How To Be Taken Seriously When You Are Petite

Ever felt like no one takes you seriously? Mhm, me too.

In the article I wrote about the REAL struggles petite women deal with, I’ve told that being taken seriously was definitely one of the most important. If you haven’t read my story about how the director of a private school kindly asked me to wear more make-up at the courses, this is the article.

For all of my life, my petite appearance has worked against me both at work and in my personal relationships. In many ways, being petite and looking younger means you are very lucky, but not when it comes to your job. Fortunately, I have come to the conclusion that ATTITUDE is everything and you can make people take you seriously no matter how short you are.

When people see you for the first time, your appearance is the first thing they notice about you. Add to the equation the fact that you look much younger and is enough to be considered unable to handle big responsibilities at work or in real life.

Here is what you can do to make people take you seriously:

AT WORK

• Dress appropriately – your work attire is your battle uniform in this process. Avoid cute or overly feminine fashion items, choose more simple, classic, monochromatic clothes.
• Be concise – in theory, physically imposing people use more words but as petite, you want to sound confident so listening more than talking will do the job for you, and you will surely be taken seriously when you will add some value to the conversation.
• Stand tall – a good posture makes you feel stronger.
• Be proactive – take initiative, come up with valuable ideas.
• Do your job perfectly!

IN EVERYDAY RELATIONSHIPS

As a petite, child-looking woman, I’ve constantly had trouble with people not taking me seriously in everyday relationships, even with my parents, my sister, my friends. What I’ve learned (the hard way, unfortunately) was to take myself first seriously before asking those around me to do it. Only when you know your own value, those around you will recognize it as well. Plus, here are some tips that helped me in the process:

• Be confident – confidence is so attractive! When you are confident is hard for those around you to ignore you. When you believe in yourself, others will, as well.
• Create boundaries – this step is also important for your emotional health. Learn to say no and make those around you understand that you are not always available when they need something from you. (I’ve learned this the hard way, also).
• Know what’s going on – learn to listen more and talk when you have something valuable to say.
• Watch your tone – arghh, I am still working on this, too. Sometimes, my tone annoys me as well, I don’t want to know how it feels for those around me. But the fact that I am conscious, and I know what I have to do, is great. For example, when I know that my tone will come into the equation in a certain situation, I try to smile while I am talking and this way I manage to tame my tone of voice.

If your presence doesn’t make an impact, then your absence won’t make a difference. (Trey Smith)

This article reflects my own beliefs and experiences.