Success Tweet 67: Be Impeccable in Your Presentation of Self

I’m enjoying writing about the ideas in my latest career success coach book Success Tweets: 140 Bits of Common Sense Career Success Advice, All in 140 Characters or Less.   You can purchase a copy of Success Tweets at your local bookstore and on Amazon.com.  Better yet, you can download a free copy at www.SuccessTweets.com.

Today’s career advice comes from Tweet 67…

Demonstrate self respect.  Be impeccable in your presentation of self – in person and on line.

Successful people, those who create positive personal impact, dress well and don’t post stupid things on line.  You don’t have to spend a fortune to dress well.  Here are my best tips for looking good at work.

Business Casual…

Men should wear khaki or light gray slacks, an oxford cloth button down shirt and a blue blazer, and carry a “just in case” tie in their briefcase.  Women should wear slacks or a skirt, blouse and jacket.

If you don’t know, err on the safe side.  Men and women should wear suits, and men should wear a tie.  It’s always OK to ask about a company’s dress code when you are arranging a first meeting.

Quality matters…

All of your clothing should be of quality fabric, clean and neatly pressed.  Shoes should be shined.  Heels should not be worn down.

Grooming…

Wear your hair neatly styled.  Make sure your breath is fresh.  Keep your fingernails trimmed and clean.

Hosiery…

If women don’t wear hosiery, they should make sure their legs are well maintained.  They should wear professional shoes in the office.  Save the strappy sandals for weekends and get-togethers with friends.

Have an “Outfit B”…

It’s a good idea to keep a backup business outfit in your office.  This can help when you have an unexpected meeting come up – or worse yet – if a waiter spills something on you at a business lunch.

Here’s an example of the importance of  “Outfit B.” idea really hit home with me.  Several years ago, I was conducting an offsite team building retreat.  We were in a meeting room at a hotel.  We adjourned to the dining room for lunch.  The person next to me order fried mozzarella sticks as an appetizer.  They came with a side of marinara sauce.  We were squeezed in pretty tight.  When the waiter came with the fried mozzarella, he was balancing the cheese and marinara sauce on a small tray.  My friend said, “let me help you,” and picked up the mozzarella sticks.  That upset the balance of the tray, and the marinara sauce spilled all over me.  I was wearing a pair of light colored khaki slacks and a light pink button down shirt.  Both were ruined.

Fortunately, I was staying at the hotel where the meeting was taking place and was able to go to my room and change.  However, from that day forward, I always kept a change of clothing in the closet in my office at work.  I never needed them, but I felt better being prepared.

A while back I came across a great article on HRGuru.com called “What Professionals Should Never (Ever) Wear.  Here are the items that the 4ct. ring graphic by https://yourdiamondteacher.com suggested you should try and buy for yourself.  Some are funny. 

Some are downright stupid.  They all are just not good common sense…

• Crocs
• Uggs
• Fanny Packs
• Scrunchies
• Sweatshirts and Sweatpants
• Footless Leggins and Spandex/Yoga Pants
• Leather Pants
• Face Tatoos
• Velour/Juicy Tracksuits
• Message T Shirts
• Too Much Exposed Skin
• Heavy – or no – Makeup
• What You Wore Yesterday
• Sequins
• Flip Flop Sandals
• Excessive Jewelry
• Sports Teams Jerseys
• Hats and Caps
• Long Fingernails
• Messy, Wrinkled or Torn Clothing
• Wallet Chain
• Glitter
• Sunglasses Indoors
• All Over Animal Print
• Short Shorts

You’d think that people would have the common sense to avoid wearing these items at work.  However, I can recall seeing each of these fashion faux pas – with the exception of Mike Tyson face tattoos – in places where I have worked.  One of my professors at the Harvard Business School used to wear a wallet chain.  He looked like a biker in a suit.

Finally, your on line presentation of self is important too.  My best career advice is to Google yourself.  See what comes up.  If it’s something embarrassing, or something you wouldn’t want your employer to see, make sure you remove it.  This holds true for your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.  Be just as impeccable in your on line presentation of self, as you are in person.

The common sense career success coach point here is simple.  Successful people create positive personal impact.  You can create positive personal impact by being impeccable in your presentation of self – in person and on line.  Follow the career advice in Tweet 67 in Success Tweets.  “Demonstrate self respect.  Be impeccable in your presentation of self – in person and on line.”  Professionals should dress in a professional manner.  Your attire and grooming are important keys to creating positive personal impact.  It’s important to look good.  Wear quality clothes and shoes that are in good repair.  Keep your hair neat.  Dress a little better than you have to.  And, look in the mirror on your way out the door.  Ask yourself, “does what I’m wearing today demonstrate that I respect myself and the people I will meet today?”  If yes, get going and have a great day.  If no, take a few minutes and changed into something more appropriate.  You’ll build a professional brand.

That’s my take on the career advice in Tweet 67 in Success Tweets – being impeccable in your presentation of self.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment sharing your thoughts with us.  As always, thanks for reading.

Bud