I've heard talk that one of most important things to develop when moving on to the real world is a good handshake. One that is not too firm that comes off like an over-assertive prick but not shallow enough to seem weak. Now, I actually never put much thought into handshaking so I'm curious.

Can you tell a lot about a person when you shake their hand? Or is it just mere prejudice? Seeing that, often in greeting conversations, that the handshake is the first instance of contact, surely it would play some role in establishing a presence to the receiver. But how much?

Not believing everything you hear is slightly higher up on that list.

Like I said, I didn't put much thought into it because it seems like "sweating the small stuff."

i always shatter bones when i shake someone's hand... it lets them know if they do not submit they will be destroyed

I feel like knowing whether or not someone pays too much attention to another's handshake may be more telling than the handshake itself.

Actually, nothing pisses me off than a weak handshake. Especially when it comes to business.

A firm handshake while looking the person in the eyes is important when it comes to making a first impression for things like job interviews and so forth.

Firm handshake is VERY important in life whether you like it or not, at least in western culture as far as I know.

I meet these asian and middle eastern guys at school and feel like I'm squeezing a bowl of freshly boiled spaghetti when I go for a handshake. Of course I realize it's a culture thing, but nothing can help the initial "negative" feeling that strikes it's way into my mind at first grasp.

I think there are more important things in life. Like.. pretty much anything else.

Trust me, the superior, older boss, or other acquaintance in any sort of a business or professional setting does NOT think the same thing...the sooner you realize this the more good impressions you will make and the better off you will be.

Spend some time in a corporate or business environment.

Right. While you guys spend your time perfecting your handshake, I'll go and get qualifications and actually become a competent ****ing employee. When a company is considering massive layoffs, I don't think "hmm! well he has a firm handshake!" will do you much good.

It's part of the overall impression when it comes to dealing with people. Are you too busy working to become a competent ****ing employee to make eye contact with people, too - or to dress appropriately for your environment?

All things being equal, the company will hire the person who set him or her self apart from the rest of the field, and part of that is knowing how to properly shake someone's hand. Getting hired isn't just about your qualifications. It's as much about making a good impression with the interviewers. They are more likely to remember the person with the firm handshake who looked them in the eye with confidence.

Yes, this is huge. The banking job I had (prior to my LE position) wanted qualifications- prior banking experience, 2yr business degree. I had neither-- hit it off great with the branch manager, was interviewed on the spot and things moved on from there. I still stop in every now and again to say hi.

Qualifications are indeed a huge help, but not if nobody likes you!

You clearly have absolutely no idea how the world works. What kinds of experience do you have networking yourself in the real world, or better yet, how old are you?

I can't tell you how many times I've heard guys in management positions ***** about other guys who despite "qualifications" such as 4.0 GPAs, fancy degrees, and genius-like scientific and computational skills still cannot communicate worth a damn, socialize worth a damn, "read between the lines" worth a damn, look somebody in the eye, the list goes on and on. A firm handshake plays a huge role in all of this.

On-paper qualifications mean a lot less in the real world than you think, and who you are and the impressions you make mean a whole lot more. Not to say qualifications mean nothing, but your perceptions here are way off base.

And then there's the ever annoying finger-shake, where people grab you by the knuckles.

I always supplement a handshake with a friendly hip bump.

Dash, your idea of "Western culture" sounds an awful lot like solely American business culture. A firm handshake is good but a lot of people over do it and come across as arseholes, same with the eye contact thing. While on one hand avoiding eye contact makes a person seem avoidant and difficult to read, over doing the eye contact turns you into that strange guy who always stares. I think we Brits are generally more cynical than Americans so we don't take the handshake stuff quite as seriously, in fact if you pay too much attention to this sort of thing, we're more likely to take the piss.

Act normal, be confident and don't be afraid to make suggestions. Handshakes and body language add a little but things like punctuality, neatness and willingness to go the extra mile to help out are what attracts attention in my opinion.

That's because you limp-wristed limeys can't pull off a good handshake in the first place.

I like to stick my hand up my ass and then shake people's hands.

Yes that's it...

I think its true, people who squeeze too hard come off as an *** with a complex, like they have something to prove, as if I cared. But it doesn't need to be limp like you have no soul. *shrugs*

I've had people hurt my hand by squeezing too hard. Bastards.

Honestly the only thing I remember from a handshake is either :

"Tough shake! I'll beat him next time!"

or

"What a weak little person."

or

"Ooohhh soffttttt." >.>

If your handshake doesn't go on for 30 seconds without stopping, you're doing it wrong.

What if you had milkshake, except hands (instead of ice cream) run through a blender and you called it handshake?

I think what's more important to consider is not that someone will go "Oooh wow that was a good handshake!" But if it's crappy it WILL say something about you.

It's not something you need to practice, just give someone a firm handshake..

I prefer the two-handed shake myself, at least for goodbyes/thank yous. Perhaps not so much on first meetings and introductions. It's just a normal handshake, but the second hand comes over to clasp on the other side.

The handshake actually developed during a time when the belief was that you "held your fate in your hands." And so by shaking someones hand, it was an indication that you trust them enough to share your fates, and entwining your fate with theirs. By using both hands, it was an indication that you fully trust them, one hand was an indication that you were hesitant and withdrawn.

Another cool handshake trick is extending your hand, palm down. That forces them to shake your hand with their palm up, which is a subconscious sign of submissiveness.

Again, neither of these are likely to make or break anything, but it's just one more little thing to add to the group of little things that build up. Even if the other person doesn't consciously know the history of the handshake, or that palm down is more assertive, subconsciously it does effect them.

One's gotta wonder what spanking meant to them!

Well, it's certainly a relief to know that our banking institutions are full of well-qualified, experienced people that know what they're doing! That must be why we're in such a strong economic position right now!

...oh, wait.

JLEE CAUSED THE RECESSION.

That is the case in all business markets. From what I hear, even at places such as NASA. Many of the graduates of Yale, Princeton, Penn, Harvard, and so forth, end up becoming among the most incompetent individuals in the business world all because they have flashy degrees and good showmanship. After all, certifications and qualifications mean nothing without competence.

Blame your grand-parents generation. They started it!

To be successful in this world (and contribute positively to it) you have to be both highly competent and have good showmanship.

This. Mort, it's true, deal with it.

It says something bad because it shows that a job candidate won't go through the very very minimal but extra effort to appear confident and really firm. It's also a sign of respect for the person you are applying for.

I've frequently shaken many hands from my dad's business partners, and he does probably hundreds of interviews a year for his business, and they all do mention a weak handshake. And they always complement a very good one.

You might as well learn to live with it.

Or I'll be pleasantly spared a tedious job working under a misguided cock that reads too much into meaningless ****, and instead find fulfilling work where they actually value, you know, being able to do ****. I know exactly that type of David Brent employer, it's the same sort of little man that uses terms like 'level the playing field', 'firing on all cylinders', 'push the envelope' and a whole slew of other fatuous business metaphors.

Yes because people are hired solely based on handshakes.

a proper handshake is overly complex and includes at least one chest bump or high five

Something like an assuring handshake has its own place as a nuance of human interaction. A lot of these things are, naturally, culture-dependent. What seems common to all parts of the world, however, is that body language and gestures play a huge part in how people view you and what sort of conclusions they draw upon first meeting you. The handshake, which incorporates a subtle element of intimacy, shouldn't be disregarded as a meaningless part of communication.

Standing up for yourself and calling bull**** when you see it actually is a sign of strength and confidence, far moreso than a momentary limp-wristed spasm.