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Impression Management Essay

Decent Essays

IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
P.K. MATHAN RAJ*
JAISON SAMUEL*
Abstract:

The desire to make favorable impression on others is a strong one, so most of us do our best to look good to others. These efforts are worth the trouble. Persons who can perform impression management successfully do often gain important advantages in many situations. Impression Management (IM) is the goal-directed activity of controlling or regulating information in order to influence the impressions formed by an audience. Through impression management, people try to shape an audience's impressions of a person, object, event, or idea. When people are trying to control impressions of themselves, as opposed to other people or entities, the activity is called self-presentation. …show more content…

Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from others, and describing the added value you bring to a situation.

Most job-seekers are not proactive in establishing and building their career brand, letting their actions speak for them when seeking promotions or new jobs. But why not take the time to master some very basic tactics that can help build your career brand and make you a much more attractive employee or job-seeker? Remember, if you don't brand yourself, others will for you. And while you may be happy and secure in your job now, you really never know when that will change.

Management guru Tom Peters, writing in his book The Brand You50 (Reinventing Work): Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an "Employee" into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! states: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.” He adds, “You're not defined by your job title and you're not confined by your job description.”

Types of Impression Management

The most frequent type of impression management attempts are verbal self-promotions — the statements an applicant makes regarding his/her skills and abilities. These types of statements are considered either assertive (applicant initiated) or defensive

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