I'm not particularly inspired this week, so I'll share a brief story from my fieldwork:
My partner and I had our manager, who hasn't regulated anything other than their current field for the last two years, tag along on an inspection last week. While moving through the facility, one of the company's new hires recognized and struck up a conversation with the manager. As it turns out, the last time they'd seen each other was six years ago.
The manager didn't remember them, but they certainly remembered the manager.
I would meet an twenty(ish) unique individuals a day in my last position, guaranteed. This averages out to about 5,000 a year accounting for two weeks of vacation. Those people would spend a few hours with me and, hopefully, only see me two years down the road. It was routine for me, but extraordinary for them.
If you haven't had the opportunity to work in a public contact heavy professional position, first impressions matter. You'll probably forget people who don't stand out (which, in my work, is a good thing), but they won't forget you.
I totally agree first impressions are very important. People always remember the way they were treated whether that is kindly or unkindly. I think it's important to consider the impression we are making on people as we never know when we will run into them again down the road. This is especially true for the close knit legal community.
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