Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr
Impress people with your competence as soon as you meet them.
It's not necessarily fair, but it's reality.
Especially in a professional setting, one thing you'll want to immediately appear is competent: knowledgeable, skilled, and capable.
Fortunately, there are ways to make yourself seem competent as soon as you meet an interviewer, coworker, client, or boss (and sometimes even as soon as they see your photograph).
Here are seven easy, sneaky strategies for appearing as competent as possible: