Impression Management: A Psychology Essay, Semester 1, University Name

This essay delves into the concept of impression management, exploring how individuals strategically present themselves to influence others' perceptions, particularly within professional contexts. The author discusses scenarios where impression management is employed, such as job interviews and workplace interactions, highlighting the importance of managing one's image to achieve desired outcomes. The essay contrasts these professional settings with personal relationships, emphasizing the need for authenticity and the potential drawbacks of impression management in fostering genuine connections. The author provides examples of successful and unsuccessful attempts at impression management, including the use of a strategic CV and a situation where conformity hindered effective communication. Additionally, the essay introduces the concept of self-handicapping as an alternative strategy to mitigate potential negative outcomes, while acknowledging the potential long-term consequences of its overuse. The essay draws on research from prominent scholars in the field to support its arguments.

Running head: IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
Impression Management
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
Impression management is an effective strategy which helps individuals present
themselves in compliance with their needs and goals, so as to please the observers who might
play a crucial role in determining their happiness or success. Accordingly, I would seek help of
impression management, while I might appear for an interview with the recruiter of a company.
Again, I might use it if a colleague has not done as well as me, and I might take the opportunity
to promote my skills before my boss, for future career progress. However, I would not use
impression management, while interacting with my friends, forming new social connections, or
choosing my life partner. The difference between the two situations lies in the fact, that in a
professional realm, I need to manage others’ perceptions of me, but in every facade of life,
managing impression would imply the lack of individuality of the self. I need to carry a good
impression before my boss, so that he trusts my abilities, and my self-created image as a smart,
efficient and diligent employee helps me gain competitive edge over my other colleagues.
However, my life partner or friends should know the real persona I carry, so that I can stay true
to my desires, feelings and needs, when I am with them. Impression management in all realms of
life will only intervene with my unique identity and impede the development of my sense of self
(Tedeschi, 2016).
Once a reputed company advertised for a job opening, and along with 5 friends of mine, I
applied for the job. However, while applying for the designation, I uploaded highly professional
Curriculum Vitae, where I explained and even at times, exaggerated my professional skills and
professional expertise. Since my score in academic examinations, was not remarkably high, I
preferred to mention my grades. I ensured that my interest and hobby section also highlighted my
professional skills, for example I applied for the job of a communication expert, and I stated that

2IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
I am an ardent reader of books. This helped me gain an upper hand, in the recruitment process,
and I was selected for the job.
However, once my attempt at managing impression failed as well. Once I was doing a 3
month internship with an emerging company. Once the manager called me, and asked me what I
think about the expected success of our new project. Although I was apprehensive of the
outcome, and I knew that the project with a far less reputed company, would only lead to sales
loss, I agreed with my manager. I tried to impress him by presenting myself a very obedient
employee. However, a few months later, as the project failed, the manager called me and
explained how I have failed to provide him with proper guidance, and how consulting with me
turned out to be useless. Too much conformity for creating impression ruins the possibility of
establishing one’s true genius (Bolino et al., 2016).
In the above situation, I could have used a self-handicapping strategy, whereby I could
have easily claimed that given the short period of time, available with us it would be anyway
difficult for us, to conduct through research on the future prospects of the project. This form of
behavioural self-handicapping strategy, would have helped in preventing the outcome, as my
manager would not have lost faith in my guiding abilities, and would have blamed the shortage
of time, as the reason behind the project failure (Higgins et al., 2013). However, using this
strategy on a regular basis would have been highly detrimental, as soon my manager, finding me
giving similar excuses, on every occasion, would lose his trust in my knowledge, skills and
expertise.

3IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
Reference List:
Bolino, M., Long, D., & Turnley, W. (2016). Impression management in organizations: Critical
questions, answers, and areas for future research. Annual Review of Organizational
Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 3, 377-406.
Higgins, R. L., Snyder, C. R., & Berglas, S. (2013). Self-handicapping: The paradox that isn’t.
Springer Science & Business Media.
Tedeschi, J. T. (Ed.). (2013). Impression management theory and social psychological research.
Academic Press.