Blog Post: WHY WASTE YOUR TIME OVERCOMING A BAD 1ST IMPRESSION?

Your first impression with your new supervisor and co-workers is going to be very important for you first months, even first year, with them. 

You make your first impression in 3 seconds.  Surveys have shown that the majority (51% or more) of interviewers make a decision to hire, or not to hire in the first 7 seconds of the interview.  You can’t fix a poor 1st impression in 4 seconds.  Be aware that.  If you make a poor first impression at any interview, it can be the last interview.

You can get hired with a poor first impression.  I was a main frame programmer during the Y2K crisis.  I showed up at interviews with hair halfway down my back, motorcycle boots on my feet and a chip on my shoulder.  I had a great resume and times were tough for businesses.  I got hired. 

Here’s the foolish thing about the impression I created.  For several months, I got the ordinary assignments.  I was helping many other programmers solve problems and design solutions for the most difficult systems, but I was not given good assignments.  I was there 6 months before I found a major testing problem and was able to demonstrate a permanent solution for it.  That finally opened the door to the more challenging assignments.

All things considered I was pretty foolish to hit the interview with the boots and the attitude.  The hair wasn’t that big a deal then, but it wasn’t a plus.  So for demonstrating my “individuality” for a short interview, I lost six months of challenging work.  Not good a good trade off.  Incidentally, the business had a casual dress policy that, after I was hired, was indifferent to the way I dressed for work.

Here’ something to think about.  If you leave home bothered by something in your dress, it will stay with you all day.  Even, when you are not thinking about it, the problem will have a negative effect on how you feel about yourself.  On the other hand, if you dress in a way that makes you feel great, you will feel that way all day!  So, to help yourself out, please come to a job fair, a screening interview, or a hiring interview dressed for business, groomed to succeed.