Making a good first impression is one of the most important things when trying to get ahead with your career and getting opportunities. As much as we like to believe that it’s all about what’s inside, many people form their opinion on your person within moments of meeting you based entirely on physical traits and how you project yourself. That makes it essential to hit some marks from the beginning so that you can have an excellent place to start from and showcase the skills, talents, and ethics that you bring to the table.
The standard number thrown around is that it takes seven seconds for a person to form an initial opinion of you. Still, a recent study suggests that people can already create their impression of you from just a glance that lasts anywhere from 33 to 100 milliseconds. So what traits should you polish to ensure that you give off an air of reliability and likability? Read on for some pointers.
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Perfect your smile
Numerous studies have proven that having a friendly, genuine smile does wonder in affecting how people perceive you. That contributes to the positive traits that they automatically associate with you if you have a pleasant smile, like kindness, honesty, carefreeness, social aptitude, and the like. Further research indicates that this positive association also depends on the intensity of your smile (finding the right balance) and having a good set of teeth.
Getting braces in your adulthood is no shame and can be a good investment, too, if you feel that self-consciousness about your teeth is what is stopping you from displaying a warmer smile towards others. There are many options now, like lingual braces and clear aligners that allow you to have a set that isn’t visible when you do flash a smile.
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Be mindful of your posture.
Body language and posture are some of the core factors that affect someone’s perception of you in a split second. Take the time to practice having the proper position that doesn’t make you look either too frumpy or too rigid. An excellent way to achieve this is to know the best alignment for your body and to focus on finding ways to relax from within, essentially allowing yourself to have a demeanor that looks respectable and confident without coming off as overly practiced and closed off. Overall, this can also help you feel more relief as you’ll find that having good posture throughout your activities can nix a lot of the discomfort you may otherwise be feeling.
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Put thought into your outfit.
Yes, everyone has their own style. That said, it’s essential to dress for success – meaning you take the time to wear clothes that complement your body shape, skin tone, and the type of activity you are currently doing. That shows that you put thought in what you do and how you take care of yourself, and immediately works as a vote of confidence for anyone just gauging you based on what they see. Often, even when you follow through with actions, people still base most of their judgment from the first 500 milliseconds of exposure to you.
If you take the time to improve these characteristics, you can establish your presence nicely wherever you go.
