How to Make a Good First Impression With Your Cohort

We’re all familiar with ‘first day’ jitters. In elementary school, our parents were present to straighten up our elasticated ties and tell us to say “please” and “thank you to our teachers”. In high school, we rallied around our elementary school friends to face up to our nerves with strength in numbers. And, finally, at college, we simply ate or drank the first day jitters away in a bid to become bona fide buddies with other undergraduates.

But how can people embarking on an EMBA make a good first impression with their peers during the first few weeks of study? After all, your mother can’t exactly hold your hand through a case study, and we would not recommend strolling up to your cohort with a keg of beer in order to ingratiate yourself with the team.

Well, believe it or not, there are other ways to make a good first impression with your cohort! We have compiled a list of some top tips to consider when getting to know the team.

Be confident

Even if you don’t feel confident, projecting confidence in the way you present yourself and address others will give a good first impression to your cohort. You’re training to be a successful leader after all, so you must show your lecturers and peers alike that you have what it takes to go the distance from day one.

However, confidence doesn’t mean always having to be right. As long as you put yourself out there and get involved with the program, you will gain respect. If you answer a question incorrectly during your first week of study, nobody will judge you for trying!

Confidence is often thought as a natural trait in business leaders as it is necessary to have an air of authority to command respect from those around you. However, there is a fine line between confidence and cockiness that you should try to not cross.

Introducing yourself and talking fluently about your business ventures and future aspirations shows confidence – bragging about your Lotus Europa and villa in the Cayman Islands does not. 

Plan ahead

If you’ve done your homework, you should know what EMBA subject topics you will be covering before you even set foot in the lecture theatre. Geek up as much as you can before taking your seat with the rest of the class. This is especially useful if you do struggle with confidence – intelligence gives an impression of self-assurance that is just as impressive as another person’s ability to command a room with his/her confident demeanor.

Try to put some time aside for research into the background of your lecturer and notable alumni at the school too. Knowledge of the internal organs of a school shows you are committed to the school as well as the program itself – this is an especially important quality in EMBA students, who are not required to be on campus as much as other students.

Planning ahead also means making sure you turn up on time for your first team meetings and socials. In fact, try to turn up early for all your initial EMBA engagements to show enthusiasm for the program. There’s nothing more embarrassing than being late for class once everyone has taken their seats to listen intently to the professor. Try to have a good night’s sleep before your first day so that you’re alert and energetic in the morning. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in your personal life will benefit your professional life, so it’s important to take good care of yourself.

Dress to impress

Wearing traditional student attire will not stand you in good stead with your cohort. Although you are attending classes on campus once again, nobody wants to see your UCLA class of ‘99 hoodie anymore - except perhaps your mother, but we’ve established she is exempt from this list.

First impressions of people are instantly based on appearance. As the author Andrew Grant once said: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” so take some time to plan your wardrobe for the first few days of study.

Business casual is the order of the day for most EMBA courses. Don’t wear anything too flashy – nothing screams secondhand car salesman more than a large glitzy watch that blinds people into accepting dodgy goods. Wear smart and sophisticated clothes that you’re comfortable in. If you’re uncomfortable tottering up to your cohort in six inch heels – don’t wear them the sake of high-fashion. Nobody will be impressed when you faceplant the floor like a baby gazelle.

While the likes of Mark Zuckerberg may wear casual jeans to work, it is unlikely that those of you pursuing an EMBA are worth US$34.8 billion – yet. When you are, feel free to dress however you want, but keep things formal and smart for now.

Be interested in others

While your confidence, appearance and knowledge are all important factors when trying to make a good first impression – don’t forget to focus on everybody else’s qualities too! Let’s face it, your payrise at work and charity work in Burma are only really interesting to you – at least, after half an hour of nonstop talking about yourself they are. 

Be engaging and ask questions about other people. Find out what their backgrounds are and listen intently to their answers. This is great practice for the many networking events you will be required to attend while enrolled on an EMBA program. Being personable and friendly will make other people feel valued and comfortable around you – a disposition that will come in handy when you’re required to lead members of your cohort in projects later on in the year, not to mention your team in the future.