Category Archives: professional image
Public Speaking Tip: Wear a Jacket
This weekend, my husband and I had the opportunity to speak at church to the entire congregation. While it took me most of the week to decide what to speak on (I decided on how we can be happy by being creative and looking for ways to serve other people, based on a talk from Dieter F. Uchtdorf), the Sunday morning dilemma was what to wear.
Public Speaking Tip: If you want to hold your audience’s attention longer, wear a jacket. And tell stories.
It’s true! This is great advice for people in a leadership or professional environment. Wearing a third layer piece of clothing, like a jacket, a vest, or a cardigan, will make you take up a little bit more space, making you seem more important. And who can go wrong with telling stories?
Tune In! Job Club Radio: Dress To Reflect Your Brand
This week I am excited to join my good friend and career coach Jennifer Armitstead on Job Club Radio where we’ll be discussing how to dress to reflect your brand. Tune in!
- Tuesday, June 26, 2012
- 2:00 – 2:30pm EST
- Call-in Number: 917-932-1762
Jennifer is a career, branding, and social media expert and she hosts Job Talk Radio as a way to give back to the community. Recently she interviewed Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics, and in my opinion, the coolest guy in social media — I’m a big fan of his Social Media Revolution video and work and it made me geek out a bit to know I’ll be the featured guest just weeks later.
Hope you can join us for Job Club Radio this week!
Daily Outfit: Semi-Cocktail, Semi-Business Dress Code
After deciding to attend my first Girl Power Hour cocktail networking event in Seattle, I had no idea what to wear. Yeah. Image consultants deal with that, too. I tweeted my girl Kat Kim who was going to be moderating the panel what the dress code was. She suggested semi-cocktail, semi-business. That I could do! So here’s what I came up with.
Earrings: Francesca’s | Red blazer: modbod (similar) | Gold clutch: thrifted (similar) | Navajo print tank: Francesca’s | Gold watch: Fossil (similar) | White pants: Gap | Gold peep-toe shoes: thrifted
Before I left for the event, I tweeted a photo of my outfit on Instagram with the #fitfab hashtag. When I went to introduce myself to Darnell Sue, Girl Power Hour’s founder, she recognized me from the photo I posted. Social media really does open the door to making connections with people.
Girl Power Hour. Photo: Clane Gessel Photography
The Girl Power Hour theme was Fit and Fabulous and the panel had some fantastic things to say. One of my biggest takeaways was to deconstruct your craving. Ask yourself what that craving is really about. Do you need that food or do you really need a hug? Then act on the root cause of it. Check out more Fit and Fabulous takeaways here.
DorothyInez, makeup artist, and I at Girl Power Hour. Photo: Clane Gessel Photography
What would you wear for a semi-cocktail, semi-business dress code?
The Clothes We Wear Have an Impact On Us
When I received my formal image management consulting training, one of the biggest takeaways I received from my mentor, Judith Rasband, CIM, is this:
We talk all the time about the first impressions we make when meeting other people for the first time. But before that can happen, the first impression we make is on ourselves when we get dressed in the morning. Long before you can impact anyone else, the clothes you wear will impact you first.
I would challenge you to become more aware of the impact your clothing has on the way you think, the way you feel, and the way you act.
If you’re having a down day, the quickest way you can turn it around is to put on some nice clothes — something that inspires you. Put on some makeup, do your hair. You’ll be amazed at what a big difference your appearance has on how you feel.
Have you seen the effect that clothing has on the way you think, feel, act, and how others react to you?
Posted in fashion tips, image consulting, professional image
Tagged first impression, judith rasband
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Classy Career Girl Interview: Cultivating Professional Personal Style
Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Classy Career Girl, Anna Runyan, on cultivating a professional personal style. We had a great chat and I shared some valuable fashion tips for professional women. Here’s the video clip and you can read the entire transcript over at Classy Career Girl.
If you’re a young professional woman, I highly recommend checking out Classy Career Girl! She shares sound advice for young women in the workplace and is a wealth of information!
Posted in career, fashion tips, personal style, professional image, video
Tagged classy career girl
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Cinna the Stylist’s Big Role in the Hunger Games
After listening to The Hunger Games non-stop, I’ve just completed listening to the first book in the series. The intense build-up to the games, the calculated competition within the games, and charming love interest between Katniss and Peeta were captivating! But the thing that really lured me in at the beginning was the important role the stylists played in the story line.
Cinna, played by Lenny Kravitz in the upcoming feature film, is the heroine’s personal stylist and is responsible for creating an image for her that everyone will remember. And he does. The “girl on fire” dress at the opening ceremonies of the games completely wins everyone over and makes Katniss and Peeta the talk of the town.
[Spoiler alert!]
It’s not until after Katniss and Peeta win the Hunger Games that Cinna truly shows you how important her appearance really is to her safety. Knowing that Katniss is still in danger after defying the Capitol, he puts her in a demure yellow dress that plays down her fierce strength, painting her in a feminine light so she can play the romance card in the final interview.
When you are getting dressed each day, it’s important to consider where you’re going, who you’re going to be with, and what you want to accomplish as you choose your clothes. Starting with the end in mind will help you to choose clothing that is appropriate for the occasion and as a resource to help you achieve your goals. And if you want the help of your own personal stylist, I’m here to help!
Why Wearing Miniskirts to the Office is a Bad Career Choice
Photo: Bobs Photography
This week while chatting with a good friend, she told me how her office recently hired an attractive woman. On her first day at the office, the skirt she wore left little to the imagination. Not surprisingly, office flirting ensued.
Class, why is wearing miniskirt to the office a bad career choice?
When a woman is establishing herself as a professional in her field and a valued asset to the team, the more skin she shows, the less authoritative she becomes. In other words, when a woman shows off her body in the workplace, she gives away her visual authority. It becomes distracting and diminishes any contributions she is trying to make.
Wouldn’t you prefer to be known as a respected team member who brings value to the workplace rather than a pretty face that stirs things up at the office?
Bottom line, ladies: if you want to be respected in the workplace, save the miniskirt for after hours.
(By Sarah Ward and Judith Rasband)
Posted in career, dress code, professional image
Tagged career tip, professional attire
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What to (and NOT to) Wear to Your Office Christmas Party
Photo: Keatley Photo
‘Tis the season for office holiday parties! A word to the wise, here are some things you should when deciding what to wear:
- Cleavage — is that where you really want attention to go when talking to the guy from IT?
- Too short/tight dresses — leave the club clothes for Saturday night
- Too casual clothes — as to avoid showing disrespect
- Holiday costumes — no sexy elf costumes!
- Ugly Christmas sweater — unless that’s the theme!
Remember, you are partying with your boss and colleagues so that means your reputation is on the line. A good rule of thumb is this: Less skin is more! Because the more skin you show, the less authoritative you become.
Now that we’ve covered what to avoid, let’s talk about what to do.
- When deciding what to wear, the word “classy” ought to be your guide.
- Metallics, lace, and sequins are on trend during the holidays. A little can go a long way! If you add some sparkle, make sure to go simpler for the rest of your outfit.
- If you are going straight to the party after work, bring a decorative accessory like a pair of glamorous stilettos, a bib necklace, or a feather clutch that will help make your outfit look more festive.
Here are some photos to get the wheels turning:
Photo: ModCloth.com
Photo: pinterest.com
Photo: Talbot's Catalog
What are you wearing to your office Christmas party?
Study Says Women Wearing Makeup Appear More Competent
Here’s a blog about makeup and professional women that I wrote for My Colleges and Careers recently. Enjoy!
Something that has been making headlines recently is a recent study which found that women who wore makeup were perceived as more attractive, trustworthy, competent, and even likeable.
The study, which was conducted by Procter and Gamble, involved photographing women with bare faces, minimal (natural) makeup, moderate (professional) makeup, and dramatic (glamorous) makeup. These photos were then shown to participants for 250 milliseconds who were instructed to rate them for attractiveness, competence, trustworthiness, and likeability. The women wearing makeup in varying degrees were judged as more competent and likeable than the women who weren’t.
Sure, it takes time and resources to apply cosmetics every morning just to remove it at the end of the day. But for women want to advance in their careers, makeup is a resource that can help them achieve their goals. Says The Image Professor, LisaMarie Luccioni, “Tasteful makeup can mean more money. The American Economic Review reveals that women who wear makeup can earn up to 30% more income. Additional research published in the International Journal of Cosmetics Science (Nash et al., 2006) discovered that people judge women wearing cosmetics as higher earners with more prestigious jobs.”
Since people make snap judgments about people on their appearance alone, wearing makeup is something women can do to improve their favorability. Dr. Vickery says that cosmetics “can significantly change how people see you, how smart people think you are on first impression, or how warm and approachable, and that look is completely within a woman’s control, when there are so many things you cannot control.”
As a woman, I personally feel better about myself when I’m wearing makeup which helps me to feel less self-conscious and more competent at work.
Let’s open it up to our female readers — do you wear makeup?
Posted in beauty, professional image
Tagged makeup, professional image, professional makeup
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12 Ways to Fake a Professional Headshot
If you want to fake your own professional headshot, you’ll appreciate this post I wrote for My Colleges and Careers.
Photo: Portrait Photographer Dallas
If you are looking for a job, having a professional headshot on your social media sites will go a long way in making a positive first impression. While you may not have the dough to shell out on a professional headshot, you may have a friend who is a photographer and is willing to trade taking your photo for personal favors.
We interviewed professional photographer Kate Peterson (who actually took my headshot) and here’s how to fake a professional headshot. Grab a friend and your digital camera and let’s get started!
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Photo: Sophia Field Photography
Wear professional clothes
. Opt for classic, timeless designs in your clothing and jewelry. In five years if you haven’t taken a new headshot, you don’t want to look dated. Dress for your industry — if you work in PR, that may mean you can bemore creative, whereas accounting will mean to go more conservative, like the photo to the right. - What not to wear. Avoid white which can reflect light, and if you’re shooting against a light background, can make you look like a floating head. Avoid bright colors which can detract from you. If your shirt has a logo on it, swap it out for one that doesn’t. Also, avoid patterns and opt for solid colors instead. The emphasis should be on you, not the loud Pucci print you’re wearing.
- Grooming matters. Men and women alike can benefit from a light dusting powder on their face to avoid shine. Guys, if make-up isn’t your thing, use a tissue to blog any excess oil on your face. Ladies, don’t overdo the make-up! Save the red eye shadow for another day.
- Get a good night’s sleep. The night before taking your headshot, make sure you get a good night’s sleep. If you were up till 3am cramming for a midterm, it will be written all over your face.
- Bring a mirror. In order to make sure there is no remnants of the salad you had for lunch in your teeth, bring a mirror. Before you take the photo, double check for smudged lipstick, flyaway hair, a shiny forehead, etc.
- Shoot in the shade. If you’re facing into the sun, the result will be a photo with you squinting — not flattering. Shootin the shade so you can relax your facial muscles and produce a better headshot. For best results, make sure you have even lighting.
- Choose a clean background. Instead of a cluttered background with lots of detail, a simple background will make sure you’re the focus of the photo.
- Turn at an angle. Mugshots shoot straight on, so make sure you turn at an angle, then look directly into the camera. Your headshot will look more natural this way.
- Stand up straight. The camera adds 10 pounds. Good posture makes you 10 pounds less. You do the math.
- Smile and look into the camera. Eye contact, accompanied by a warm smile, will help build rapport and make you seem trustworthy. Practice your smile in the mirror the day before.
- Take several photos. You’ll have several options to choose from, even after discarding the ones of you mid-blink.
- Crop tight. The standard headshot will include your head, neck, and shoulders. Zoom in and crop everything else out. On LinkedIn and Twitter where the profile pictures are small, a tight crop will be in your favor. Here is an example of a tighter crop.
For more reading on what not to do, check out Stacy Zapar’s blog about LinkedIn photos gone wrong.
Posted in fashion tips, grooming, he's got style, professional image
Tagged career, professional headshot, professional image
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