First impressions can be vitally important in a job interview, but they may be equally important in getting the interview.
We often find ourselves taking extra care in how we look and act for an important job interview, but do we take that same care as we talk to people and network along the way?
Years ago I was working with a young man who had earned his MBA but wasn't having much success in his search for a job. As we met from time to time, he often showed-up wearing sweat pants and a T-shirt. As we discussed his progress, I suggested he start "dressing like an executive." I went so far as to suggest that he even consider how he dressed as he was just going to the grocery store.
As we continued our work together, he not only looked more professional, but he also said that he felt more professional. He reported that he was able to network better. It was as if his whole self esteem had improved by just taking more care in how he dressed.
Networking with your friends, and then with their friends, is critically important to your job search and how you look will impact how you are perceived, especially by those you just met. The bottom line is how you dress affects how you look and how you feel. It is a major factor in making that first impression.
Another factor in a positive first impression is what we say and do. In the digital world of social networking, what we say and do broadens to what we say, post or pin on the Internet. Employers often will check your Facebook page and Google your name to get an impression of who you are. What they find about you in these settings gives an impression of who you are, and often that is their first impression.
While you still want to talk to your networking contacts in person or over the phone, you should consider the impression others will have of you by what you put on the Internet.
An often overlooked component of the impression we make on others is our username for our email address. Having a silly-sounding or goofy username may be cute and fun loving, but it may also give a potential employer a negative impression of who you are. I once worked with a young woman who had a username similar to "waddlewaddlegoogoo." Need I say more?
She changed her username for her job search after just a few words of encouragement.
Whether walking into a job interview or making comments on your Facebook page, you are making impressions that are either good or not so good. Taking into consideration how you look and act throughout the job search process, not just in the job interview, will help you make that good first impression along the way.
Ron Campbell has worked extensively in the job preparation and job search industry. He can be reached at 801-386-1111 or campbellrv@gmail.com.
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