One day, my daughter called me about an interview she had to attend. It was not for a job, but was for consideration for an award in school. She is a casual dresser. Always modest, but comfortable in her dress. She’s not a frilly, lacey, show off dresser. So she asked me, “Should I dress up for the interview?”
Well, immediately, I remembered something Dad had told me many times. I don’t know if it was for my first interview, or whether I was meeting someone special, or what, but he told me what I told my daughter: “You only get one chance at a first impression.”
The expression itself is very simple. But you have to realize what it really reveals about the situation. You only meet someone for the first time, ONE TIME. After that, there is no way you can go back and change how you looked, how you acted, how you felt (and let that affect the way you acted), or anything you said. It is truly a one-shot deal. You just get that one chance. Then, it’s gone.
Obviously, you should always make the best of any first impression. You see people brushing their hair over, checking their teeth for lipstick smears, looking in the mirror to make sure everything is in place, before meeting a special someone. All good ideas. If you have the opportunity to impress someone, dress for the occasion, stand and sit with excellent posture, use your best manners, answer politely any question that is posed, and above all, remember: You only get one chance… make it a good one.
