Would you invest in these guys?

So, these guys walk into your office and ask you to invest in their fledgling company. What do you think? First impressions? If your answer is – I love pocket protectors and facial hair, you’d be onto a winner. You’d have just invested in the original Microsoft team (see a fresh faced Bill in the bottom left-hand corner?)

Now, while this is clearly an old photo, it helps to remind me that first impressions aren’t everything.

If you’re going to a job interview, am I recommending wide lapels and orange tones? Probably not.

But if you’re conducting a job interview, am I recommending you look past initial first impressions? Absolutely.

I wrote in my book, Retired at 27 If I can do it anyone can about a fabulous former employee who I didn’t call back after a not so great first impression in a group interview (she was shy and faded into the background).

Strangely, the next day she was in our office for a trial. I was confused. Turns out the girl I’d meant to call back had the same name as the girl who’d shown up. Not wanting to be rude we let the unexpected candidate work her trial and at the end of the day every team member she worked with insisted we hire her. First impression – not stellar. Lasting impression – Kim is one of the more exceptional young ladies I’ve ever worked with.

Where do you need to look past the first impression today?

Kirsty Dunphey is the youngest ever Australian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year, author of two books (her latest release is Retired at 27, If I Can do it Anyone Can) and a passionate entrepreneur who started her first business at age 15 and opened her own real estate agency at 21. Now Kirsty does lots of fun things which you can read about here. Her favourite current projects are Elephant Property, a boutique property management agency, Baby Teresa, a baby clothing line that donates an outfit to a baby in need for each one they sell andReallySold, which helps real estate agents stop writing boring, uninteresting ads.