Interesting Facts

According to a survey conducted by the job-finding website monster.co.uk, more than half of British managers say they can tell whether they want to employ a candidate for a job based on the strength of their handshake. (8 out of 10 said the ability to maintain eye contact when talking to them was key. 6 in 10 said that small talk played a crucial role in their decision, and the same number said that dress sense was a deciding factor. So, dress well, practise your handshake, maintain eye contact, brush up on your small talk, and the job is in the bag.)

According to scientists at the University of Roehampton men put under pressure performed better when they were scratching, lip biting and touching their face because it seemed to relax them. (But this doesn't work for women. The author of the stu dy, Professor Changiz Mohiyeddini , said: "It seems that men have an effective behavioural strategy – fidgeting - to combat their nervousness, but for women, the same behaviour actually makes things much worse." It's been so long since I was at an interview I can't really comment on whether I fidget or not, but I have the sneaking suspicion that I go tharn.)