The Art of the Job Interview Handshake

The Art of the Job Interview Handshake 173 Start your first impressions with a good first impression. Photo by Jonas Vincent Have you ever noticed this? People shake hands all the time. Unless your handshake is particularly bad, people will rarely react negatively to it and they'll ignore the occasional jitter or semi-clasp. On the other hand (pun intended), if your handshake is particularly good, you will stand out and people will remember you. But here's the kicker: When it comes to job interviews, the opposite is actually true.eval A 2008 University of Iowa study showed what you may have already suspected: a firm, solid handshake is an important part of a successful job interview, while a dead fish can end the interview before it even begins Put differently, while a basic handshake is expected and won't stand out, a bad handshake can ruin everything.eval Ultimately, since a handshake is such a common thing, expectations are relatively low. That also means you can easily achieve good results. Do you prefer shaking hands before or after a job interview? Before After View Results Free bonus: The One Job Interview Resource You’ll Ever Need is a handy reference to help you prepare for any kind of job interview. Download it free now The Best Handshake Ever? A friend of mine has the best handshake in the world. No, really. The first time I met him and we shook hands, I was literally wowed. Here's what made his handshake so great (over-detailed analysis coming up…): 1. Softness Nobody likes shaking hands with sandpaper. Although you don't necessarily need to carry around a bottle of hand moisturizer, at least make sure that your hands aren't rough to the touch. Introduce coconut oil into your diet somehow. 2. Moisture Without being sandpaper, your hands should be dry and not sweaty or clammy. Let them air out. 3. Temperature Your hands should be warm, not cold. 4. Texture Do you like shaking hands with someone's scabs or callouses? Enough said. 5. No bandages or casts You don't want people to think they might hurt you by shaking your hand. 6. Clean The only thing worse than worrying about hurting someone's hand is worrying about catching a virus from it like warts, a cold, etc. Even feeling just one Band-Aid is discomforting. 7. Few rings to none The fewer rings there are, the less chance of pinching and hurting someone's hand. 8. Confident reach Don't wait for someone's hand to come to yours, reach for theirs and meet it. 9. Good timing Lock hands without any jitters or fumbling, sliding one hand into the other. Don't aim to grasp fingers, aim for the palm. 10. Perfect position Aim for the webbing of your hand (skin between thumb and forefinger) to catch the webbing of their hand. Thanks to David Tra for pointing that out. 11. Solid grasp Everyone hates the dreaded “dead fish” where someone leaves a limp hand in yours. Do the opposite; clutch the palm without squeezing so hard that it becomes painful for the other. 12. Positive Grin or smile while shaking hands. 13. Be sincere Don't just grin or smile, do it like you mean it. A fake smile ruins the whole effect. 14. Look them in the eye The best way to prove you're being sincere. 15. Shake source “Shake from the elbow, and not from the shoulder,” says international etiquette expert, Denise Zaldivar. 16. Shake method “Aim for 2 pumps when shaking,” Denise also recommends. 17. Shake vigor Don't shake too vigorously, but don't let them shake your whole arm either. 18. Know when to let go A good shake usually involves a palm squeeze and release, but be careful if the other person is too quick or too slow, which could lead to an awkward moment. Instead, with a confident reach, be first to engage and disengage. 19. Synchs with your personal brand For most people, this just means following all the previous points to being a handshaking professional, but for some people this means having a unique handshake or one that's more in tune with their profession. If a clown always shook hands in a serious way, you'd wonder about his sense of humor. 20. Memorable So few people do this that if anyone ever impresses you with their handshake, you won't forget them just like with my friend above. If your handshake is memorable, it is successfully building your personal brand. 21. Viral Not in a bad way… this whole article came about because my friend's handshake was so terrific I had to tell you about it. Bonus tip 22. Encourages loyalty A great handshake is one that makes people want to shake your hand again. For that, they'll need to have you around them again. READ NEXT: The Most Powerful Job Search Tool You Didn’t Know You Had Question of the article What was the best or worst handshake you've ever felt? Or, do you have a job interview handshake memory to share? Tell us in the comments. What others are saying The Perfect Interview Handshake Start your Job Interview with a Proper Handshake 7 Tips on Proper Handshake Etiquette Free Bonus If you want a handy job interview resource that you can keep on your smartphone or print out for easy reference, I’ve got a special bonus for you. This free download contains: 165 positive personality adjectives to describe yourself 444 of the most popular job interviewer questions to prepare yourself with 175 questions that you can ask in job interviews to make a good impression and learn about your future employer Click the image below to get access to The One Job Interview Resource You’ll Ever Need: JobMob Insiders can get this free bonus and other exclusive content in the JobMob Insider Bonuses area. Join now, it's free! I originally published a version of this article on the terrific Personal Branding Blog.

9Â Tips For Starting Your Online Business While Working Full Time - Classy Career Girl

9  Tips For Starting Your Online Business While Working Full Time Being a full-time working woman and managing your daily life is never a simple task. With all the struggles women face in the workplace, including the still-existing wage gap even for professionally employed women, the struggle to make ends meet persists. If you have ever thought about starting an online business on the side for passion or for extra income, but then scrapped the idea because of time or money concerns, then never fear. You can still hold a full-time job alongside your online business, and here are nine helpful tips for the modern-day woman and her online business. 9  Tips For Starting Your Online Business While Working Full Time 1. Dont Cross Your Current Contract or Employer Be sure to check all your legal requirements before you start your new business. Make sure it will not interfere with your current full-time job, and that it does not create any conflicts of interest with your current employer. Use your resources â€" employee manuals, human resources, or your contract â€" to ensure you know the legal status of what you are doing. Do your new online business elsewhere; otherwise, it may legally belong to your current company. Just be sure to make sure you know how your online business will be run in relation to your current job so that there are no legal conflicts.  2.  Prioritize Your Time People often tell you to create a business plan, then immediately throw it away, as it will be of little to no use to you. Instead, you should first prioritize your time between your current full-time job, and whatever your new online business may be. Be sure not to conduct your online business on company time, as that is a conflict of interest. Still, be certain you can manage your time between your business and your job.   3. Choose the “Right” Kind of Business If you want to keep a full-time job while starting a new business, you must be sure that your new online service is not terribly time-consuming. Though any business will obviously have an element of scheduling and time spent, you have to be sure that your chosen business will be feasible alongside your full-time job. Dream big, but be as realistic as you can. If you have a partner or partners, this may be a bit more flexible, but overall be careful in choosing your new side business.   4. Outsource What You Can, But Stay in Control A side business and a full-time job can be a daunting task. It would be easier to achieve and manage if you did not have to work alone. Though you still want to exercise control and make sure it is your business, sometimes a partner or an assistant can save your life. You do not want to stretch yourself too thin! Just choose someone you can trust to ensure your business runs smoothly while you are busy at your present job. A helping hand goes a long way. [RELATED: 6 Parts of Starting an Online Business That You Are Probably Overlooking] 5. Do Your Research Whatever field your side business will be in, research the trends and movements of that market. Be sure you know what you are getting into when starting a new business. Furthermore, be sure to research the best ways to promote your new business (without interfering with your current job). Look into whatever information you think may be useful in the start-up of your business, and start making any online connections and gathering resources you think may be helpful.  6.  Ask for Feedback and Validation of Your Idea It does no good to start a business for things no one wants. Look for a small group of peers, mentors, or other entrepreneurs (that you trust, of course) to look over or listen to your business ideas. Be sure that your business will have traction in the online business world.  7.  Set Realistic Goals Though this may sound repetitive, it is imperative at the start of your new business. You want to maintain a balance between your current job and your new online business, which means knowing what you are capable of achieving. Set profit goals, product goals, and advertisement goals â€" whatever you think will be helpful to you, but make sure that they are achievable. Starting your online business may be easy, but maintaining it will prove more difficult, so do not be too hard on yourself at first.  8.  Start Saving More of Your Paycheck Though your new business may be online, it will still require startup capital. Make sure you begin saving ahead of time, taking a set portion of each paycheck and setting it aside for your new business. Depending on your lifestyle, this does not have to be a drastic change. However, a new business does require some level of sacrifice, so make sure you know what you are ready to compromise or give up in order to maintain the balance you need.  9.  Dont Give Up! Starting a new business can be daunting to anyone, not just a full-time working person, and the prospect of maintaining a 40+hour workweek alongside your new side business can prove ridiculously intimidating. Go for it anyway! Do the planning and the research, know what you want, set your goals, and achieve them.   Your new business and your work life can exist in harmony, and you can achieve your goals!

Stop Devaluing Yourself

Stop Devaluing Yourself If you can relate to any of the following, then please listen up: You want to make more money You hate Corporate America and dream of working for yourself You fear you dont have enough experience Youre still getting used to this whole new and uncomfortable situations thing Ive been following Ramit Sethis blog iwillteachyoutoberich.com for quite a while and LOVE the series he just wrapped up over the last 3 weeks on earning more money. He provided case studies, interviews, ways to get your first 3 clients, goes over psychological barriers and provides detailed action items rather than just fluff. He also has a really cool online series of courses called earn1k which coaches you on how to earn your first $1,000 of freelance income. One of his posts included the short video below about devaluing yourself. Watch the video and think about how young professionals devalue themselves all the time, which then holds them back. You can think of it in terms of your job, starting your own business, or even dating people who suck. Devaluing yourself can sneak up on you unintentionally. For example, when someone asks you whats your rate/how much are you hoping to make if hired? do you say, well um, yeah, geez- itd be nice to make x but honestly whatever you think is fair is fine. Guess what you will get? A. Someone on the other side of the table who now views you as inexperienced, unconfident and possibly not that good. Or, B, s/he just sees cheap labor. They will pay you the way you respond. Solution: State your rate confidently, stick to it, be wiling to walk away and pursue other opportunities who WILL pay you what you deserve. Outcome: Regardless of if you landed the project or job, you just established yourself as valuable and enticing. You will now be in higher demand because you were willing to be uncomfortable for 3 minutes. Now think of this situation in terms of dating. Perhaps it is very important to you that your life partner shares your religious background and shares your love of marathon running and traveling to foreign countries. Stick to your criteria and be willing to walk away. Not only are you more attractive, but you are more likely to get exactly what you want by confidently naming your price and sticking to it. Whomever you are devaluing yourself to, you are only hurting yourself. Business people and people in your personal life will gladly take what they can get if youre willing to give it to them. This week, pay attention to what you say and how you portray your value to others. I bet you will devalue yourself at times without even realizing it. First gain awareness, then try putting your poker face on to get what you want. Let us know how it goes. How have you devalued yourself in the past? How did the situation turn out? What did you learn from it?

Snapshot of the new workplace Karen Owens PowerPoint

Snapshot of the new workplace Karen Owens PowerPoint For those of you who missed it, Karen Owen, a student at Duke University, sent a summary of her sex life to some friends, via email. The content is not safe for work, but it looks safe because its in PowerPoint. She has bullet points, charts, and graphs. How can you not admire a woman who can graph her sex life? Owens sex life is a workplace issue. For one thing, it was the third most searched topic on Google yesterday, which means a large percentage of people were reading her slideshow while at work. But more importantly, Owens slides capture the shift in womens empowerment, which is happening at the workplace and having the ripple effect of empowering women in sex. Owens slides make me excited about the new generation of women and how much they take their own power for granted. Im excited to see what they will do with it. Here are some things to think about when you read her slides: 1. She used PowerPoint in a revolutionary way. Is there a more male tool than PowerPoint? First of all, the software is lecture-y and unconversational, which is typical for men at work. Second of all, its been the tool of choice for the notoriously boys club career: venture capitalists and the people who pitch to them. That Owen used this male tool to talk about what men are really like in bed turns our workplace preconceptions on their head. 2. She illustrates why men are afraid of twentysomething women. The workplace has women everywhere. Even a place like Google, known for their tech guys, is also known for having a sales force full of very hot women. So middle-aged men are often alone, day after day, with single, hot young women. When has this happened in history? At this point, there is a culture of men being smitten with young women, and young women feeling empowered enough to leverage that without actually giving in. And, when it comes to young men, they are not earning as much as the women (the Wall Street Journal reports that in Atlanta young women earn an incredible 21% more than their male counterparts). Men are not as in high demand compared to women and since young women are sexy, and young men do not have power that can make them sexy, thats not likely to change. So twentysomething women are running circles around men of all ages. These slides do a good deal to confirm that. 3. The rules are all different. These slides are fascinating because they presuppose that the rules of the world have changed, in favor of a woman like Owen. For example, the rules of privacy are new. Instead of resulting in a Scarlet A, or family embarrassment, Owen reveals she is smart, funny, and a great writer. (And look, agents are already calling her.) The slides also reveal new rules for gatekeeping. Owen did not need permission from anyone, or any workplace experience, to make a more significant impact on the workplace than you did today. Finally, her slides show us that the rules of learning are new. We can share all our knowledge, about anything. Nothing is sacred and nothing is secret, and we can crowdsource anything, to learn everything faster, even how to pick up a lacrosse player and get him into bed. Its clear to me that none of this information is ground-breaking in and of itself. Theres a huge study about sex in the US, that reveals a wide swath of the population to be pretty sexually liberal. So what makes these slides so fascinating? I think its her spunk and self-knowledge and enthralling sense of her own power. I wish I had had that when I was her age. I am twenty years older than Owen, but she inspires me to be brave, takes risks, and let my creativity get the best of me.

I Want to Be Hired Before I Move Dilemma - Career Pivot

I Want to Be Hired Before I Move Dilemma - Career Pivot I Want to Be Hired Before I Move Copyright: lculig / 123RF Stock Photo I live in Austin Texas and over the years I have heard, “I want to be hired before I move.” They do not want to commit to moving here until they secure employment. Austin is the 11th largest city in the United States according to Wikipedia with over 900K people.Yet it still behaves like a little city. Who you know is key to finding a job. If you are looking for a job in Austin, do not live here, and in the 2nd half of life with family and a mortgage, the employer will assume you will want a moving and living package to get you here. That is a non-starter for most employers. In order to get hired, you will need to build a network in the location where you wish to move AND make it appear that you are already there. Building a Network Remotely You will need to get very strategic in building a network of connections in the location where you want to be hired. You will want to find people who look taste and smell like you, which are people with similar backgrounds, certifications, and are employed in the kinds of jobs you are looking for. Reach out to these people and send them a LinkedIn request like the following: [Name], I see you are employed at [insert company name] as an [insert job title]. I am looking to relocate to [insert location] and would like to find a job similar to yours. Would you have a moment for a short phone call so I could get some of your sage advice? In the meantime, please accept this invitation to connect. [Insert your full name] Notice I did not ask them for help finding a job. I only asked for advice which is a compliment. You should read my post title Asking for AIR â€" Advice, Insights, and Recommendations. I would start with acquiring 100-200 contacts in the target location. You are not going to stop there but you should follow Gary O’Neal’s advice to plan on contacting with 600 people. I would highly recommend you listento Gary’s interview on the Repurpose Your Career podcastepisode 58. Gary runs the recruiting operation for AustinHRan outsourced HR company. Build a Target List of Companies Finding people who look, taste and smell like you is a great way to build a target list of companiesfor your job search. Where you find these people employed are companies that are capable of hiring you. Not every company should be on your target list as you will need to vet each company. Look for other resources like Chambers of Commerce, The A to Z Databasewhich you can commonly gain free access at your local public library, and professional organizations. For example, if you are supply chain professional, I would look at the local APICS chapter.If you are a project manager, I would look for the local PMI chapter. You are going to scour high and low looking for companies that are capable of hiring you. Notice I said capable of hiring you and not that they have current openings. You have no idea what positionsare available by just looking online. If you think you know please read my post 5 Things You Will Never Know About the Hiring Process. Create a Persona You will want to create a personathat gives the impression that you live and work in the location where you want to be hired. Set your location on your LinkedIn profile to the location where you want to be hired. Set the location of your current position to the new location. If you are currently employed you may have to create a new position. You can have multiple current positions. If this is unclear check out my postWhy Are You Not Being Found? Try Thinking Like a Recruiter. Next, you will want to acquire a phone number with an area code in the location where you want to get hired. You can acquire a number from Google Voiceor Skype. I have both a Google voice number which is free and a Skype telephone number which I pay an annual fee. I use the Skype telephone number so that people can dial me on Skype where I record podcast interviews. The number at the top of this page is a Google voice number and it forwards all calls to my iPhone. You may want to enroll in a service that will give you a local, physical mailing address. A good example of this is PostScanMail service. For a monthly fee, they will receive mail for you at either a street address or a P.O. box, scan the mail and email you the contents. My plan is to use a service like this to receive business correspondence for Career Pivot after we move to Mexico next year. Make Regular Visits You will need to make regular visits to the new location. Maybe once every other month you will plan a 3-4 day visit and plan on having a packed schedule on every trip. Having face time with all of the contacts you have developed is critical to building relationships that will get you a job. I know, I know â€" you cannot afford all of these trips. Well, you may have to couch surf, find discount airline tickets, or take the bus â€" but you cannot eliminate this last step. In other words, get your butt there and meet people face to face. Make the most of every trip by having meetings scheduled to make the most efficient use of your time. Finding a job in a remote location without having to move is hard work. Do it strategically! Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Fix It Friday! Is It Me or Is It the Wrong Career Choice

Fix It Friday! Is It Me or Is It the Wrong Career Choice Making the wrong career choice is a huge fear many transitioning job seekers face. Heres how to assess career fit early in the decision making process. Fix it Friday is about answering your questions! Thanks for this readers question (which I have edited for brevity): I went back to school to get a Masters in research science, convinced that I would absolutely love it. I did like the school, but I have now had 4 experiences in the last 2 years in research labs which were all rather negative. After the first couple, I thought it was the lab. Now, Im thinking maybe I made a bad decision? The last job was such a horrible fit, I felt the need to quit. All the jobs seemed ideal at the interview. I have a couple part-time jobs to help with income, but I really need a full-time job. Do you have any suggestions for career guidance?   Fit Means Many Different Things Many factors go in to a job and career being a good fit. These are the things I think are important to take into consideration: interests skills company culture personal work style emotional intelligence It sometimes takes soul searching, assessment and pen and paper to see whats not working. And quite honestly, when you think about what it takes to find a good fit or better yet, the perfect job, it is amazingly difficult! The wrong career choice can make you unhappy and not allow you to perform your best. Before you go leaping into another job that may not be a good fit, pleaseconsider these things! Skills Are the skills you are using the ones you enjoy using? We all have the capability to do lots of things, but if you dont enjoy what you are doing, then theres a problem. It could be, in your case, that you loved learning concepts in the classroom, however, doing them on the job is a different story. Make a list of the times you were happy in your jobs and specifically what you were doing and who were you helping. Interests Do your interests align with what you are doing? What kinds of things do you enjoy doing during your free time? Again, it could be that you dont care much for lab work or maybe there isnt the greater intrinsic motivation behind what you are doing. In other words, you dont see the value in the work you are doing. Company Culture The culture of a company (including management style) can make or break even the best job. If you have ever had a wonderful boss, make a list of the things they did that made working for them a great experience. These are the qualities you should be looking for during your interviews with future managers. Company culture can be hard to pinpoint during the interview, but asking questions can help you. Create a list of what you are looking for in your next job! In case you need a definition, Wikipedia defines organizational culture as:   the organization values, visions, norms, working language, systems, symbols, beliefs and habits. It is also the pattern of such collective behaviors and assumptions that are taught to new organizational members as a way of perceiving, and even thinking and feeling. Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders.   Your Personal Work Style When are you at your best? In the workplace, how do you perform? Are you great working by yourself? Do you like to take on new challenges and projects? Are you a self-starter? Do you crave great work instructions? There are many assessments that can help you pinpoint your preferred work style. Myers-Briggs, DISC and Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS-II) are several I am familiar with. Though they cost money to take, your career center may be able to administer them at no cost. Emotional IQ At the end of the day, your success is largely dependent on your emotional intelligence. Self-Awareness is how accurately you can identify your emotions in the moment and understand your tendencies across time and situation. Self-Management is how you use awareness of your emotions to create the behavior that you want. Social Awareness is how well you read the emotions of other people. Relationship Management is how you use the first three emotional intelligence skills to manage your interactions with other people. The good news is that you can develop your emotional intelligenceif you want to. Leadership IQ conducted a study which found 46% of new hires were no longer employed after 18 months due to a lack of emotional intelligence. Find the Intersection Take a good hard look at what is important to you and what you LOVE doing! Thats the foundation of making a smart career choice. Be honest with yourself or get outside help if you need to. When you dont take time to evaluate all these things, youre more likely to make the wrong career choice or one based on things that really arent that important to you. Got a job search question? Would you like an answer to your job search question? Add it here and chances are really good that Ill answer it! Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Enter your questionWebsiteSubmit

How To Get Your Resume Back On Track

How To Get Your Resume Back On TrackIt is a good idea to write a resume personal statement, but the mistake most candidates make is underestimating how much time it will take. Many applicants will submit a resume with a personal statement attached but once it gets sent off, they put it aside. Once you get an email from an employer asking for more information on your resume and you have forgotten all about writing a personal statement, this is a great time to take some action.Before you do anything else, you should look over your resume and make sure that it really looks like a resume. You may be tempted to toss it into the trash, but this is not a good idea. The error can go unnoticed until you send the resume out again, when the mistake becomes quite obvious.Just because your resume is flawless and looks professional does not mean it meets the high standard that it needs to. There are things that will cause your resume to fall short of the standards that employers are looking for. T his does not mean that the resume must be perfect, but it does mean that you need to spend some time finding the errors so that you can correct them before you send it out.A resume that looks sloppy will only cause you to look bad when you send it out. The employer may ask for more information, or even reject your resume altogether. It is best to not only fix the mistakes, but to make sure that the resume does not slip at all. After all, if the resume looks good, it will also be easy to look at.Another great way to find errors is to use software that will alert you when your resume falls short of the standards. Using this method may take some time and you may find that it will take a few months to find all of the errors that exist in your resume. The truth is that this could be months and even years of your life that are taken up by this process. It is better to take the initiative and fix the errors that are present in your resume.Once you have some ideas of what is wrong with your resume, you can start to analyze the situation and come up with a plan to get a clear idea of what is wrong. Once you know where the errors are, you can then begin working on fixing them. You can also find some error free templates online to use for filling in the blanks in your resume.Try to avoid the temptation to edit the resume. While you may feel that your resume is perfect, it may be able to be improved upon. It is better to get all of the errors fixed than to have to rewrite the resume from scratch. You may find that your resume is as good as it can be without the errors that were left on it by you.After you have reviewed your resume, look at each section individually and see if it is addressing the needs of the job that you are applying for. If not, then look at the resume again and try to find the areas that need to be improved. Make sure that you keep your resume clean and error free so that it will look as professional as possible.