I’ve seen this way too often… a young, female intern or new grad wearing the most inappropriate, provocative outfit to work. The worst part is that this inexperienced, optimistic student thinks that her sexy, tight outfit looks good for a professional office environment. It’s sad… tragic actually. I was recently at a client site and noticed that there was a new assistant working at the front desk of this professional office. Guess what she was wearing? She had on a tight pencil skirt (it actually looked like a piece of elastic dressed up as a skirt), a spaghetti-strap tank top, and peep toe pumps (in black lace). Terrible. Later on that day, I noticed that she had a shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders… I assume that someone had said something to her about her “bar star” outfit. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here. That outfit was perfectly fine for other situations (a bar, club, dinner out, etc) but had NO place in a professional environment. Unfortunately, skimpy attire in the workplace isn’t all that uncommon. Scary, isn’t it? To be totally fair, I don’t completely blame the young lady for her clothing mishap. It was pretty obvious to me that she just didn’t know her attire was inappropriate (rather than knowing it was inappropriate and purposely wearing it). I’d like to think that she probably would have chosen a different outfit had she known she looked so ridiculous in an office setting. Early last year, I was talking to a friend of mine, who works in career services for a local college. She told me a crazy story about a young lady who came to the career center for a practice interview with a real HR professional. What a great opportunity, right? She showed up for the interview well-prepared to answer anticipated questions but much less prepared with how she wanted to present herself. According to my friend, the student came to the interview wearing a party dress and strappy sandals. Yikes! To try and manage the reaction from the HR professional, my friend said that she ended up lending her suit jacket to the student for the duration of the interview. Now, I’m certainly not saying that it’s ONLY young female interns/new grads who are prone to making inappropriate style choices in a new workplace. What I do want to say though is that if you are not sure what do wear to work, or to an interview, ASK! Ask your new employer, a trusted mentor, a career advisor, etc. Nobody is going to fault you for asking. What you will be faulted for is going to work in an itty-bitty little number… talk about hitting the breaks on your career!!! Don’t let this be you.
Do you give a limp noodle of a handshake?
Yeah, you know you’re smart…. but so are a whole lot of other people! When faced with people who have the same credentials as you, what will separate you is your professional presence – particularly in harder economic times when organizations are looking to hire only the best of the best. One of the small, but powerful, things you can do to set yourself apart from others is to have a firm, solid handshake that lets others know you are a professional and you mean business. That’s right, shake that outstretched hand like you mean it people! None of this limp noodle of a handshake from you. Whether you’re seeing an acquaintance for coffee, going to a job interview or meeting a prospective client, a firm handshake expresses confidence …. not in a pretentious way but in a “I’m ready to do business” kind of way. This might seem weird to say, but one of the most significant compliments I received from a senior executive as I was starting my career in consulting was that I had a firm grip. He mentioned my firm handshake and, to be honest, being a female in business, I took this as a total compliment! A firm, confident handshake takes practice… honestly, it does. Start practicing… what are you waiting for?
Twist on the classic white dress shirt… is it time for a little change?
I was on the prowl this past weekend for the perfect white dress shirt to share with you. I wasn’t just looking for the classic, white, menswear inspired dress shirt but something with a little sass. Here’s what I want to share – dress shirts that are: Versatile: always my #1 criteria when purchasing staple items. I look for items that can double in my professional life as well as in personal situations At different prices points: We don’t need to spend tons of money to look and feel fabulous…. But if you wanted to, there are definitely some great options. Conservative yet stylish: so they can easily be worn in a formal work environment (think law firm) or in a business casual environment. Take a look at the options I’ve pulled together. DKNY Ecru V-Neck Top with Ruffel- $249 H&M White Blouse- $49.95 Equipment Brent Domino Dot Tie Neck Blouse- $267.98 ASOS Oasis Silk Top- $109.65 Talbots Crinkle Gauze Camp Shirt- $69.50 Theyskens’ Theory- $380 Which is your favourite?