• First Impressions
• Corporate Culture
• Keeping the Job

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

First Impressions exist whether you knowingly make them or not.
With every new encounter, someone will form an impression of you.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!
Make sure your first impression is a good one!

What takes a few seconds and tells an employer you’re confident and the right person for the job?

Y OUR H AND S HAKE !!

From Pamela Holland and Marjorie Brody, co-authors of “Help! Was That a Career
Limiting Move?”.
To evade making a bad first impression, losing a business deal or simply embarrassing yourself, take heed of
Holland and Brody’s 10 terrible grips to avoid.

The “macho cowboy”… is the almost bone-crunching clasp many businessmen use to shake hands. What are they trying to prove, anyway? There’s no need to demonstrate your physical strength when shaking another person’s hand.

The wimp… is usually delivered by men who are afraid to “hurt the little lady” when shaking women’s hands. Modern female professionals expect their male counterparts to convey the same respect they’d show their male colleagues.

The “dead fish”… conveys no power.
While there’s no need to revert to the macho cowboy death grip, a firm clasp is more powerful than one that barely grabs the hand.

The “four finger”… is when the person’s hand never meets your palm, and instead clasps all four fingers, crushing them together.

The cold and clammy… feels like you’re shaking hands with a snake. Warm up your hand first before grabbing someone else’s.

The sweaty palm… is pretty selfexplanatory, and pretty gross. Talcum powder to the rescue.

The “I’ve got you covered” grip… happens when the other person covers your hand with his or her left hand as if your shake is secretive.

The “I won’t let go”… seems to go on for eternity because the other person won’t drop his or her hand. After two or three pumps, it’s time to let go. “It’s a lot like a kiss — you know when it’s over,” Brody says.

The “southpaw”… happens when the person uses the left hand to shake because the right hand has food or a drink. Always carry your drink and plate with your left hand to keep your right one free for meet and greets.

The “ringed torture”… occurs when the person’s rings hurt your hand. Try to limit the number of rings you wear on the right hand to only one or two and be mindful of any that have large stones.

- Hand extended out, straight out from the waist, palm to the left, and thumb at a 45 degree angle
- Eye contact during the entire process
- On contact with the other hand, close hand around the other person’s hand, waiting until the other person initiates strength and up/down motion
- Release only when the other person relaxes grip

PERSONAL APPEARANCE & ATTITUDE
•Dress appropriately
•Be well groomed
•Present yourself in a positive manner

Meghan Meyer, 31, HR Manager for The
Mercadien Group in Princeton, New
Jersey says:
“A comprehensive and well designed resume will get you to the phone screening process. An articulate person, who speaks confidently about his or her skill sets, will land an interview. But it is how you are perceived during the interview that will leave the lasting impression.”

"Webster's Dictionary defines corporate culture as "the shared values, traditions, customs, philosophy, and policies of a corporation; it is the professional atmosphere that grows and affects behavior and performance."

In essence, corporate culture is the personality of your organization. It's the way your company does business and how it conducts itself. It's employees' beliefs and expectations of work."
(Ceridian, 2005)

At a Hair Salon:
- Music is loud
- Body piercings and tattoos are acceptable
- Dress attire is provocative
In a Business Office:
- No music
- Body piercings and tattoos are covered
- Dress attire is conservative

Pay attention to and respect the corporate culture of your employer. If you do, you will be rewarded!

Pamela Monticelli, 50, Senior Recruiter for Sovereign Bank in
Tom’s River, New Jersey, believes:
“Especially in the financial industry, which tends to be a more conservative environment, a lot of young people don’t understand that we are looking for someone to represent the company. Your appearance is not just representative of you; you will also be representing the company the way we want it to be represented. I have raised four teenagers and every one of them has, at some point, gotten a piercing or tattoo and said, ‘If I am going to work for XYZ Company they need to accept me for who I am.’ My children need to understand that at some point they might have to modify their appearance to fit into a professional environment.”

INUPIAQ CULTURE
- Our culture is beautiful! The way we have lived has served us well – we have been able to thrive in harsh times
- We need to be aware of our cultural differences so we can better communicate

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Others may not understand:
- Crinkling nose
- Raising eye-brows
- Failing to make eye contact
Weak hand shakes , a.k.a. known as the “dead fish shake”

AVOIDING CONFLICT
There is a healthy way of dealing with Conflict:
- When you have issues at work, it is important to bring those issues to the correct person
There’s nothing worse than work issues that fester
- Confront the issue in a positive attitude and learn to deal with issues effectively

UR
ULTURAL
ALUES
LIGN
ITH
ORPORATE
ULTURE
• Sharing
• Humility
• Hard Work
• Respect for Elders
• Respect for Nature
• Family Roles
• Humor
• Responsibility
• Knowledge of Family Tree
• Knowledge of Language

KEEPING THE JOB: WORK BEHAVIORS

Reliability, loyalty and cooperation are just as important to success in a job, as technical skills!

85% of all people who lose their jobs are dismissed because they lack good work habits rather than because they lack appropriate job skills

POSITIVE WORK VALUES

UR
ULTURAL
ALUES
LIGN
ITH
ORPORATE
ULTURE
• Honesty
• Reliability
• Initiative
• Responsibility
• Enthusiasm for learning
• Respect for the role of authority
• Commitment to quality work
• Adaptability
• Positive attitude
• Respect for self, others, & property
• Cooperation
• Tactfulness
• Commitment to teamwork
• Commitment to one’s organization

FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS
• Employees are responsible for asking questions when they do not understand instructions; request for clarification if necessary

Good Working Relationships
• Each employee is required to make an effort to get along with co-workers & supervisors

Punctuality
- Make every effort to show up on time to work and to meetings.
- If you cannot make it to work, call ahead of time to let your supervisor know

Inappropriate, really? I didn’t know!
- Slouching and or sitting laid back in a chair
- Putting your feet on a desk
- Running in the halls
- Yelling down hallways or cubicle to cubicle
- Interrupting conversations

Quality Work is Rewarded
- Gain respect from colleagues
- Managers will propose raises and or give promotions
- Great working relationships with coworkers, business partners, and leaders in the trade
- Valued in the industry

S UMMARY
- Make good first impressions
- Be aware of corporate culture
- Know the company policies
- Practice good work habits