The importance of your personal image

First impressions are lasting! 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 walked into a boardroom with top executives from a company to present a proposal to invest in my recruiting business and I was wearing a really nice jacket, a pair of jeans and some really nice Kenneth Cole flats… what message? I would be? Shall I convey to the executives that are present? Does my appearance exude 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 a casual 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 you were wearing” and not “what you had to say/sell”.

The image is crucial for the 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 doesn’t mean I’m wearing a $2,000 suit, but it does mean I look polished and professional. 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 you be inspired to come up to me and start a dialogue? Most likely you wouldn’t. The image I’m projecting is that I’m aloof, I’m bored, leave me alone and stay away from me. However, if you see me mingling with various people, with a smile and exuding confidence, it would have the opposite effect. You would be thinking “who is that?” seems important, seems friendly, I wonder what he does. In essence, you are motivated to come and introduce yourself.

For the past 10 years, I have conducted business etiquette workshops for college students across the United States. I cover the do’s and don’ts of professional dress in corporate America. After living abroad for 3 years, I did a similar workshop in Asia (specific to the label in that region). This is always an eye opener for students making the transition 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 for which you are applying. If you’re too flashy with excessive jewelry and expensive alligator shoes, what image are you projecting? For women, if your makeup is excessive and your top is low-cut, what image are you projecting?

Let’s go a step further, from a recruiter’s perspective, if I receive a resume with an email address [email protected], what image does that image project? If I call you to schedule an interview after reviewing your resume and your voicemail rings and the ringback tone is the latest Kanye West song, full of profanity, what image does that image project? Let’s go even further, as an employer I look you up on Facebook or MySpace by your email address (which is on your resume), and I see pictures on your page that show you in a bar or showing cleavage or your status update has profanity in it. her, what image does that project?

Again, your personal image is critical to your personal brand (read “The Brand YU Life” by Hajj E. Flemings). If he has had any of these violations in the past, it is not too late to change his self-image. What is the message you want to convey to others when they meet you for the first time? Once you can answer that question, please contact me and let’s discuss how I can help you improve your professional presence.