We’ve all heard it before: First impressions are crucial. It’s true—the way you interact with someone the first time you meet them will lay the groundwork for the rest of your relationship. In a professional setting, first impressions can be scary. Everyone wants to make sure they don’t do or say the wrong thing, especially when their reputation is on the line.

If you’re going in for an interview, here are five ways to leave a lasting impression on the people who matter:

1.  Be on time.

The world of work is changing.

The one-job, one-company career popular in the Baby Boomer generation is a faded memory.

The portfolio life, a work life comprised of many work-related roles, is the new norm. For some, this may be contract work for many different projects; for others, work might be a series of part-time roles all packaged together. It also can mean starting one’s own business from home or working eight months in one organization, two years in another, all while starting a business on the side.

What’s driving these changes?

Do you remember your last review? If you do, chances are it’s not a good memory. The whole event probably left you feeling anxious and helpless. If you received a positive review or a raise that felt good, you still probably wondered, “What about next time? I wonder if I can keep this pace up. What if my boss changes? What happens if I have a couple of off days now?” If your last review was a negative experience, you are probably feeling stressed, unhappy and not sure of what you can do to finally make the boss happy with your performance.

Who: Craig Nathanson, PhD, is an online faculty member for Johnson & Wales University, teaching in the HR programs. Dr. Nathanson is an educator, author, and  speaker in human and organizational growth.

Agree or Disagree with Article: Disagree.

To be successful, companies should always be looking to the future and creating a plan for tomorrow. You may think that the planning is restrained to corner offices and the upper echelon of management. Actually, human resources has an important role to play. In fact, they can affect every phase of the management planning system’s important processes from setting strategic and tactical plans to people development to operational processes. Here’s how HR professionals can use their prowess at planning to positively impact the organization.