Essay #3

Zsofia Illes
Essay #3
3/5/09

People’s Perception of Me

Ever since I was little I had to meet a lot of new people. My family and I had moved a couple times, and even when I didn’t move I changed schools and friends and environments. By having to adopt and meeting so many new people, how they view me and perceive me it comes down to first impression.
I think now days when I meet people I generally have a good first impression on them. Since I work in a restaurant I don’t come off as shy, or unintelligent, because I meet a new family or couple every ten minutes while I am working. I developed a general sense of how people like to be talked to, the tone and I can naturally tell if they are looking for a conversation or just want to be left alone.
I think this has helped me be better at holding a conversation, reading people and knowing just how to be around certain people. I honestly believe that talking to people and being good at it helps you a lot in life. Take it for example if you wanted to get a job, you have to go through interviews. If you just generally know what happens in interviews and you are prepared that’s a half win, but if you can hold an interesting conversation with the interviewer, they will most likely remember you and consider you as highly possible to get the job. That is the only reason why I think that every job I so far applied to I got it. Not because I am so great at my school or I was full of experience but because I interview well and I can express myself on a way that comes across positive. Even if you have no idea about the things you will be doing at your job because you have never done it before, if you can openly be honest and tell them, assuring them that you are more than willing to learn, you are earning major points at your interview.
Just in my everyday life, I believe or would like to believe that I also come across in a positive way. I am very open to meet new people all the time, have conversations and make a good impression. I think I come across as a nice person, when I talk to people for the first time I smile a lot try to make a positive and comfortable environment for me and them to talk and get to know each other. I am actively engaged in the conversation and give them feed-back so they know I am interested in what they have to say. I mostly expect people to do the same when I am talking. If they don’t than that’s a sign that they are not interested or bored by what I am saying so then you know that there is time for you to change the subject.
Just based on my looks I think sometimes people miss-judge me. Maybe put me in a stereotype with blonde girls, who cares a lot about their looks and spends a lot of money on their clothes, which is true but I think there is a lot more to it, when you actually get to know me. Mostly girls are the ones that would stereotype the other girls like them. I think this is based on bad experiences before, jealousy or just being uncomfortable around other girls because the girls who is making the stereotype is not confident herself. That is why I think that when you are confident and independent from people’s opinions about you, you come across as a better person. Of course you still need to be humble and understanding the situation, so you know when you talk to a girl that is not confident with herself you know the way to talk to her. Like I mentioned before, understanding the type of person you are talking to and reading their body language is so important for me to make the right first impression so people view me as a confident, independent and responsible individual. That is how I would like to be viewed and I believe most people I meet view me that way.