse violaters, followed closely by female triathletes. Firm is good; breaking bones is bad. You want to create a good impression, not inflict pain.

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