B-school Students Require Soft Skills

First impressions matter and unfortunately, first impressions cannot be created twice. The “first impression is the last impression”. Imagine yourself as an employer conducting interviews and a candidate walks in wearing flashy clothes, bathed in perfume and gives you a weak handshake. The moment the candidate speaks, you smell the omlette he or she had for breakfast! I am sure you would not only want to get away, but also wonder if the interviewee was right for the job.
Let’s take a simple example. You walk into a store full of unbranded soaps and are asked to pick one up. Obviously, you will go for the one with an attractive packaging, since you can neither see nor smell the soap inside it. Real life is similar. If you are packaged well, people will hire you and if not, you may face rejection. Remember, your “image speaks before you speak”.

According to Mehrabian, when people meet you for the first time, they judge you 55 per cent visually, 38 per cent vocally and seven per cent verbally. Ralph Waldo Emerson said so too in essence, when he said, “what you are shouts at me so loudly, I cannot hear a word you are saying”.

Outer appearance or grooming is a very important part of personality. I have decoded the word G-R-O-O-M-I-N-G as (Getting Right Our Outfit Manners Image And Gestures). From the moment people first see you, they are making judgments. What do these people see in the visual 55 per cent of the time? They will notice your dress, personal grooming, accessories, body language and manners/etiquette. These things are seldom taught, but are very important in successful social and professional interaction.

Students studying in B-schools should be able to fit in with global corporate culture. In today’s increasingly global arena, technical knowledge alone is not enough to ensure success. Creating the right image does count in the business world, as no matter how brilliant an employee is, his or her lack of social skills and sloppy appearance can make a bad first impression on clients and business associates. While you cannot control your physical features, you have total control over your image.

Dressing is an extremely important part of self-grooming. Understand the difference between formal, casual, smart casual and lounge wear. Take charge of your accessories. Don’t wear anything to attract undue attention. Proper emphasis should also be laid on shoes and bags. If you dress appropriately, the signal you send out is that you understand social norms and have an impeccable sense of style.

Personal hygiene is very important. The way you take care of your face, hair, hands, oral hygiene and body odour, say quite a lot about you.

Having the right business etiquette and positive body language is equally important. People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel. With every interaction, yet another person’s impression of you is formed. First impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo. You must ‘look right for the job’, before you ‘get the job’.

Grooming not only builds personality, but also provides confidence and creates credibility at the workplace.