Overview

Getting your interview just right is difficult, alongside what you say you must also present yourself in a positive and confident manner to your interviewer.

There are several factors that you must consider when you are going for your internship interview, such as: the way you dress, the amount of confidence you portray, the answers and questions you give to the interviewer, and of course the all-important hand shake.

How important is your handshake?

A study, published by the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, revealed that a handshake has the power to cause a person to feel competence and trustworthiness, as well as opening a relationship of positive cooperation.

So, if you want to make a good impression to your potential internship employer then having a good, strong handshake will help you to achieve this.

6 tips for a strong handshake

• Clean and none sweaty palm: your hand must be clean and not clammy when you go to shake your interviewer’s hand.
• Body language: make sure you are standing, smiling and making eye contact when you go to shake your interviewer’s hand.
• Greet your interviewer: when you are shaking your internship employer’s hand, make sure you greet them and express that you are happy to meet them. Remember the more personal you are the better, so include their name in your greeting, e.g. “Hello Mr Smith, it’s so nice to meet you”.
• Find a balance of firmness: you don’t want to crush your interviewer’s hand, but neither do you want to provide them with a weak handshake because your handshake portrays the level of confidence and strength you have. Settle for a firm but friendly handshake (practice your handshake with your friends or family before your internship interview).
• Up and down motion: your handshake motion should be up and down, not side to side. It is advisable not to do this more than three times.
• No more than 5 seconds: although the handshake is very important, you should only shake your internship interviewer’s hand for no longer than 5 seconds.

Twin have been providing professional internships to international students for over 15 years, so you can rest assured that we will find you your perfect internship. Discover your ideal internship in London or Dublin and contact us today!