You always want to make a great first impression in professional situations, whether it’s an interview, networking event or something else. There will be other people around who are just as intent on getting the attention of potential employers, which means you need to do what you can to ensure that you make the biggest impact. If you’re not sure how to be memorable in these situations, here’s what you need to know.
Establish your style
Before an employer gets to know you, they see what you look like. While appearance doesn’t indicate your capabilities as an employee, it does create an impression that will either stay with them or get easily forgotten. We’re not suggesting that you should turn up for an interview or event in a rainbow suit, but include something in your outfit that will catch an employer’s eye. This is a simple way to keep your name on people’s lips and can be really effective at getting you a callback for another interview. Just make sure that what you wear doesn’t go against any clothing regulations. You don’t want to come across as someone that can’t abide by the rules.
Don’t be a yes man/woman
Disagreeing with someone in a professional situation may sound like a bad idea, but it’s incredibly effective at making you stand out. If you feel strongly about something, don’t be afraid to be open about it. Even if an employer doesn’t see your point of view, they’ll respect you for being honest and confident enough for speaking out. As long as you’re respectful, there’s no reason to be a yes man or woman.
Be a storyteller
When you need to sell yourself to an employer, don’t just list what you’re capable of. You may have racked up plenty of achievements that will be of benefit to the company, but you need to express them in the right way. Try telling them in the form of a story. Why? Narratives are easy for people to follow, and will actually help them to remember more details than if you were just to tell it straight.
Back up those stories
When you tell these stories, make sure to give specific data that can support what you’re saying. It’s no good mentioning that you improved things at your last job if you can’t provide exact numbers to back it up. Employers will be impressed if you say that productivity rose by 50/60/70% thanks to your efforts, so long as it’s true.
Be a neighbor
If you want to make sure that professional connections will remember you, be sure to nurture them as though they were a neighbor. You’ll come across as much more likable and memorable if you show a willingness to help them out, and this is important when meeting new people. It’s particularly useful in networking situations as you’re crossing paths with a lot of different contacts in a short space of time.
Do things differently
Novelty is the key to being memorable, apparently. Memory formation and retention are largely impacted by novelty, therefore doing something different from the norm is more likely to have an impact in a professional environment. This doesn’t mean acting bizarrely. After all, you still need to set a good impression. However, something like altering the design of your résumé to something unique will help keep you at the front of an employer’s mind. Never be afraid to show that you can be outside of the box – ingenuity is always appreciated.
Being memorable is critical in professional situations, especially in this day and age. For every great qualification you have, there’s someone else who’s got one better. If you want to be the person that gets picked out from the crowd, you need to make an effort to stand apart from the rest.
