Noynoy Aquino For President

Whether it’s a private corner office or a shared cubicle, personalizing your own space makes sense since you spend a lot of time at your desk. Just like your clothes and body language, your workspace gives coworkers and clients a distinct impression about you.

According to experts, everything in your office sends a message, whether you want it to or not. Things on your space transmit clues about your efficiency, sociability and competence.

So what might they be thinking when they see your desk? Let’s find out!

1. A full candy fish, aspirin in the drawer, well-tended plants, pictures of children and babies: People can hang around at your workplace. An open door, candy, a comfortable guest chair and photos of people tell that you have an extroverted workspace that others will feel free to linger in.

2. Desk faces away from guests, flimsy guest chair or chair covered in files or no guest chair and minimal or no decoration: People shouldn’t hang around. Pictures of objects can make an assumption you’re more introverted and might not want people to linger.

3. Pictures and artifacts from your hobby on every surface: You’d rather be fishing, skiing, skydiving or building birdhouses. According to Barbara Pachter, author of “New Rules at Work”, “Pictures of your hobby are good conversation starters, but if you have too many of them, it makes people wonder whether you’re really daydreaming about fly-fishing.”

4. The plaque on your desk says your full name and title, and lists your advanced degrees. Multiple degrees on the wall, awards on the shelf, pictures of you and important people, magazines featuring articles about you: You demand respect. Name plaques form a strong impression and if it says just your first name, they assume you’re friendly and approachable but if it has a formal title, they will think that you want to be respected for your rank.

5. Ironic bumper stickers, toys, humorous posters and whimsical images: You don’t take the whole “work thing” too seriously.

6. No decorations, books, pictures, name plaque and files in boxes: You’ve just been hired, fired or you’d like to leave soon or you’d rather be temping.

7. Carpet stains. Half-eaten donuts atop teetering stacks of binders. Messy piles of papers on every surface: People should avoid doing business with you. Messy office can seriously damage your reputation as a conscientious person. It is hard to function in a messy office and people assume your office chaos will spill over their project and their files will be lost in your mess.