What do recruiters want ??

Attention Job Seekers !

You must have often come across job ads giving the job description and details of experience etc required.

Do you know there are some things which are not mentioned in the ad but become a deciding factor for recruiters when they choose you above others ???

What is this deciding factor ?

This deciding factor is your Image. Your First Impression which you form on your potential employers.

 If You are able to present and market yourself as a BRAND , it can do wonders for you at not only acing the job but also a comfortable salary.

You should know how to position and sell yourself amidst other candidates. And here your dressing sense, Body language, Etiquette , grooming and Communication become important.

This is the sphere where we can help you make a great first impression and grab your dream job. :)

What is Visual authority

One of my client's who is a Finance Head of a large Corporation mentioned   that at home his teenage kids did not listen to him. He was not taken as seriously at home as he was at office.

My next step was to ask him a simple question "what do you wear when you are home ?". He said that he wore his faded  long shorts and a round neck  worn out T shirt.

Now, friends, what he lacked was VISUAL AUTHORITY at home. His children did not find him eligible for respect . Some how, subconsciously they had formed an image of their father based on the way he dressed himself . He was being treated as one of them by his children. He did not have the Image of a Father figure.

So, Visual authority is the authority you are able to generate in your personality just by the way you dress up and carry yourself. For eg:- a man from the armed forces automatically garners more respect and authority than a normal civil guy  only based on his whole countenance.

Cycling = Image Management

Cycling = Image Management

Learning and adopting Image Management process can be compared to learning how to cycle.

1) First of all, you cannot learn Image Management only by reading books or googling on the net  ;)

You need to have some one , holding your hand ( like someone holding your bicycle from behind)  while you try to get your balance.

2) You need to let go of your fear of the unknown....

3) You need to be ready to take the  fall at times.

4) Practice. Practice. Practice. These 3 words will soon make you an expert in some time.

5) After all,If you need to learn a life skill, you need to sit on the seat of the cycle with one foot on the pedal and other on the ground . And , finally pedal with one foot while you let go off the ground from other foot . THAT FIRST STEP NEEDS TO BE TAKEN.

Right ???

Is Image Management a Westernised Concept ??

I was going through the History of Fashion in Ancient India when I realised that most of the clothes worn were directly off the loom. Clothes in ancient India were never stitched. It was considered in auspicious. Cotton , linen and silk were common fabrics.

Yet, there existed so many different styles and silhouettes which people  wore differently (clothes, ornaments, fabrics, drapes ) every time  while attending various functions, marriages, courts , public sports events,work , religious ceremonies.etc.

 Is it not true for present day also ? We all manage our Image to some extent for various occasions where ever we can.

So when we talk of Image Management which works on a basic frame work of 4 As - Attractive, Authentic, Appropriate and Affordable,.. are we really propagating a westernised concept. ??

We, as Indians, have always been aware of the Importance of Image Management . It is nothing new to us.

So why not engage an Image Consultant for your self or your organisation to get in touch with the contemporary ways of Image management.?

Snapshot Image management - Day of Today's Working Indian woman

Let us take a look at how an Indian women does her Image management  through the work day.

5am TO 8 am - Home wear/sleep wear, no jewellery, slippers, no make up, hair loose bun

8 to 9am- Gym wear/ exercise wear/ Yoga clothes, no jewellery, sports shoes, no make up, pony tail

10am  to 5pm- Office wear/ work wear/ professional wear, muted and light jewellery, day make up, formal shoes, hair neat bun or any other muted hairstyle.

6pm to 7 pm- Religious/ social function-- heavy embroidery and embellished ethnic wear, heavy jewellery

7:30pm to 9:30 pm - Comfortable casual wear for spiritual discourse , light jewellery.

How much is the Time taken for a Consultation ?

How much time does it usually take for a complete Individual Consultation?

Image Management is like a  life skill . It can be compared to learning how to drive a car or swim or read a clock. Different people take different time to hone this skill. So the complete procedure, involving various  stipulated sessions, could last from 8 to 9 months, wherein, we meet once a week or once a fortnight.

What do you prefer ---1000 words or a picture/Image ?

Can a picture speak a 1000 words??

Let us use words to describe this Chocolate Walnut Sundae :)...

Smooth creamy Vanilla icecream with chunks of  Belgian Chocolates, served in glass goblet with a round base. Topped with chocolate sauce and  crunchy caramelised walnuts and bits of crushed cookies.

Does the description make it exciting enough for you to eat or is the picture more enticing ???
 Same applies to your Image. How you look  and how you say some thing is more important than what you say.

Similarly,  a person's outward appearance talks to us much more  than the man's qualities, abilities, qualifications, achievements.

Unfair?
Sorry ! thats how the world operates.  

Do Entrepreneurs (the people who have their own business) need Image management ????

Why do Entrepreneurs (the people who have their own business) need Image management ?

I became an entrepreneur so that I can work on my own terms. I don't want to follow any dressing, grooming, etiquette and body language codes!!!!!

REALLY??.... Lets examine. 

-You are the first ambassadors of their Organisation

-You are the first ambassadors of their Brand (product or service)

-Your Image percolates down to the employees who work for them

-Your Image  defines the work culture.

- A professional looking boss encompasses a professional attitude of the workforce and declares about the professional work ethic.

-Your Image will Help you position yourself in your target niche market.

and many more reasons like this.

eg- Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Anand Mahindra and many more.

Will my situation get better by the day ?

How can we say that once a person starts taking care of his Image, he and his situations keep getting better day by day ?

 Let us take a look at the cycle given below. Let me explain the whole cycle to you.

Taking care of what impressions you are giving to the world ( which we call , Image management) is  a cyclic process.

  

Let us enter  this cycle at the step where we dress and groom ourselves.

If we start putting a little extra effort in taking care of how we dress and groom ourselves, it will affect

 how we think, act and behave in a positive way. We will be more confident about ourselves by the

sheer virtue of the knowledge some where in our subconscious that we have put some extra effort.

In turn people will be more receptive to us, their reactions will be more positive .

This  in turn will improve our  body image ( how we view our body ) and self image ( how we view ourselves)

so the next time we will be more careful about our dressing and grooming.....

.... AND THIS IS HOW WE GET ON TO UPWARD SPIRAL IN OUR LIVES. :) 

Short and petite dilemma

Hi , I am short and petite, How can I appear tall ?

Best things always come in small packages. So you need not worry about being short.
 You can start with wearing monochromatic colors ( eg: sky blue, navy blue ) in your over all dresses. Monochromatic means, colors belonging to the same family. For example--- a navy blue trouser teamed with a turquoises blue top or shirt or blouse will make you look tall.
For  a lot  more magic tips  like these you can get in touch with us.

Procedure for contacting us

Where can we find Image Consultants ?

The contact details have been provided in the Contact us section of the blog. You are welcome to call up and fix an appointment.

Venue for corporate workshops

Where do we carry out our workshops?

Normally at the client's premises unless desired otherwise . In that case, a mutually decided venue is booked and the trainees are invited to that place.

Venue for Individual consultation

Where do we carry out our Individual Consultations?

Normally at the client's office  or a public place. For Sessions like Wardrobe Management and Wardrobe Evaluation we might have to visit the client's house. 

Image Management is superficial ???????

How can we say that Image management is not a superficial shallow process , concentrated only on the outward aspects of a person ?

Let me take an everyday example. You have dressed up and gotten yourself ready for the office. When you are walking on the road towards the bus stop, or the train station or towards your car,, you meet your friend who compliments you on the way you look. eg :- Wow!! you are looking great today. This shirt is really suiting you. :)

1. : How does it make you feel ?
2. : Is it a good start to your day ?
3. : Do you feel good about yourself?
4. : Do you feel more confident?
5. : Are you more productive throughout the day ?
6. : Are you able to smile more and frown less on that day?

Some where at the back of your mind, you are confident about the way world is perceiving you.

Like , Ms. Judith Rasband (one of the Certified Image Masters from Conselle Institute of Image management says ), Image Management is an  'INSIDE OUT ' process. The way you look affects the way you  think, feel , act and behave.

Adding another dimension to this ....The way we think , feel , act and behave with others affects the way they react or respond to us.

Q7 : So when you are generally in a good mood the whole day, do the colleagues seem more cooperative?
Q8 : Does the boss seem more friendly and accommodating ?

So would you still say that Image Management is just a superficial process????

Why is Body Language important ? Can you explain in simpler way ?

Why is body language important?

Body language is a big giveaway of your ATTITUDE.  The way you position your body in various situations indicates your thought process and attitude in those situations.
So , beware!!! ARe you sending the wrong signals to others without even saying anything???

Why is etiquette important?

Why is Etiquette important?

It is generally a way of showing respect to others.
And normally you are treated the way you treat people.  So etiquette becomes important.

etiquette (ˈetiket) noun

rules for correct or polite behaviour between people, or within certain professions. medical/legal etiquette.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

Why will it suit me?

Why will it suit my personality ?


The  Image Management procedure we follow is based on 4 As

1)Authentic- True to your personality and style, life situation, age, background, culture,ethnicity, likes, dislikes, comforts.
2)Attractive- Pleasing to the eye
3)Affordable- Solutions offered will suit your pocket
4)Appropriate - Solutions will be in line with the roles you play in life and the goals you wish to achieve.

Suiting the budget

Why will it suit my budget when I think Image Consultants like you are only hired by celebrities?

The  Image Management procedure we follow is based on 4 As

1)Authentic- True to your personality and style
2)Attractive- Pleasing to the eye
3)Affordable- Solutions offered will suit your pocket
4)Appropriate - Solutions will be in line with the roles you play in life and the goals you wish to achieve.

Applicability of Image Management

Where all is Image Management  education /training applicable ?

As Individuals ,Image Management is required by everybody eg- those seeking promotion, those travelling abroad.
Specifically in industries which have high client interface eg:- Hotels, pharmaceuticals, education.

Use of this trainng

Where can we use this education in our day to day life ?

This education is like a life time investment which will benefit you in all walks of your life by helping you project an authentic, appropriate and  attractive Image at all times.
It will make you confident and totally aware and in control of the visual message you are giving to others.

Some industries we have worked with.

Who all have you worked with?

Individual clients cannot be mentioned because of the non disclosure clause but most of them are middle level and top level managers, VPs and presidents.

Industries  we have worked with are Hotels, beauty, MNCs, FMCGs, education , Engineering, Pharma, IT. 

Procedure of the Consultancy

What is the procedure followed by your consultancy for Image management?

We work in 2 ways -- 1)Individual Consultations   2) Workshops,seminars for groups across industries

Individual consultations can be booked through prior appointment. A comprehensive analysis is done based on the client's requirements and our inputs. Then we embark upon the journey of Image enhancement.
Contact details are provided.

Workshops and seminars are tailor made according to  the nature of input required by the individual organisations of various industries. Here too training need analysis is done and an action plan is recommended which is later followed through.

What could be the immediate effect in my life ?

What could be the immediate changes in my life?

You might suddenly realise that you are getting noticed more in a crowd.
You might be picked out for your opinions in meetings.
You might attract a great life partner ( if single :))
You might get the promotion you have always desired.
You might become your boss's favourite.
You might land your dream job .
You would be more confident in formal and social situations .

Value of training for Individual

What is the value of this training for me as an Individual?

The one basic need which everyone has is to be successful.
To be successful you need to get that once in a life time opportunity.

And when that opportunity comes, you need to be ready.
We help you form a great first impression when this opportunity comes.

Who can benefit from this programme ?

Who all can benefit from your programmes?

As individuals, we strongly feel that everyone can benefit in one or the other sphere because India is one of the countries where the young population is 65% of the total population. Also, India is a growing economy . In the coming times, with some solid leadership, we are confident that nothing can stop my country from being the next super power :).

Also, across industries, our programmes are required . Especially where there is high client interface and their employees are travelling abroad. 

Who is an Image Consultant ?

Who is an Image Consultant? How are you different from Personality development, grooming and fashion designers?

Image Consultancy can be compared to interior designing. Like in Interior designing, all aspects about carpentery, plumbing, woodwork, design, colors, etc are considered before giving a comprehensive solution .... in the same way , in Image Consultancy we just don't concentrate on one aspect of the person. We carry out a complete evaluation on the person's  personal styles, personal colors, life situations,lifestyle, roles, goals,  

Real time Value of Image Management

What is the value of this training for my organisation?

The value  of our training is as big as the client some organisations have lost because their people dealing with the client were not well versed with their appearance, etiquette, behaviour and body language.

They were unaware of the 'Image' they were projecting.

So whatever they did in their ignorant state made them lose that account.

What is Image Management ?

What is Image Management ?

Your 'Image', basically means ,how people perceive you, based on your external characteristics.

And Image Management , basically means, exercising more control over how you appear to others by working on your dressing style, grooming, body language  and etiquette.  

Importance of Image

Why is Image so important?

Firstly, because we humans are photographic in our interactions. This means that we rely on the mental photograph of the person that we have created in our minds . Our future interactions with that person are based on this 'photograph'  ( which we can also call 'impression').

Secondly, 'Image' speaks louder than words. So even before we open our mouth, we communicate a lot about ourselves.