NSTP-CWTS 2 STUDY GUIDE 1– Career Planning

LEARNING LESSON PROPER

OBJECTIVES
MODULE 1-LESSON 2-
After studying this module, you MAKING FIRST
will be able to: IMPRESION

1) Identify ways to make a great I. INTRODUCTION

first impression
2) Distinguish between best and First impressions are long-
worst practice when first meeting
lasting. This familiar phrase indicates
a new professional contact,
one of the many reasons that studying
3) Differentiate between
promoting yourself and people’s first impressions is critical for
promoting what you believe in social psychologists. Any information
4) Practice tasteful self- about a person, from her physical
promotion properties to her nonverbal and verbal
5) Create self promotional behaviors, and even the environment
opportunities through an Elevator
she inhabits, influences our
Pitch
impressions and judgments about her
(e.g., Ambady & Rosenthal, 1993;
TOPIC Gosling, Ko, Mannarell, & Morris,
OUTLINE 2002). First impressions have been
shown to last for months (Gunaydin,
1. First Impressions Selcuk, & Zayas, 2017) and affect
2. Writing Resume personal judgments even in the
3. Social media Strategy presence of contradictory evidence
4. Mastering the Interview about the individual (e.g., Rydell &
McConnell, 2006).

OVERVIEW
This module will let the students know
PRE ASSESSMENT
how to make a great first impression.
This lesson will test the vocabulary
ACTIVATING BACKGROUND
skills and comprehension skills of the
KNOWLEDGE
students. Also, the students will be
able to share their ideas and belief
1. When you look at someone, what
about the stories through reflective
makes you think they are…
writing.
 Dangerous
 Greedy
 Intelligent
 Kind
 Not smart
 Crazy
 Generous

2. Do you like to meet new people or

do you prefer to hang out with people
you already know?
3. When and where did you meet most
of your friends for the first time?

Study Guide 1 – Module 1-Lesson 2-Career Planning | Page 1 of 4

4. Have you met someone who you
hated right away even though you
didn’t know them?
5. When are the most important times
to make a good first impression?
6. What are the best ways to make a
good first impression?
7. Do you make first impressions
based on what people wear?
8. What kind of impression are you
trying to make with your clothes?
9. Do you try to make a different first
impression now than you did in high
school.
DISCUSSION
A. Six (6) Ways to Make Good
Impression
#1 – Your mindset
(aka Set an
intention)
Before you have the
opportunity to
impress, you need to
know why you want
to make a great
first impression. What do you hope
to achieve?
Your mindset basically says that “goals
matter”. Think about what kind of
people you want to
meet and what kinds of interactions
you want to have with them. You may
even adjust your
wardrobe or style of dress accordingly.
This clearly needs to happen before
you attend any kind
of big event, conference, or even
social occasion. It also grounds you in
the kind of energy you
want to have and the level of intimacy
or personal exchange you want to
engage in.
#2 – Appearance
My favorite way that this was
described came from the Forbes
article contributed by YEC
Women. They reference appearance
as “Think about your ornaments”. Now
as a women’s consulting group, they
were referring to clothes, make-up
and jewelry. But this also translates
Study Guide 1 Modules 1- Lesson 2 –Career Planning | Page 2 of 4
to men with respect to watches, or
shoes. What you wear, and how you
present yourself, says a lot about a
person. Looking polished, professional
and not “overdone” is the foundation
for any good impression (Stillman,
Inc.com).
#3 – Get ready – Be Prepared
Before you realize that your Great First
Impression was a Not So Great First
Impression; because you
(1) left your phone on,
(2) couldn’t shake the bad mood
you were in, or
(3) Arrived 15 minutes late, do a
“ready check”. Take one last look in
the mirror. Confirm the time and
location. Turn off or put away any
distractions. And truly, if you’re in a
bad mood, stay home, reschedule, or
watch something funny on your
phone before you walk into the room.
Now, let’s switch to real-time
experiences. You’re dressed, ready,
and have the proper mindset.
#4 – Stand up straight and
Smile
Body language is a crucial part of first
impressions. Stand tall, smile, and
above all else, make eye contact. The
British Psychological Society
(http://bps
researchdigest.blogspot.com/2014/07
/the-psychology-of-first-
impressions.html) states that people
who make eye contact are perceived
as more intelligent. While people who
avoid contact are judged to be
insincere. This is more closely aligned
in the research with women than with
men.
Genuine smiles, a firm (but not bone
crushing) handshake, and purposeful
eye contact are critical in making that
great first impression.
#5 – Let them Speak!
There’s some disagreement about
whether to begin the conversation
first or to listen first.
Actually both are correct depending
upon the situation! There’s no one
magic formula. You have to be able to
read the room and accommodate
yourself to the situation. Pay Attention!
You can engage in a bit of small talk to yourself. It’s named for the amount
loosen up a conversation. You can and of time it should take to deliver it—
certainly should learn about the the duration of a short elevator ride
person you want to meet if you have (roughly 30 to 60 seconds or 75
set that intention ahead of time. But if words). Elevator pitches are
you want a person to trust you, fight sometimes thought to be specific to
the impulse to overly self-promote an idea or a product, but you can
also use it to sell yourself as a
and speak in rapid succession. Letting
professional.(Indeed Career Guide:
the other person speak first, or have
2020)
the floor first, is offering a kindness in
a way. It creates a positive
2. Four Step Elevator Pitch
environment and gets people to feel
good about you. Look at the picture below
#6 – Reveal your Flaws, but not and illustrate the steps
your uhm’s and ahh’s mentioned.

Polish is not always the answer when

it crowds your authenticity. You do
have to relax and be yourself. That’s
not to say that you begin a
conversation with what you can’t do
versus what you can do. But with first
impressions experts actually find that
some degree of vulnerability can be
empowering. Honesty and the ability
to let your guard down humanizes the
communication and makes you seem
real. So don’t overdo, but also don’t
underdo. There’s no excuse for bad
manners, cutting someone off when
they’re speaking, finishing their
sentences for them, or stumbling over
words. LEARNING
ACTIVITY 1
B. Viewing: Making A First 1. Learners will Interview (online) a
Impression in an Interview professional Then, write an elevator
( Optional) speech script. You may use the
following speech outline:
You are going to watch a 5
minute video by Dan Stotz from a. Tell who they are: describe
Kennesaw State University on themselves, and if they are currently
“ Making A First Impression in an working, your company.
Interview.”
b. Describe briefly what they do (this
will be spoken with enthusiasm

C. PROMOTING YOURSELF c. Share what problems they have

solved or contributions they have
Read the Article entitled
made.
“ Tasteful Self Promotion” . ( See
attached document) d. Offer a brief example.

e. Turn the conversation to the person

they plan to be communicating with.
D. ELEVATOR PITCH
State why they are interested in their
1. What is an listener.
elevator pitch?
f. Provide an answer for what the
A personal elevator advantages are from working with
pitch is a quick them. How or in what ways do they
summary of differ from others?

Study Guide 1 Modules 1- Lesson 2 –Career Planning | Page 3 of 4

g. Give a concrete example or tell a COMPILED BY:
short story, show their uniqueness and
provide illustrations on how they Dr. Elisa C. Cristobal
work, excel or differ from others.
Dr. Prescila Marcelo
h. Finish with a Call to Action.
Dr. May Rhea Lopez
2. Once you have a written response
to each of the numbered items above,
begin to edit your responses to fit the
criteria of 25-30 seconds, 80-90
words and/or 8 to 10 sentences.

3. Once done, read it aloud. Practice it

with a co-worker, friend or family
member. Does it sound
conversational? Friendly? Above all,
does it sound authentic? Is this you
speaking?

SUMMARY
Making the first impression is very
important, especially when it comes
to establishing your career. It is
important because it lasts beyond its
moment.

REFERENCES
https://www.psychologicalscience.or
g/observer/studying-first-
impressions-what-to-consider

https://www.eslconversationquestion
s.com/first-impressions/

https://www.coursera.org/learn/care
er-planning/supplement/ZEHz4
/elevator-pitch-professional-
examples

https://www.indeed.com/career-
advice/interviewing/how-to-
give-an-elevator-pitch-
examples

https://www.speakenglishcenter.com
/english-7-tips-7-seconds-ace-
interview-english-language/

https://www.feedough.com/elevator
-pitch-what-is-it-and-how-to-
craft-one/

Study Guide 1 Modules 1- Lesson 2 –Career Planning | Page 4 of 4