First Impressions: Don't Be Fooled by a Pretty Face

It used to be that we were all taught to make a good first impression. We were all taught to put our best foot forward when meeting that new person, going for that job interview, etc...We have come to find out over the years that this could not be a more confusing or wrong indicator of who people really are. You may find that you get a "good feeling" about someone when you first meet them. You may find that the potential date seems like a keeper and a longterm relationship. As an employer, you may think that a new applicant will be right for the job.

This will most likely be a completely new way for you to think about this topic. It is just not the normal way we have been taught. We can only say that employers may be on to this as far as new employees are concerned. Parents sometimes are guilty of thinking that new teacher, coach, etc will be a good fit for our children.

The real indication of what a person is made of, in our opinion, is not that impression they make when you meet them initially. We feel the real first impression does not become apparent till sometimes much later. We are saying that the true test of a person is to see them when they are dealing with an issue, when life has them backed up against the wall, when life is not dealing them the rosy picture of life they expected.

The following are some areas where we feel you need to "wait" to see the true picture. We assume you may be able to add a few people to our list!

1. Employees- we will start with employees. If you are an employer, you really don't know if the potential applicant is a good fit for your company or not. Perhaps to see how these people act when asked to work over their usual time, meet a deadline, etc...will give you the true meaning as to whether or not They will be a team player. Are they willing to go the distance? Do they come to work when they are scheduled?

2. Employers-we will follow the above with employers. Numerous times, you may find you, as a potential new employee are given empty promises and freedoms when accepting the new position. Then you come to find out that the agreed upon benefits are soon forgotten or not do-able.