How to Project A Professional Image In The Workplace – A positive, professional image is essential to your career; and unfortunately, this seems to be even more true for women than it is for men. Whether you are currently looking for a new position or are a workplace veteran, it’s always good to regularly review the steps involved in projecting a professional persona. These really could make or break your career, and your reputation.
First Impressions Are Critical
First impressions are especially important for those starting a new position or interviewing for a new job. However, they’re also important for people who meet new clients on a regular basis. It’s been proven that people form an initial impression within the first three seconds of meeting you, and once that impression is formed, it’s very difficult to change. Because of this, you want it to be professional, and show them that you belong.
To give a good first impression, you’ll want to consider everything from the clothes you wear to the car that you drive. Your personal attire should say “I’m good at my job”, not “look at the skin I’m showing” and you want people to trust you not be distracted by what you’re wearing. Your car also counts here, especially if you visit clients a lot. Don’t turn up to meetings in an old banger. Car leasing is an extremely popular option amongst business owners and you can even lease a popular model such as a Jaguar if you really want to impress. You should be able to find some lucrative options available – the deals on Vantage Leasing for example are a great place to start if you want to lease a jaguar.
Exhibit A Respectful Attitude
Respect isn’t given, it’s earned, and if you want to portray a professional image, you need to be respectful in all situations. And, while you do want to be confident, and show that you know what you’re doing, you don’t want to cross the line and appear cocky. Think friendly, but not annoying, polite but not obsequious. Try to stay true to yourself while retaining a respectful and positive aura and you can’t go far wrong.
It’s important to note here that you should also exhibit a respectful image online, and if you’re unable to do this, you’d be better off locking down your social media profiles and making them fully private and only accessible by friends. Everything you post online can be seen by your employers and colleagues, and this includes everything from the chain mail you sent because it was cute to the photo of you out clubbing on a Saturday night. If it’s not something you’d want colleagues to see, lock it down.
Consider Your Body Language
Finally, your body language and how you act are a crucial part of your image. You need to inspire trust, not only with your clients but with your colleagues as well. This means being open and friendly, making eye contact, offering a firm handshake, having a good posture, smiling, and focusing purely on the person you are talking to instead of a piece of technology. Every successful person has positive body language so it’s definitely something worth focusing on.
Projecting a professional image in the workplace is very important. Hopefully, these tips have helped you somewhat and helped you to feel more confident.
KJ