I’m sure you’ve heard this line “You’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Well, it now seems that we have some proof that this is actually true.
The experiment
A study at Princeton University showed 2000 people 66 pictures of faces for different durations. The durations where 100 milliseconds, 500 milliseconds and a full second. They were then asked to rate how much they trusted the person. The experiment also included other ratings like likeability and competence.
The experiment found that overall they did not change their minds but. They also found that the longer they looked at the photo, the more it reinforced their initial rating. The conclusion is that your brain trying to reinforce that it is in fact correct.
This is even more important in today’s life because very often your first impression to someone else occurs digitally. That is, someone sees a photo of you on social media, CV, email, or other medium and instantly forms an opinion of you. This becomes even more important when there is something riding on you making a good impression. A job interview is a good example of this. This image is representing you when you are not there and if it’s going to be your first attempt to get through the door you better make sure it’s a good one.
I regularly see people that use a selfie to represent themselves online. When going head to head with another candidate that has a professional headshot photo on their site….. you’ve probably already lost. A professional headshot photograph should capture you at your best and should also be in the style that matches your personality. A professional headshot is not easy to get right. We normally spend around 30-45 minutes with each individual working and coaching them on pose, expression, hair & make, wardrobe and much more.
You’ve spent so much money on that new suit for your interview so why not invest a fraction of that to go in with a hidden advantage? If you would like to know more about how I can help please contact me.
Dan Cantero
Sydney Headshot Photographer
Want to learn more about the study. Check it out here.
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2006/08/22/snap-judgments-decide-faces-character-psychologist-finds
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