Personal image is part of non-verbal communication. And non-verbal communication is present in different professional environments: Job interviews, negotiation processes, networking events, training courses... Personal image and non-verbal language are not only perceived in face-to-face interaction, but also in images and videos. For example, it is advisable to add a recent photograph in the curriculum vitae or in the presentation of a professional blog. In this context, the value of the image acquires added relevance: it personalizes the information described in the text.
Personal image does not define a person. However, it takes on added meaning on first impressions. Think about those professional events in which, even before you have introduced yourself to other people, you have had a certain perception. The way of dressing, the body posture, the gestures and the movements do transmit some type of information (which the interlocutor interprets from subjectivity).
How to enhance the personal image in the professional field
It should be pointed out that personal image does not refer to a reductionist vision of beauty stereotypes. As we have commented, the personal image indicates the influence of non-verbal language. And the person can consciously influence this plane if they want to make some changes in this regard.. That is, you have the possibility to align your appearance with the message you really want to convey. For example, someone may consider that the image they want to project through the way they dress is not the one they perceive in the mirror.
Some specialized professionals offer their services to advise, guide and accompany clients in the process of strengthening their personal image. The figure of the personal shopper, for example, has acquired great projection today. Your help can be key for those who want to find their style in the way they dress because they have stopped identifying with the clothes they have in their closet. The personal shopper can guide you to select those colors that enhance your personal essence or those garments that enhance their best version. Your advice can also be aligned with a specific objective: taking care of your personal image in an upcoming job interview. In this professional circumstance, the choice of styling can be key.
Similarly, the experts who currently work as image consultants specialize in a sector that has acquired great projection. It is positive that the image that a person wants to convey in the professional field is aligned with the message that he really communicates to others.
Personal image and personal brand: how are they related?
The personal image, as we have commented, is especially significant in the first impressions. For example, during the first seconds of a job interview. However, the communication capacity of a human being goes beyond the first impression and gets stronger with time.
Although, sometimes, those first moments can be decisive (from a positive or negative perspective): For this reason, the term we discuss in Formación y Estudios It is in direct connection with the personal brand. That is, with branding. It is a key concept in the professional field since, for example, positively influences the differentiation of a candidate who shows his best version during a selection process.
Personal image, as we have indicated, influences in a positive or negative way for a few seconds that, however, are framed in key contexts: job interviews, professional meetings, company events, networking activities, business trips... For For this reason, it is so important to take care of an aspect that, in no case, is superficial or secondary when its meaning is understood.