There's a huge emphasis on presentation in the workplace, and this reflects how you present yourself to a client.
A month ago I hadn’t ever ironed a shirt however having to do it three times a week has given me plenty of practice. I wouldn’t normally brush my hair, wear a belt, shine my shoes or even tuck my shirt in, but now these are the formalities I must adhere to on a daily basis.
My internship has taught me the importance of presentation in a business environment, especially in the PR industry. I've learnt to present yourself and who you represent with confidence.
Presentation is just one of the many life skills can take from my internship. I've also learnt the importance of punctuation; it can be hard to be punctual when you have to drive through peak hour in Perth!
My internship has taught me how to deal with stress, a lack of sleep and how to juggle more than one task at a time.
For this I am grateful, I've not only gained experience in the PR industry, I've gained some valuable life skills as well.
PETER DEVLIN-CLARITY COMMUNICATIONS
3 comments:
Peter,through ones appearance you can write a book,being presentable says a lot about you as a person,through your situation to my conclusion i would say what a disorganized officer, You not ironing your shirt as an employer kills the trust i have on you, and what will give me the confidence to trust you with my important clients if you cant handle yourself.I have studied Human Recourse management, there is a topic on recruitment and selection, it incorporates all your appearance,interviews, qualifications etc, but mostly what counts its first impression, this is just to show the importance of appearance. Manage your time well.
Hi,
I agree that presentation is quite important in the work place. Personally I believe self presentation is important in anything you do! Whether I am at work, uni, the corner shop or spending time with family and friends I aim to proudly and confidently present myself. You never know who you will meet or what opportunity will arise!
Being a student sometimes feels as though people who have been in a particular industry for a long time may not take you 100% seriously. Presenting yourself maturely, neatly and confidently helps others in the office take you seriously. For me I also feel more professional and part of the team.
Saying this though I'm not sure it is all about 'presentation'. In some offices I have worked in, there are people who dress/present themselves in high fashion attire and others more smart casual. What really distinguishes people are there skills and personality. Putting in the hard work and letting your knowledge and skills shine is just as important as clothing attire when representing yourself to other staff members and clients.
Hi Peter,
I think you're exactly right about the first impression, being well dressed, the importance of appearance... All of this is really important.
If we work in Public Relations, and if we manage a brand, company, organisation, group or person's image, we should be able to manage our own. And this means to know how to give a good first impression, what to say, what to do, how to dress, but also how to talk or how to act.
I think one thing I will always remember from my Public Relations units, is that there are no little things, even in the way you dress. There are only details that count, if I can even call them "details".
We learn that everything we do has an importance, because it can have consequences well beyond our imagination. And it is part of our duty to dress properly, to give a professional image of ourselves, as it also gives a professional image of the company we work for.
Public Relations is about communicating. Communicating is nearly 80% non-verbal.
Yet, doing too much can also have negative effect on your image.
The first day of my internship, I was dressed to kill. Maybe was it my wedding and I didn't know about it. I just got dressed for it. Nice suit, nice shoes, nice tie. That was fine. But I realised people in my department were not always dress in a formal way. So I finally decided to dress smart but not too smart. I have adapted to the environment I was introduced to.
I guess it depends on a number of different factors, like the size of the company, the industry, the culture of that company, the country...
In conclusion, we should always be ourselves, natural. But as professionnals in the communication sector, we should also keep in mind that even if we don't open the mouth, our attitude and our clothes talk for us.
Post a Comment