The Next Step After a Bad First Impression at Work

April 24, 2018

An early slip can do serious damage with a boss, colleague or client, but you can usually redeem yourself

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It’s a moment few can avoid: You meet someone you want to impress but wind up starting with a glaring faux pas. That tone-deaf comment to a prospective boss or spilled coffee all over a customer can wreck everything.

The moment Angela Copeland showed up for a job interview at a California clothing company years ago, she knew it was over. She had the digital-marketing skills the company needed, but the interviewers wore Birkenstocks and casual clothing of natural fabrics and she showed up in heels and a black tailored suit. “I could immediately see the look on their faces, thinking, ‘Why is she here?’” says Ms. Copeland, a career coach in Memphis, Tenn. She never got a second chance.

It’s possible to recover from a bad first impression. But it takes time, effort and some nuanced skills.

Read the full article at the Wall Street Journal. 


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