Shakespeare said Some people are born to succeed, some achieve success and some have success thrust upon them. We must achieve success by good planning, hard work and most importantly, commit ourselves to become successful in our careers. We must be dependent on ourselves and not others. We must do it for ourselves.

The first step on road to success is creating a personal image that projects our commitment to achievement in our careers. Image cannot be faked. It must be genuine and authentic.

Build Self-confidence- How can we do that?

·        Self-acceptance

·        Self-respect

·        Self-talk

·        Risk-taking

First-Impressions are important and they can be created by our appearance-

·        Choose conservative clothing

·        Avoid a slovenly appearance

·        Dress for business

·        Critique yourself

·        See how others dress in the organization

Be approachable.

First Impressions on telephone.

Our correspondence also creates first impressions.

We must have a Personal Branding Statement.

We must possess Relationship Building Links- A Handshake, Make Positive Observations, Find a Common Denominator, Inquire about business, Introduce Yourself, Exchange Cards, Make a Positive Exit.

We must be Maintaining Good Relationships. How do we do that?

We must read the nonverbal cues of others like the body language.

There is no universal body language.

Study each person’s use of Nonverbal cues

Listening Skills

Giving and Receiving Constructive Feedback.