I have been leading a volunteer job seeker workshop for the past six years. My mission in this workshop is to help active job seekers improve their job interview effectiveness.
By now, you are probably guessing that the first thing I tell the participants in my workshop is to smile more. This is also the first item I list in my job search book, Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!):
“Smiling and appearing friendly without interviewer coaxing makes you more appealing, regardless of your credentials and work experience.”
What if you are not looking for a job right now and don’t need to worry about doing well in a job interview. Should you really consider smiling more?
According to 15 Fascinating Facts about Smiling posted by nursingschools.net, some of the benefits include:
- “Forcing yourself to smile can boost your mood: Psychologists have found that even if you’re in a bad mood, you can instantly lift your spirits by forcing yourself to smile.
- It boosts your immune system: Smiling really can improve your physical health, too. Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system.
- Smiles are contagious: It’s not just a saying: smiling really is contagious, scientists say. In a study conducted in Sweden, people had difficulty frowning when they looked at other subjects who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles all on their own.
- Smiles Relieve Stress: Your body immediately releases endorphins when you smile, even when you force it. This sudden change in mood will help you feel better and release stress.
- Smiling helps you get promoted: Smiles make a person seem more attractive, sociable and confident, and people who smile more are more likely to get a promotion.”
If you want to gain some of these benefits, then start smiling more! Here are a few ideas to help you pull this off: (1) Listen to more humorous programs on radio or television, (2) associate with more positive people, and (3) exercise more… within the limits of your doctor’s advice.
Last, but not least, smiling makes you instantly more attractive. You can even win more friends and influence more people.
Smiling not only benefits you – it benefits others. Your contagious smile will improve the lives of others around you.
