Do It Right The First Time

Good evening ladies,

In my almost three months working as a senior intern, I've realized how important it is to take care of how you look everyday. Everyday, every hello to every patient is a chance to make a good first impression, because each encounter is like a mini job interview. You'll never know if this patient will consider you as their longtime doctor or not, so just like in any job interview, you've to put your best foot forward.

So, I'd like to share with you some of the things I picked up on how to make that first impression great.

1. Dress the part

It's probably the easiest thing to do in making steps towards getting the right first impression. It's easy on my part since we have a standard uniform, but we do have the freedom to choose the style of our blouse. Believe me looking the part helps a LOT! Take Angelina Jolie for example, when she's out and about, she dresses in the most casual attire you can imagine but when it comes to the more serious UNHCR summits, she ups her wardrobe and it makes all the difference.

2. Try getting a salon treatment

Nothing boosts my confidence more than getting a good haircut a few days before a shift in rotation. It's always a relief to have your hair fixed and blow-dried before the day of your interview. Trying on a new look is an amazing ego booster (especially when you get compliments) and will help you exponentially in exuding the confidence you need to make your mark.

3. Put some rouge on

Even women with the most beautiful skin put some make up on during formal events, and a job interview is no different. A light make-up is perfect for a job interview since you don't want to shock your panel too much and have them not take you seriously. It's the same whenever I see patients; it's not advisable to put on heavy make-up as it would look disastrous at the end of the day and is very hard to put on when you are pressed for time. Since I am not much of a foundation person, I am really happy that there have been a number of BB creams available in the market. The one I always carry in my make-up bag is Maybelline's Clear Smooth BB stick since size permits it to be stored in my kikay kit and application is a breeze.

As help for here's a quick make-up routine I do everyday.

First off, make sure to clean your face well, and prep it. Use toner then put moisturizer because at the end of the day, a good skin makes for a good make-up finish. Maybelline's BB stick doubles as a make-up base thus, making application time quicker. After the moisturizer has dried, I glide the stick over my forehead (since it's a little big I put at least two lines over it), then line my cheeks, my chin, and my nose bridge. Then I kind of buff and spread it all over my face until I've spread it evenly. Since the BB cream's finish is quite satin-y, I rarely top it off with powder.

After that, get your concealer and cover any areas that you think might need it (like under eyes, nasty pimple marks, etc). Then I often choose peachy or light pink blushes to give me that natural flush to the and apply it on the apples of my cheeks. Then I finish it off with neutral flesh lipstick or lip gloss (depends on my mood). Of course do NOT forget to fix your eyebrows (frames your face) and your lashes.

Last and certainly not the least...

4. NEVER FORGET TO SMILE

Even when you're feeling that the interview is going to be a mess, or when your panel seems to be too intimidating, never forget to flash a smile. No one would like to see, much less talk, to a person who exudes negativity by pouting and hiding their smiles. So show your most inviting and warmest smile and see how good an impression you make.

That's it for this post. Hope you like it. :)

Cheers,

LIZ