Impressing is in your best interests How to be taken seriously

Impressing is in your best interests How to be taken seriouslyImpressing is in your best interests How to be taken seriouslyBeing taken seriously at work takes time and trust. Whether youre the youngest, the least experienced, a new recruit or all of the above proving yourself can feel like an uphill challenge. The earlier you can prove yourself though, the sooner youll relax into the role and be able to perform to your best ability. We spoke with the career experts at CABA who offered their tips on gaining professional respect.Dress the partMost workplaces have a dress code, whether official or unofficial. If you ignore it and dress too casually or too flamboyantly, you risk looking unprofessional. Choose clothes that are appropriate for your work environment if you want to be taken seriously, dress to standard.Be punctualIf you have a tendency to arrive at work late or miss the start of meetings, your manager and colleagues will start losing respect for you. Revise your wake-up time if you have to, as the extra half hour in the morning could binnensee you getting to work punctually. Even if youre only occasionally late, it will be noticed, and eventually, youll gain a reputation for having poor time management.Make eye contactIf youre keen to make a positive impression and engage people, try to look them in the eye when youre talking to them. Avoiding eye contact altogether can make you appear secretive, mistrustful or simply uninterested.Use positive body languageThe right body language can make you appear more confident, experienced and professional all traits that could help others take you more seriously. A University College London study recently found that women are more likely to be taken seriously at work if they adopt a strong, typically male stance (the so-called power pose in the study included having feet shoulder width apart).But theres more to positive body language than power stances. For instance, try to look straight ahead rather than dow n at the floor, sit or stand straight with your shoulders back instead of slouching, and adopt an open posture rather than crossing your arms or legs. When you meet someone, greet them with a firm handshake.Speak upIf you have something interesting or important to say during a meeting or while speaking with colleagues, dont be shy and keep it to yourself. Your confidence will impress, while your ideas could spark off further points for discussion. Speak calmly and clearly with an even tone. Employ professional language try not to swear or use slang or casual words, as you may appear unprofessional.On the other hand, dont feel you need to say something for the sake of it. Stay quiet and listen to what others are saying if you know you cant offer anything valuable. Its better to say nothing than to blurt out something foolish or inappropriate. But do ask intelligent questions, as it shows youre engaged in whats being discussed.Be politeGood manners go a long way Behaving rudely or in considerately isnt going to win you any fans at your workplace. Similarly, with social media, manners are essential. Never write anything derogatory about the company you work for, your boss or colleagues zugreifbar you may not think anyone will notice but, chances are, someone will.Prepare thoroughlyTry not to turn up to meetings unprepared or underprepared. Get a good grasp of whats being discussed beforehand. When you think youve prepared sufficiently, do that little bit more. People tend to pay attention to those who are knowledgeable, so all your efforts wont go unnoticed. At the same time dont brag if you try too hard to impress, you may be perceived as arrogant and obnoxious.Play up your skillsConsider working on skills that will get you noticed. Which skills does your organization value? Focus on building these. The skills dont have to be technical ones, as companies also need employees with strong soft skills such as problem-solving, ability to adapt well to change and be ing a good communicator.If you already possess the skills your company values, share these with your employer and co-workers. For example, you could offer to take on a project or seek out other opportunities that enable you to showcase your skills and bring them to others attention. Once people associate you with certain superior skills, your opinions will be valued all the more.Whether youre starting out in your career, recently moved to a new company or want to revitalise colleagues opinion of you, its important to remember that anyone regardless of age, gender or status can be affected by a lack of recognition, even if theyve been in the business for decades.Whether youre just starting out, getting back to work, changing direction or launching a business, CABA offers an extensive range of career services simply visit caba.org.uk.This article first appeared on Your Coffee Break.