#BEST FIRST IMPRESSION PROFESSIONAL#

When going to an internship interview, a job talk or a networking event, first Google the people you'll be meeting with to identify their research and other interests, says Alexander Todorov, PhD, a psychology and public affairs professor at Princeton University. How can you strengthen your chances for making a solid impression when it counts? Here are six strategies.

Having a handle on the kinds of impressions you make can go a long way toward advancing your career, says Uleman. Another study, in the April 2011 issue of Social Influence found that a limp handshake can make you appear overly passive. For example, a 2009 study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that factors ranging from clothing style to posture play a role in how impressions are formed (PDF, 133.9KB). Substantial research has affirmed the importance of first impressions, while exploring a variety of factors that contribute to their formation.

#BEST FIRST IMPRESSION PROFESSIONAL#

'In spite of the congeniality of many professional gatherings, judgments are being made and impressions formed all the time,' Uleman says. The kind of impression you make with them can change the course of your career, says James Uleman, PhD, a psychology professor at New York University and researcher on impression management. Your dissertation committee members might connect you with future employers. Many of the people you meet in grad school will have a great influence over your future.

Best first impression