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Can Your Appearance Actually Hold You Back From Promotions?
December 2, 2009
Climbing the career ladder is not just about what you know and who you know…it’s also about your appearance. I once worked with someone at the beginning of my career who was incredibly bright, had several college degrees, excellent work experience, and was highly professional. But, she never seemed able to get promoted. Puzzled, I had a discussion with our manager.
The manager’s comment? “Good grief Lisa. I understand her business strengths but there’s just no way I could put her in front of the management team or customers for a presentation – they wouldn’t take her seriously. Have you actually looked at her?”
So I did take a good look at her. She mainly wore slacks and a blouse to work each day, her hair was long and straight (think 1960′s) and she rarely if ever wore any make-up or jewelry. At the time, I was working in the medical industry for a Japanese firm. The industry, as well as the company, was very conservative. I wore a suit to work every day of the week and for trade shows, the appropriate attire for employees was a suit either black, navy, or dark brown.
“Jane” as I’ll call her, didn’t want to wear suits to work every day and she didn’t like having to take the time to apply make-up. She wanted to wear comfortable clothes and she had the attitude that no one could make her do any differently – and she had apparently told this to our manager several times when he had discussions with her about her attire.
In Jane’s case, I watched as she sacrificed career promotions for what she felt was comfortable clothing at work. It was a lesson I learned quickly…that to hold a certain position, you not only need the knowledge, skills, and experience, but you need to look the part; because in life, perception is often reality. Here are some tips to help you maximize your appearance:
Tips to maximize your appearance
- Take the time to invest in your wardrobe and your appearance. To do so, you must first analyze your industry to understand appearance norms.
- Look two to three levels higher than yourself at the company where you work and observe their attire. Begin building your appearance to match the higher level.
- Go to a good hair stylist and explain your position and your goals for moving up the career ladder by looking more professional and trying to “look the part” – good stylists will do wonders to help your appearance. Bring pictures and hair style ideas to discuss with your stylist.
- Go to a large department store and ask for a professional shopper to assist you in creating the wardrobe you need to climb the career ladder. They can then be on the lookout for the perfect pieces when they arrive in the store and give you a call. I have used the same personal shopper at Nordstrom for over 10 years and she’s absolutely amazing!
Now that you’ll look your best, work at being your best. Focus on the knowledge, skills, and experience you’ll need to be successful. Find mentors within your company or industry who can help you learn and grow. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and create a career development plan that will allow you to achieve your dreams.
~ Lisa Quast
Topics: Dressing for Success | 3 Comments »
3 Responses to “Can Your Appearance Actually Hold You Back From Promotions?”
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December 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Great article!
Nordstrom personal shoppers are the best.
I read a stat that said women who wear a little make up earn more than those who don’t. So yes, please wear at least some mascara and lipstick.
A great hair style says you are current. When someone has a dated look, people think their skills and ideas are updated as well!
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:35 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Workchic, Denise Rehner. Denise Rehner said: Can Your Appearance Actually Hold You Back From Promotions?: http://bit.ly/6BHF9g via @addthis [...]
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:44 am
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