The importance of your personal image
First impressions last! At least that’s what my mom always told me. I also heard this quite a bit during my first two years of college. But what does that really mean for a business professional? If I were to walk into a boardroom with the top executives of the company to present a proposal to them to invest in my recruiting business and I was wearing a really nice blazer, a pair of jeans, and some really nice Kenneth Cole flats … What message would it be? Do I convey to the executives who are present? Does my appearance radiate confidence and credibility? I would have to say no.
What is your first impression of me? In this example, what my appearance indicates is that 1) I am not aware of my audience, 2) I am taking an informal approach to my business, 3) I am not ready, 4) I am not ready to be a key player in the game . , 5) People in the room will definitely remember “what I was wearing”, not “what I had to say / sell”.
Image is essential for your own brand. When people meet me or talk about me with other professionals, they won’t necessarily remember what I was wearing, but they will ALWAYS remember that I exude professionalism and confidence just because of my appearance. This does not mean that I am wearing a $ 2,000 suit, but it does mean that I am elegant and professional looking. My image says that I take care of business.
Just as important as your visual appearance is your verbal and non-verbal communication. For example, if you see me at a networking function and I’m alone in a corner with my arms crossed and looking disinterested and irritated, would it inspire you to reach out to me and start the dialogue? Most likely it won’t. The image I am projecting is that I am distant, I get bored, leave me alone and stay away. However, if you see me mingling and mingling with multiple people, smiling and exuding confidence, it would have the opposite effect. You would be thinking “who is that?” It seems important, it seems friendly, I wonder what it does. In essence, you are motivated to come and introduce yourself.
For the past 10 years, I have conducted workshops on business etiquette for college students across the United States. I cover the dos and don’ts of career attractions in American companies. Having lived abroad for 3 years, I did a similar workshop in Asia (specific to etiquette in that region). This is always a revelation for students transitioning from college to the professional world. Your visual image and body language (non-verbal communication) are an indication of how you would represent the company you are applying for. If you are overly flashy in excessive jewelry and expensive crocodile shoes, what image are you projecting? For women, if your makeup is excessive and your blouse is low-cut, what image are you projecting?
Let’s go one step further, from a recruiter’s perspective, if I receive a resume with an email address that is [email protected], what image does that image project? If I call you to schedule an interview after reviewing your resume and your voicemail comes on and the ringback tone is Kanye West’s latest song, full of profanity, what image does that image project? Let’s go even further, as an employer I search for you on Facebook or MySpace by your email address (which is on your resume), and I see images on your page showing you in a bar or showing cleavage or your status update has bad words . in it, what image does that image project?
Once again, your personal image is critical to your personal brand (read “The YU Life Brand” by Hajj E. Flemings). If you have had any of these violations in the past, it is not too late to change your personal image. What is the message you want to convey to others when they first meet you? Once you can answer that question, please contact me and let’s discuss how I can help you improve your professional presence.