It is always said that the first impression is the last
 
impression. Success of an individual evidently lies in
 
his interpersonal skills and his business knowledge.
 
Your overall communication skills and your persona play
 
an important role in leaving an indelible effect on the
 
opposite person. In essence, you are responsible for
 
creating your own image for the world to gauge and
 
react. Presenting yourself more astutely and
 
professionally in an official environment like a job
 
interview is half the battle won! Many studies and
 
analysis have led to the same conclusion that a person
 
is judged within the first couple of minutes of his
 
interaction with his fellow beings. Subsequent opinions
 
are based on the first impression that is cast on us.
 
Whenever we communicate with others the impact of our
 
communication skill on the other person is also
 
influenced by voice and facial expressions. On telephone
 
the percentage of our impact raises much higher as it is
 
based on the tone of voice.
 
In todays age the important areas which one should
 
always consider to present yourself professionally and
 
which also have a huge impact on your image, are: dress
 
code, communication skills and social networking.
 
1. Dress Code. To project your professional image it is
 
very important to dress sharply. Dressing formally also
 
means wearing clothes in a manner that makes you feel at
 
ease in a public space. Accessories and jewellery are
 
encouraged if worn in a good taste. Excessive makeup or
 
sprinkling of perfumes gives a suggestion that one has
 
not bathed in weeks is an absolute no.
 
2. Communication Skills. Communication Skills are vital
 
for professional success. In fact these skills are the
 
bane of many senior level management personnel today,
 
who are found embarrassingly wanting in either written
 
or oral skills. It has been observed that many
 
individuals have to forgo their assent up the corporate
 
ladder due to serious deficiencies in communications. It
 
is not hard to explain why. Our thoughts, emotions and
 
feelings are channelized through verbal and non verbal
 
communication. As professionals rise higher in an
 
organization, communication skills become more
 
important, not less. You can actually influence people
 
by the art of communication which gives you the
 
authority to make them do what you want them to do.
 
While the importance of verbal communication cannot be
 
underestimated, one cannot do away or ignore written
 
communication. A simple well written message, manages to
 
hold your attention. Ultimately, communication should be
 
effective. As long as there is clarity in communication,
 
the goal of communication will be accomplished.
 
3. Social Networking. Modern individuals now know how to
 
brand themselves. Social media has given us the chance
 
to showcase our own image in public. Your presence
 
online is your own clever form of publicity. It's a good
 
idea to have an online presence but it should be always
 
updated so that your potential stakeholders are aware of
 
your status and availability for business and employment
 
opportunities.