The Power of First Impressions

By Michele Beach


          It takes just 18 seconds for a person to gain a first impression about another. Rachel Jackiewicz could not stress this fact enough to the group of student leaders. As the Director of Career Services at St. Thomas Aquinas College, Mrs. Jackiewicz centered her speech at her recent leadership workshop on the importance of first impressions. She left 22 students with a new perspective on their futures with a motivating speech.
          “First impressions aren’t just about how you act--everything from how you dress, what time you arrive and even what fragrance you wear that day can have an impact on your first impression,” she said.
          Rachel had the audience at the leadership workshop participate in a short activity in order for everyone to prove that in just a short amount of time someone can sense the personality of another. The students paired up at desks facing each other; each student had 30 seconds to interact and make the best first impression on their partner before moving on to the next person. There were no rules, guidelines or specific questions that the students had to ask or answer; they were just told that their goal was to make the best first impression.
          The interactions that took place varied, some students shook hands, while others asked questions and introduced themselves; some even just talked and giggled, trying to get over the first few nervous sentences. Following the activity, the group came together and voted on the one student who made the best impression. There were a variety of characteristics that the group agreed made one student stand out.
          “It’s all about your nonverbal actions, what people see and what behaviors you show speak louder than any words you can say during an interview. About 60% of communication is nonverbal messages, that’s over half!” Rachel’s words put into perspective for the students that actions speak louder than words. Some special qualities that really made a difference included: eye contact, shaking hands, smiling, how motivated the person was, their posture, tone and volume of their voice. A lot of these qualities are what employers look for on an interview.
          “There are so many little things that go into a person’s outlook on you, I can’t stress it enough!” she said. Rachel shared with the group some horrible stories of first impressions, like: someone wearing overpowering fragrances, people not being prepared or showing up underdressed for an interview (you should always dress professional and conservative). These are all helpful hints that student leaders on campus were able to gain first hand from a professional who knows so much and is willing to share this information in order to better prepare them for their futures.