They say that the first impression is never forgotten. Honestly, I don’t know if this is exactly true. What I do know is that we all want to make a good impression, especially when starting a new job. We are interested in our leaders and our peers knowing our full potential and having a good image of ourselves. We are interested in that they have a positive image of us. And this, in fact, is very good for our career and for interpersonal relationships at work.
That is why, today’s occasion is about good first impressions, and how to achieve them. Read on to learn more!
When you meet a person, they do a quick scan of you: they look at your smile, the way you talk, the way you walk, how you shake hands, and so on. And based on the data they collect from you in those first, crucial minutes, they decide how to answer many important questions: are you trustworthy, do you seem like a good person, are they interested in you, do they want to work with you. The impression they make of you determines whether they want to continue to have contact with you, or not.
Obviously, when it comes to starting a new job, we need this impression to be tremendously positive. And there are many ways to achieve it, both professionally and interpersonally, since this is equally important. Here we break down some that may be useful to you.
On A Professional Level
- Take care of your physical appearance: It may sound a bit superficial to say, but without a doubt, human beings are visual, and the information we obtain through sight is something that marks us. Dressing appropriately for the occasion, taking care of your personal hygiene, walking with confidence, can do wonders for the impression you leave on people.
- Be punctual: Punctuality speaks highly of people. Demonstrates confidence, responsibility, and interest in the work to be done. It is appropriate to arrive 5 to 10 minutes before work time, not too long before, not too long after, so that you can organize and carry out your work without a problem.
- Trust yourself: When it comes to mental health, it takes a lot more work than just reading an article on the internet, and a good self-assessment is often difficult to achieve. However, confidence and high self-esteem convey an image in others that invites them to feel the same way about us. We teach them how we expect to be treated, and because of this, their perception is positive.
- Highlight your talents: We all have something good to offer, something valuable to contribute, so, in the same vein as the previous point, don’t be afraid to show your potential. Your experience, background, or knowledge is a big part of why you got the job, so don’t hesitate to let your peers and leaders know what skills you have and what they can count on your talents for.
- Give more than what they ask of you: This must be handled with caution. It is never good to overexert yourself or lead yourself to burn-out by being too self-demanding or allowing yourself to be exploited. But, it is always pleasant and received as a good gesture when a person spontaneously goes beyond what was requested of them in a beneficial way for the company or the work it does.
On A Personal Level
- Pay attention to your body language: Your body language speaks and reveals many things about you. It never hurts to investigate and learn a little about the unconscious signals that our gestures send. For example, avoid crossing your arms, frowning, or anxiously moving your legs while you are having those first conversations in your working relationships. This way you can give a much more confident impression.
- Smile more: Although smiles are included in body language gestures, it is important to make them a separate point to emphasize their importance. Smiles project friendliness, they invite people to feel comfortable around you, and this is something that makes it much easier for you to connect with someone and get along with your co-workers. The power of smiles is overrated.
- Be positive: As I mentioned a few paragraphs ago, the way we present ourselves and talk about ourselves gives people an idea of how they should treat us. Therefore, if we project positivity, optimism, and energy, this will be the nature of the energy that marks our conversations and dealings in general with people in the new work environment.
- Be empathic: Just as it is good to have a high opinion of yourself, and speak well of yourself without falling into false modesty, knowing how to read the context of a situation, understanding and comprehending the feelings of a person in the face of an event, etc., are things that give a good impression of you and speak to the nature of your personality. If you can put yourself in the shoes of others, and understand their emotions, surely many people will be able to feel comfortable with you in a short time.
- Be yourself: It may sound cliché, but nothing screams “trust” quite like authenticity. So, beyond reading tips and learning the things that people, as an average approach to a positive way of relating, usually find pleasant, it is important that you do what feels natural to you, and that you be yourself in each circumstance, this shows, and when people feel comfortable around us it is usually because we passed the litmus test of first impression.
Now that you have read this, all you have to do is put it into practice. Congrats on your new beginning!
