Title of workshop attended: Career Planning: Impression Management
Category of Workshop: Career Exploration
Date/time of workshop: 10/13/09, 12:50-2:20
The workshop was basically about how to present the best impression when going to an interview for a job or even in the school environment. The speaker, Dr. Ellen Stein, not only talked about how the outward appearance of a person matters but also the attitude the person carries. This workshop’s basic goal was to help improve a person’s ability to present themselves well and properly in certain environments, especially in the employment field.
I chose this workshop because I wanted to know what exactly “impression management” meant and how it related to career planning. I didn’t really have any expectations for this workshop and it felt like it was just something else to get over with. This workshop didn’t exactly take me out of my comfort zone but it made me realize that the situations she explained about interviews and job searching wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. The speaker was involved with the students by asking us questions such as if we had networking websites and job experience. She also pointed out the pros and cons of texting and emailing and how it could affect your job.
She explained that some points of practicing good impression management were responsibility, respecting diversity, being positive, and being genuine. She also spoke about how important it is to be social and make connections in college in order to gain opportunities such as finding an internship or job.
I was surprised I learned quite a bit in this workshop about how I should watch what I say online or how I use my words in daily conversations. Even the little movements I make, like rolling your eyes or how you sit, can change a person’s first impression of you. By practicing, you can improve your whole presence which can ultimately get you far in school and beyond.
This workshop met my expectations in informing about how to present myself well in certain kinds of environments. I would recommend this to other students if they’re wondering about the basics (and more) of what the title says: impression management!