Ensure a great first impression

When you’re nervous, it shows in the way you’re standing or what you’re doing with your hands. The same goes for when you’re confident. Standing tall and making eye contact shows confidence. 

If you need a quick boost of confidence, take a power pose. One great power pose is the wonder woman – your hands on your hips, legs out in a V shape, shoulders and back straight, and chin slightly up. 

• Speak clearly and with an even tone. Not too loud or too quiet, as you could come across as dominating or shy.
• Using filler words such as ‘um’ or ‘so’ or filling in gaps with ‘like’ or ‘you know’ will make you seem less knowledgeable. Pay special attention to your usage of the word ‘like’.
• If you need time to compose your thoughts, simply pause, or restate the question.

Choose ONE word from this list of adjectives or pick your own to fill in the blank. When people first meet me, they think I am_____

• Charismatic or boring
• Outgoing or shy
• Kind or judgmental
• Intelligent or weird
• Open or closed
• Powerful or weak
• Engaging or odd
• Professional or casual

Did you pick a positive word? Or a negative word? You have to know where you stand now to move to where you want to be.

The most important thing to do for giving a good impression is to set your intention. Right now pick your ideal first impression word. When people first meet me, I want them to see me as_______.

Smiling is an important social cue, and that other people will respond to smiles on both a conscious and subliminal level.

• Language. “Please,” “Thank You,” and “You’re Welcome,” demonstrate to others that you value their effort, thought, and/or generosity.
• Names. Always address others in business by their title (Mr., Mrs., or Ms.) and their last name, unless they request you use a given name or nickname.
• Attire and Dress. The way a person dresses can demonstrate their respect for whoever they are meeting.
• Eye Contact. Most people believe that those who do not make eye contact are lying or avoiding something, or that they lack the confidence to interact effectively with other people.
• Speaking. A clear, well-modulated speaking voice is an important social tool, and contributes to the ease of communication and a good first impression.
• Handshake. While the handshake should be firm, too much pressure shows a desire to dominate and can be a negative signal.

In order to make a good first impression, you should consider checking out the below tips:

• suitable eye contact: it is a sign of self-confidence. However, do not exaggerate with the duration
• handshake: a good handshake is at the same time firm, warm and dry
• the proper voice: your voice should make proof of self-confidence as well
• dress similarly to the other person: this way, you will give the impression of familiarity and equal terms
• appreciate cleanliness: your face and your home should always be sparkling clean
• find the appropriate posture: relaxed and open postures are preferred to make a good impression.

It’s important to first consider where you are trying to make a good impression—whether it’s a formal job interview or a dinner date. 

Context matters. It gives you cues as to how you should dress, speak, look and behave, in a way that matches the setting you are entering to. That is a key aspects of making a good impression. 

Try not to look bored, rude or hostile.

A useful attitude is welcoming, curious and enthusiastic: smile, make eye contact long enough to notice the color of that person’s eyes, sit without crossing your arms or legs. This project a positive, open warm impression.

The primary factor in resilience is having supportive relationships, inside and outside the family. 

Close friends, family and loved ones represent our social support; they encourage and motivate us, and let us know that we aren’t alone.

The way we view a potentially stressful situation can either make the crisis worse in our mind or minimize it. 

Reframing things in a more positive way can alter our perceptions and relieve our stressful feelings.

Job interviews are still mostly subjective and rarely focus on merit, work quality, or important job skills. There are always biases, preferences and on-the-spot decisions that are not entirely professional or by the book.

Prospects are advised not to showcase their personal aspects in a job interview, and to keep it professional and ‘office-like’ in the video conference. The proper dress code and mannerisms of an actual job interview are to be mimicked, and that means the pants have to be worn!

If you are planning your first date with somebody, make sure to pay a special attention to the topics you want to engage in throughout the date. Keep the conversation smart and the exchange of experiences alive.

When going on a first date, make sure your mindset is a positive one, no matter what your previous dating experiences felt like. Embrace the fear of a possible failure while hoping for a pleasant outcome.

Some managers favor candidates who went to the same school. There's also evidence that African-American sounding names, birthmarks, being pregnant, and being overweight puts candidates at a disadvantage.

To overcome this bias, identify the key skills and values in advance, then create a standard set of behavioral and situational questions to ask every candidate. Doing this can triple the manager's accuracy in predicting job performance.

College seniors often stretch the truth in interviews to make a better impression. Be aware that when you meet someone for the first time, you meet their representative.

An antidote could include to let them showcase their skills by collecting a work sample. It might be a project they've done in the past or a live simulation of the job in real-time.

It doesn’t have to be exhaustive. Just a quick outline will help. The point is to have something that guides you.

Do a quick plan on how much time and effort this idea will take, so you can have a bird’s eye view.

Good planning of resources help you plan out your energy and expectations. 

So plan out your time and resources accordingly and integrate them into your schedule/to-do list. Block out time in your calendar for the project. Give yourself some buffer as well, in case of contingencies.