Hello beauties! Today I have a guest on the blog - one of my awesome sponsors, TK Dennis of Everything I Did.
Everything I Did is an expression of
the solutions TK has found in life. It’s
a compilation of his experiences and wisdom gained by learning about life the
hard way, in hopes that you won't have to. Today he is here talking about
how to be taken seriously at work, by how you dress! There is also a giveaway that can be found at the end of this post. Please show him a warm
welcome. ♥
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Men and women, boys and
girls, I would like to present to you a simple yet effective
way to be taken more seriously at work. While no one thing alone can make
people revere you over night, dressing better can make a huge difference. I
need to warn you though. Everything about this post is politically incorrect.
Actually, embracing politically incorrect concepts can
often put you way ahead, contrary to popular belief. Just because it's politically
incorrect doesn't mean it's wrong.
Which brings me to my
first point, the way you look is really important
The bomb is dropped. I
repeat, the bomb is dropped. The way you look is really important. If you want
to be taken seriously at work, you need to agree with that statement. If
you don't agree with this statement, leave a comment down below so I can ignore
it and enjoy the benefits of having a larger commenting audience. If this
concept makes sense to you, or even if you're on the edge, keep reading.
The Starbucks
experiment
Let me tell you about
the Starbucks experiment. It's a little personal study I did back in 2009. I
decided to test my theory as to whether or not appearance really changes
people's perspective of you in a meaningful way. So on multiple occasions I
ordered a beverage at Starbucks wearing one of two outfit types. I recorded my
findings, and the results were quite conclusive. One of the outfit types was a
casual jeans and button up shirt outfit with a pair of semi-casual shoes.
The other a shirt and tie combo with polished dress shoes. I spiked my hair up
with my casual outfit, and neatly combed my hair with my dress outfit.
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| Good Idea |
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Each time I visited
Starbucks, I ordered a drink and took note of the way the barista interacted
with me. Every single time I was dressed casually, the barista interacted with
me in a casual way. My casual style elicited jokes and banter, as well as
casual designations like "bro" or "dude." When I was
dressed up with a tie, I was referred to as "sir" every single time.
I wasn't a more serious person just because I look different, but I was
perceived as a more serious person. Therefore, I was treated seriously and more
respectfully. The way you look and dress matters a lot.
Dress like a boss, and
you shall become the boss
In Rank Up, my total job coaching series, I tell the story of my early days working in
an office environment. I was only a teenager, and I was being treated like a
teenager. This is when I first realized how important the way I dressed at work
was. So I classed up my act, cleaned up twice as much, groomed more
intentionally, and pressed my ties and shirts like a dry cleaners. The results
were nearly immediate. I was spoken to differently by clients, co-workers, and
even my boss within days!
If you work in an
office environment, make sure the following things are true about your
appearance:
- Don't stink. Literally. A lot of people in the corporate
world have B-O. Anyone who works for me with B-O is finding themselves working
in archives like Lucius Fox from Batman Begins.
- Shave. Often. If you're a man, this statement is obvious. If you're a
woman that wears dresses and skirts, this statement should be obvious as well.
Facial hair is fine for men, but keep yourself well groomed on a daily basis.
- Brush your teeth. Please. You're drinking coffee and tea all
the time because work can get fairly boring at times and you need to stay
awake. Brushing, and even whitening, regularly can keep your breath in check
and make your smile sparkle. Why does this matter? Positive people smile a lot.
If you're not positive and don't find yourself smiling at all, appearance
is the last of your concerns.
- Don't take smoke breaks. Yeah. I'm meddling here. I'm not saying you
don't have the right to smoke. I'm just saying that smokers are perceived as
dirty to those who do not engage in that same activity. I'm one of those people
who have that immediate perception every time. My brain knows it isn't true,
but my instincts say otherwise. Not only is it unhealthy and expensive, but it
can hurt your career for plenty of reasons, appearance included.
- Iron your clothes. I have worked side by side with guys that
literally wear wrinkled suits every day. Why even have a suit? Those guys
didn't make it very long in the corporate world, and their inability to
maintain a professional appearance is obviously a large contributing factor.
- Bring a tide stick. You can get them on Amazon for just a few bucks. They
are amazing. I spill stuff on my clothes all the time. It just happens. I never
get too concerned though, because I have never met a stain that this little guy
cannot immediately remove on the fly. I have been saved from a lot of
embarrassing moments thanks to this incredible invention.
- Don't be boring with
your attire. Dressing well doesn't
mean you lose all individuality. Spice things up a bit. There are countless
combinations of ties and shirts a guy can wear, let alone knots that you can
tie. For the ladies out there, being a unique individual and
dressing nice is even easier. Don't be afraid to express yourself through your
appearance. This isn't about conformity, it's about excellence.
If you work in a uniform required workplace like a retail store, or
other non corporate workplace, make sure the following things are true about
your appearance:
- Don't stink.
Yeah, this isn't just for corporate folks. I don't want my waiter serving me
food with a side of body odor. This means a smaller tip for him or her. Take a
hint here, and keep things smelling delightfully fresh.
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| Bad Idea |
- Shave. Shaving is actually even more important in
the non-corporate world. Let me tell you why. There are far looser dress codes
in the non-corporate world, so if you decide to raise the bar on your
appearance, you can get recognized as a "go getter" really fast.
- Brush your teeth. Yep.
You too.
- Iron your clothes. Even
t-shirts and uniforms need to be ironed if they're for work.
what's the most ridiculous thing you have
ever seen someone wear to work before?
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Much Love & Hugs,
