By Tina Huynh
I went to an interview yesterday and the one thing that really stood out to me is the traditional gesture when greeting someone. The handshake. Often enough, one has to shake another’s hand for purposes of job interviews, introductions and so on. But what struck me was that I was not offered a hand. I don’t remember the last time I shook someone’s hand. Maybe it’s not just me, can you remember the last time you shook someone’s hand?
It felt strange, because usually, in interviews, the interviewer always offers their hand. But not today. I found myself wondering if I should put out my own hand, but felt I could be rejected, so I held back.
Later on in the interview, my interviewer said that it is just an informal interview. But my head still had all these unanswered questions. Why was I not offered a hand? Maybe I should’ve put mine out. What is happening? Is the handshake suddenly irrelevant? Or maybe, because now that it is almost winter, people don’t want to catch illnesses?
With all this said and done, the whole interview session ended with no physical contact at all. All the formalities like a “pleased to meet you” was said, but no traces of the traditional handshake. I wonder what my interviewer thought. I am hoping really hard that she thinks the handshake is redundant, otherwise I may have looked rude myself for not offering my hand.
It really annoys me though, if things like this suddenly become unnecessary, shouldn’t it be more widely known? Or maybe it was just my situation. Maybe you have actually shook someone’s hand in the past few months (your friends not included).
Hopefully next time, I do get offered a handshake, just to put my mind at ease. Who knows, maybe then I may have the courage to offer mine if I am not offered one myself. And so social behaviours are restored.
