G often accuses me of getting on a soap box when it comes to giving career advice. Perhaps it is because a large part of my job is to coach and mentor the people around me that I have taken it upon myself to do this to other people in our lives too. While being on a soapbox is generally not advised (and something I need to work on), I do think some of my advice as merit. At the heart of each of these lectures (and typically these are delivered to the unemployed, uninspired, unhappy, or unmotivated) is one key thing–just do something (how very Nike of me).
It seems that so many people become content to just exist, but in reality if you aren’t satisfied with your life you are the only one who can really change it. For example, I have a friend who has been unemployed for about a year. She has been collecting unemployment, but has been applying for jobs–she hasn’t found a job yet. She never finished her college degree (which is likely contributing to the difficulty of finding a job, since she wants more of an office job that pays around $20/hour). Given this situation my first question would be–how has she spent the last year? Ummm….well see that is the thing–all she can say is she was looking for a job. In my opinion [getting on my soapbox] she should have been doing something.
Here is a list of things she should have considered:
- Volunteering – making new networking connections and potentially learning new skills–not to mention helping a cause.
- Starting a blog – don’t use mine as an example, since I rarely seem to update, but there are lots of other people who who made valuable connections, or started new careers by writing about topics that interest them.
- Take some classes – even if you have minimal income there are lots of low cost classes (and depending on how long you have been unemployed you can even qualify for financial aid). This can allow you to learn new skills, and shows future employers that you care about your personal/professional development. You can also make valuable contacts in your classes that could eventually be a lead to a new job.
- Start some projects – ideally choose projects that are visible, like creating a website, or organizing an event. This will help you build new skills (or showcase existing ones), and gives some great examples of your recent work to use as job interview fodder.
- Take part time work — many people are hesitant to do this (my friend responded with the question “why would I work when I can make more on unemployment?”), but taking a part time job (or full time lower wage job) gives you an opportunity to learn a new business, make an honest day’s income, and meet new people–all of which can add up to new opportunities in the future.
- Start your own company – when you can’t find a job, create your own! There are so many business that require very little to no capital. Many entrepreneurs started out this way — when one door closes, another door opens.
There are lots of other things you can do, but each day besides just looking for jobs you should try to:
- Do things that help you meet new people (you never know where your next job will come from). These don’t have to be in person, but can be via facebook, twitter, or other online communities.
- Learning new things – whether you take a class, read a website or create something, teaching yourself new skills (particularly ones related to your field, or things related to your passions) will help you grow and make you a stronger candidate for a position. Bonus points if you can get a new degree or certificate in the process.
- Showcase your work – creating new things or projects can provide interesting work samples to show a future employer; and if someone likes your creation could even lead to more work (just look at all the etsy sellers!).
The key thing is that you can’t expect things to come to you, focus your energy and channel your efforts into a new and productive direction–and with a little luck and a lot of elbow grease I believe something good is bound to happen.
Do you ever have a morning where you wake up late or don’t have the energy to be bothered with an outfit besides sweats and T-shirts? I tend to have these days quite often (I am not really a morning person so I have a hard time getting up), but one thing I strive to do is always look clean, pulled together, and classy. Why? While there are a few reasons:
- You never know who you will run into. It has happened to almost every body, the one day you don’t bother to put on makeup, or iron your clothes, you run into your work superiors, a future client, your ex, or maybe even that girl who used to tease your mercilessly in school. And of course the first thing that happens is you are flooded with embarrassment and wished you had taken the time to put a little more effort into your appearance. No one likes to feel ashamed, and so by taking steps to ensure you always look nice–you will be more confident, and you won’t have to hide behind any produce displays in the grocery store.
- People will give you more respect. Especially at work, people are more likely to respect someone if they look pulled together and organized. If someone looks sloppy, some people may have difficulty getting past that vision and accepting that this person is actually really organized and capable. You don’t want your appearance to attract from your work and merits. Just think about how you feel about the best dressed and worst dressed people in your office? Who would you want to give the project to?
- You’ll feel better. Whenever people look good they tend to feel good. Remember the last time you got a great haircut, how did you feel walking out of the salon? I know I always feel like a million bucks. That feeling of confidence will carry over in the other aspects of your demeanor and can really help you approach your life in a positive and constructive way.
- People will be more attracted to you. Single? Looking to find a date? Well the first step is to make yourself presentable and attractive since you never know when or where you may meet *that* person (see first bullet point above).
So those are some great reasons right? (I am sure there are lots of others) Looking your best and presenting well is a form of personal packaging designed to enhance your professional life, attract mates and propel your self-esteem.
Here are my tips that I employ to make it easier for me to look my best everyday:
- Make sure your clothes are in style and fit. Make sure you have a good wardrobe. Don’t wear things that are out of date or don’t fit nicely (an expensive pair of ill fitting pants, still looks sloppy). Pay attention to current styles (fashion magazines are great sources of inspiration) and craft your own personal style. Regardless of what you choose to wear, make sure you feel comfortable.
- Lay your clothes out the night before. For everyone who has trouble waking up or chronically runs late in the morning, this is probably the most useful tip on this list. Plan your outfits ahead of time (including all the pieces like socks, shoes, and accessories), ideally the night before, that way you can looked pulled together without the additional scrambling in the morning. Bonus points if you can check the weather before bed and make sure your outfit is climate appropriate.
- When in doubt, dress up. No one ever feels that out of place being over dressed, but the reverse it not true for being underdressed. When in doubt dress it up. (This is also true of work–just because people wear jeans and a t-shirt doesn’t mean you have to as well.)
- Style your hair and makeup. For guys, the main thing to check is that you have a good haircut and you keep it well groomed. For ladies, you also should pay attention to your hair (keep your roots under control for those of you who color and make sure the cut flatters your face). If you don’t know how to wear makeup, go to a department store where they sell makeup and ask for a lesson–the girls will teach you what to do and you can buy some new products. If you don’t have a lot of money, make a list of what you need to buy and purchase 1-2 things each month until you have the full collection.
- Get in shape. If you are overweight or subconscious about your body, take action. Start a workout plan and watch what you eat (weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise). There is no greater investment you can make than making one in yourself so take the time and effort to improve your body.
- Get nice “sweats”. If on the weekend you can’t be bothered to wear nice clothes, then buy nice looking grubby clothes. That means if you are wearing sweat pants make sure they don’t have holes or stains, the match your top, and maybe even add accessories. If you need some ideas go through some celebrity photos at tmz.com–lots of celebrities have mastered the look of pulled together grubby clothes.
- Carry an emergency kit. I almost always have lip gloss, deodorant, perfume, and mascara with me. People also recommend stain remover (they have these great little tide pens), safety pins, and nail files.
- Smile. It is the greatest accessory to any outfit.
What tips/tricks do you have to always look your best?
Ladies, the next time you are on a date don a red ensemble. Based on a study done at the University of Rochester men are more attracted to women wearing the color red. Men tend to percieve women in this color to be more desirable of more sexually attractive.
I don’t own anything in red except for two pairs of shoes. This means it is time for me to start looking for a hot red date dress 
Some of us girls could always use a little more help.
On a side note, I wonder how this would impact business or the work environment. They say that more attractive people tend to be more successful–so if you have an important business meeting would wearing red make a difference? Perhaps, although it may not be a “good” thing. Of course this begs the question “Is being feminine and sexy an advantage or disadvantage in the work place?” That is a question I wish I knew the answer to…..
Interesting food for thought.
Source.
Early in my career I lived up to the mantra “work hard, play hard.” There were many days when I would come into the office after a late night of eating, drinking and being merry. Of course, when you don’t get enough sleep, and calling in sick is not an option (I don’t know about most of you but I save up at least some of my sick days for the purpose of recovery) it is important to know how to come into the office looking fabulous, and most importantly professional (and have it not interfere with your job performance).
If you are coming in from a flight, you can use the excuse of an airport delay (since it happens to everyone). Go home and freshen up and head in late. Just make sure you turn off your cellphone, so it doesn’t give you away in the event someone calls looking for you. You should also plan on being the last to leave the office, so pack plenty of caffiene.
If it was just a late night then head in, large sunglasses in tow and let your colleagues know you are feeling a bit under the weather. Clear your calendar of all non-essential meetings–afterall it isn’t like you can make important decisions in your condition. Try to prioritize tasks you don’t normally get to but may not require a lot of will power–filing, cleaning your desk, returning phone calls or emails, writing thank you notes. At least that way part of yoru day will be productive. Drink some tea and eat healthy foods (helps with recovery). Finally try to get out of the office a little early and get some rest, you will need to compensate for your lost day tomorrow.
One of the more interesting things I noticed when I moved from California to Seattle was the general lack of “dress” people employed. Now I am all for wearing things that are comfortable and feeling at ease in your clothing, but I also think that looking nice, and presenting yourself well can help you in all aspects of your life. Before 9/11, if you dressed up for a flight and asked politely to be upgraded–the flight attendants would give you a once over and if you looked like your belong they would often accommodate your request (smiling and having good manners also helped too). First impressions and they way you look affect how people treat you. If we lived in a utopia the only thing that would matter is who you are, but in the world we live in often times who you are to someone is defined by how you present your self.
Being stylish and well groomed is something we all respect and admire in others. Think about the last time you were walking down the seat, sitting in a restaurant, or having a drink at the bar. Who were your eyes drawn too? For most people this would be the good looking, well dressed person in the room. It is a natural human tendency (Blink is a great book about this biases written by Malcolm Gladwell, and one I really enjoyed) to have higher opinions of better looking individuals. So in that case why wouldn’t you want to dress nice?
Now not all of us can be a model from a magazine (goodness knows most people don’t win the genetic lottery), but style and class can actually take a person most of the way there. So how do you get style? How do you cultivate your look? Well there are lots of simple things you can do. First, make sure your clothes fit. No one looks good in something too tight or too loose. If you buy a shirt and it doesn’t fit you right have it tailored. One of my favorite tricks I learn was to get the buttons sewn shut on a blouse. For button downs, it seemed like they always gapped in the wrong places, giving people a mini peek-a-boo show–sewing them all shut meant I could walk around comfortably. Pants should fit the length of your legs. It isn’t becoming to watch someone walk on their pants, so get your pants tailored with the shoes that you plan to wear with them. I buy almost all my shoes in two heights, flats and tall high heels (approximately 3-3.5 inches is my sweet spot) and have certain pants (and jeans) that go with each. This goes for guys too–if you have short arms, have the sleeves taken up. A good tailor can work wonders.
Second, know what colors work well on you. Most people don’t look good in fancy patterns. If you are wide don’t wear horizontal stripes (remember those optical illusions where one circle looked bigger than the other because it had stripes across it). Vertical stripes are almost always flattering and slimming (everyone should own a pair of pinstripe pants in my opinion). There are all sorts of color combinations that work well on some and not on others. One thing that always stands out is when people wear a top that is the same shade as their eyes–this is almost always flattering.
And finally, know what styles flatter your body type. Capris don’t look good on everyone, and in fact make short legs look, well, short. If you have some extra weight around your middle, don’t wear a tight fitting top showing it off–wear something with a little bit of forgiveness. If you don’t like to iron (or can’t afford to pay someone to do it for you), don’t buy linen. You wear it once it wrinkles and you have to be iron them before you can wear them again (or you will look sloppy and messy). Just because something is “in style” doesn’t mean you should wear it (believe me, I wish I could wear skinny jeans). You should only spend your money on pieces you love and will wear all the time. Never buy something just because it is on sale and looks okay–you will never look great with those type of pieces. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got on putting outfits together was to page through magazines (and if you don’t want to buy them go to a bookstore and read them there). The stylists that get paid to put outfits together are usually quite good at it, and you can learn a lot by looking at examples.
There are lots of other tips and tricks for dressing well, but this is a great starting point and should give you some things to think about. After all, when you look good it boosts your self confidence and makes you feel good–so therefore it is money and time well spent
Mentors are a great way to grow and learn from another’s experiences and can help accelerate your career. There are all sorts of mentoring relationships–formal ones, managers, and even one-sided mentoring (where someone may be a mentor and isn’t aware of that fact). I encourage people to have more than one mentor. All you are doing is simply picking out the best qualities and attributes of an individual and incorporating those things into your style and life. This allows you to learn a lot more, and really see certain things in action. For example, if a person is a great public speaker, you can learn from her by watching what she does, asking her how she prepares, maybe even asking for tips and tricks. Another person might be a fabulous at networking–she knows everyone. You can ask her about how she built her network and how she maintains those relationships. Taking the bits and pieces that you like from each person can help you emulate those aspects and grow in lots of ways.
Sometimes I have found it beneficial to seek someone one or two levels above you (in a corporate setting) and ask them to be your mentor. As a mentee it is your job to maximize the benefits of that relationship and most of all don’t waste your mentor’s time. This means it is your job to set up the meetings, show up on time (punctuality is so important), and bring enough stuff to talk about to fill up the time (I strongly suggest making a list of topics). In these sorts of formal relationships most people have the goal of being promoted to their level or role, and so they can be a great resource to critique you work, tell you about their career progression, and give you advice and perspectives outside of your small team in the organization.
Do not expect a mentor to seek you out. It is your job to find a mentor and demonstrate that you are worthy of such a relationship. This means you need to approach this as you would asking any other associate for a favor. You are asking someone who is probably very busy to invest in your future and give their time to you. Sometimes mentors will say no, either they are too busy, or maybe they don’t want to mentor you (there are lots of reasons for this). However, you can still learn from them by emulating the traits you like and observing them on the job. Don’t take a person’s rejection of your mentor request personal; instead focus on improving yourself since ultimately that will have the most tangible benefits.
So once you have found someone to be a mentor, how do you get the most out of the relationship? I typically meet once a month with my mentees and I almost always expect them to bring questions and essentially set the agenda for the meeting. Sometimes they are questions about my career path and what I have learned along the way, other times they are specific to problems or issues they are facing in their positions. Sometimes they are completely unrelated. It depends a lot on the person. Below is a list of questions I put together (and there are many more, your imagination is the only limit here):
- What was your biggest challenge when you were in my role?
- What is your favorite thing about your current role?
- Describe your career path.
- Who have been the most influential people in your career?
- Do you belong to any professional organizations, networking groups, etc?
- What is the best way to do xxxxx (run a meetings, write a spec, gather requirements, manage someone out of an organization, prepare someone for a promotion, deliver critical feedback, write a test plan, schedule a project, etc.)?
- How do you manage upwards?
- I am having problems with xxxxxx how would you deal with this in my position?
- When should you change/transfer/leave jobs?
- What is your greatest accomplishment?
- How do you balance life at work and outside of work?
- What do you think is the most critical external force affecting our business? (Questions about the company and the role of your group within the company are great ways to learn more about the competitive landscape–something that is important as you move into leadership roles)
- What is going to be your next step?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
- What is the best way to manage your career?
Some sounds like interview questions, but remember your goal is to learn as much as you can that will help you be successful. Good luck!
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