"There will be time, To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet."

— T S Eliot's 'The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock

IT is the truth that there are aspects of this world in which we live that are superficial at best. Nevertheless, we all revel in the 'bling' and lure of the brightly wrapped package presented to us in advertisements. Oftentimes, though, we are sorely disappointed when we eagerly tear off the wrapping to find out that what's beneath the surface is less, much less than what we were led to believe.

And yet the fact is that image is everything. For me, though, the best discovery ever is to find that the image and substance of a product or person coincides. Have you ever had that experience? It is ohh, so rare to find that what the advertisement shouted was actually the truth when we tried the product. Or better yet, the person who interviewed for the job turned out to be as hard-working and conscientious as their resume 'advertised'. In the workplace, we have all been there with the superficial ones, the pretenders and profilers to whom hard work and dedication is an expletive that they think definitely needs deleting. So, how is your professional image? Do you have that shine as well as true substance?

As Harvard Business School Professor Laura Morgan Roberts sees it, "if you aren't managing your own professional image, others are. "People are constantly observing your behaviour and forming theories about your competence, character, and commitment, which are rapidly disseminated throughout your workplace," she says. "It is only wise to add your voice in framing others' theories about who you are and what you can accomplish."

A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveals that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures do not significantly change those impressions (although they might boost your confidence in your judgments). Their research is presented in their article "First Impressions," in a 2006 issue of Psychological Science. Psychologists have long known that attractive people get better outcomes in practically all walks of life. The article revealed that "People with 'mature' faces receive more severe judicial outcomes than 'baby-faced' people. And having a face that looks competent (as opposed to trustworthy or likeable) may matter a lot in whether a person gets elected to public office.

Professional image building is more than preparing 'a face' to meet the faces of your various publics, the people with whom you rub shoulders and work with on a daily basis. According to Prof Roberts, "Your professional image is the set of qualities and characteristics that represent perceptions of your competence and character as judged by your key constituents (ie, clients, superiors, subordinates, colleagues). "I am myself no fashion guru, but I find that here in Jamaica women (and increasingly some men) in the workplace spend an inordinate amount of money and time on their dress rather than boning up on delivering quality service to their customers and clients. Many millionaires have been made from these 'clothes horses' who have put more designer suits on layaway than you and I do on furniture at Courts. Not that clothes are not an important part of the mix, but nowadays employers are looking far beyond the not-yet-paid-for Larry Levine and Jimmy Choos. Yes, it is important to look great, but in these days of financial distress, where there are more dogs than bones in the employment pound, substance will trump style every time.

And nowadays, professional image building is not just about your body language, or how you dress, increasingly how you 'look' online is a significant part of the artillery. More employers are turning to the Internet when making hiring decisions. In a recent survey, 45 per cent of supervisors said they use social networks, like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, to screen job candidates. The year prior, that number was significantly lower. I would do a double check if I am on the market for a corporate job and my Facebook page shows a little too much skin and is littered with raunchy posts.

A poor online image could also get you fired. It is reported that a 2009 study by Proofpoint, an Internet security firm, found that at companies with 1,000 or more employees, 17 per cent reported having issues with employees' use of social media. Eight per cent of those companies report having actually dismissed someone for their behaviour on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. That is more than twice from the previous year, where just four per cent reported having to fire someone over social media misuse.

Prof Roberts recommends building credibility and maintaining authenticity in the process of professional image building. Says she: "When you present yourself in a manner that is both true to self and valued and believed by others, impression management can yield a host of favourable outcomes for you, your team, and your organisation. On the other hand, when you present yourself in an inauthentic and non-credible manner, you are likely to undermine your health, relationships, and performance."

Yvonne Grinam-Nicholson, (MBA, ABC) is a Business Communications Consultant with ROCommunications Jamaica, specialising in business communications and financial publications. She can be contacted at: yvonne@rocommunications.com. Visit her website at www.rocommunications.com and post your comments.

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