In Hollywood, they say if you want the part, you have to come prepared, which means you have to dress the part, look the part and play the part well.
In business, it is much the same. If you want to be promoted, you must look the part as well. When you develop a professional business style of dress and grooming, you will be recognized faster than your peers. Oftentimes it is simply one small change that has to be made.
But make no mistake, how you look on the outside will effect how far you can go in a company. In his book, Dress for Success, John Molloy says “whether you know it or not, when you choose the clothes you wear, you are making a personal statement to the world.”
What will your statement be? So always dress for success on the job. If you don’t know, start by looking at the top people in your company. Most of time, you can pattern yourself after these people.
Always strive to look like a winner.
Action step: Do an inventory of your wardrobe. Discard anything that is not consistent with the person you want to be.
Just a note of caution that sometimes dressing “to the nines” can give off the perception of arrogance to co-workers and distance them from team building. The exception here is for executive leadership, managers and supervisors.
While you always want to look professional and presentable, you may not want to dress better than your boss, for example — as that may been perceived as too much.
Some folks may decide to take a more refined, low-key or business casual approach and let their productivity and performance speak for itself. In many ways, dress codes depend on the agency and/or office in which one works.
Thanks for considering this.
Appreciate your comment David. Point well taken.