Confirming years of anecdotal evidence on workplace hiring practices, a new study conducted by psychologists at New York University has found that employers typically know within the first five minutes of a job interview with a prospective employee whether or not they will murder the applicant. First impressions are everything, and our research shows that no matter how good someone looks on paper, an employer can generally tell almost as soon as a job applicant walks through the door if this is someone they will soon violently kill, lead researcher Dr. Laura Hollander said of the study, adding that initial factors such as an applicants eye contact, facial expression, energy level, and posture are often all thats needed for employers to know for certain if they are going to slit that persons throat and stuff their corpse in a supply closet. One seasoned human resources manager, for example, told us that he typically knows as soon as the first handshake whether hes going to murder an applicant on the spot or, alternatively, follow the applicant home that evening and bash his or her head in with a rock. Sure, once in a while an applicant can really shine at the end of an interview and overcome an unimpressive start, but in general, people need to be on their game from minute one if they want to prove to prospective employers that theyre someone who deserves to live. Researchers added that despite the studys intimidating findings, job applicants can improve their odds of surviving the first interview by preparing responses for a range of potential questions, dressing professionally, and always carrying a concealed weapon in an ankle holster. 