A good professional image is difficult to build up but very easy to destroy. You might be sabotaging your professional image without even realizing it. You’ll find 17 ways you could be doing this in this article.
You use an unprofessional email address
If the email address you use for business doesn’t sound professional, people won’t take you seriously. If your email address makes your company sound childish or silly, people won’t want to contact you, even if your company is quite reputable. Choose a simple but to-the-point email address.
You’re slow at communicating
According to Engage for Success, “Timely communication helps to keep everyone on the same page when collaborating on important tasks and projects.” If you’re slow at responding to emails and getting back to people, your colleagues will get annoyed with you and will lose confidence in your way of doing business.
You arrive late
If you repeatedly arrive late to work, then people will conclude that you are irresponsible. Being late gives other people the impression that your time is more important than theirs and that they should be grateful that you’ve even turned up in the first place.
You dress inappropriately
People always say that you should dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. Dressing smartly is really important, as it makes a good first impression. If your clothes are covered in pet fur, aren’t ironed, or are stained, people won’t take you seriously.
You have an AI resume
Recruiters can spot an AI resume a mile away, so if you use artificial intelligence to create a resume, the people who read it will be less than impressed. If your resume contains false information or cookie-cutter style quotes and cliches, you won’t go very far.
You’re overconfident
If you’re new to a job, you should ensure you ask enough questions so you can be confident that you’re getting things right the first time. Not asking questions can land you in a lot of trouble and could also make you seem overconfident and lacking humility.
Your social media profile isn’t professional
Business News Daily says to “make sure your social media profiles are safe for work, because employers are screening candidates’ presence online.” Your social media profile could put you in a bad light and make you look unprofessional if your photos or the things you write aren’t serious.
You’re arrogant
If you want people to believe in you at work, you must display a level of self-confidence, but you also don’t want to come across as arrogant. An arrogant person is a know-it-all, and this kind of person doesn’t want to listen to suggestions from others.
You always reschedule
In the professional world, people like it when you say a date and stick with it. If you’re always rescheduling appointments and changing your commitments, people will stop taking you seriously and will begin to think that you’re avoiding the work altogether.
You don’t turn up
There’s nothing that will make you seem more irresponsible at work than if you fail to turn up when people are waiting for you. Calling in beforehand to let people know that you won’t be able to make it with plenty of time to spare will show others that you’re taking things seriously.
You don’t follow instructions
“The ability to accurately follow direction will help you become more successful at any given task,” says TAS United Operations Manager Audrey Jenkins on LinkedIn. If you don’t follow instructions, your work won’t turn out very well and other people will be affected by that. When you don’t listen to what other people say, you come across as a know-it-all.
You arrive flustered
Your coworkers will take you more seriously if you arrive at work with enough time to get settled in and begin the day in a calm way without being flustered. If you’re always rushing and arriving late, you won’t give off a very good impression, and people won’t be able to rely on you.
You chew gum
Chewing gum is considered something you would do in a casual setting rather than in a formal meeting. If you are always chewing gum during important business meetings, people might conclude that you’re not taking the meeting seriously or that you’re bored.
You don’t listen
Listening is a very important part of business. People at work are busy and don’t have time to always repeat themselves. If you’re not paying proper attention to what other people say and then ask questions, they will get frustrated with you and will stop taking you seriously.
You miss deadlines
Indeed says “Setting deadlines can help you be more organized by adding clear timeframes to your goals.” Setting deadlines is an essential part of work; if you are always missing your deadlines, people will think that you are irresponsible, and they’ll stop wanting to do business with you.
You’re not prepared
If you go into a business meeting without preparing for it, people will pick up on that right away. You need to think beforehand about what people might ask you and what questions you should ask others. Without good preparation, you’ll damage your professional reputation.
You talk too much
Being a professional business person is all about knowing how to present yourself. But if you talk too much and don’t give others the opportunity to speak, people will get tired of your one-sided domineering business style and won’t want to continue working with you.
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