The Job You Want

“Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.”

This statement makes so much sense to me in the day of casual dress Fridays, which has spilled into all parts of the week in corporate America. Dressing for the job that you want will give you a slight edge in getting the job over people who are just dressing to fit their current needs.

It seems to me that many of us in our late 40’s can dress in ways that make use look 36 or 56. In my opinion, we will all get to 56 soon enough – we should try to look as young and fresh as we can. Here are some tips…

If you have suits or dresses that are over 5 years old, it is time to replace them. No matter how good you think they look, you have worn them enough. Replace them.

Wear items that look sharp not old. A new item costing the same money can make you look 36 or 56. Cute is not the criteria. Sharp and professional are the criteria.

Copy the good habits of people who have the jobs you want. This is called bench marking in corporate lingo.

If you are ever speaking to any audience, always dress better than your audience.
I wear a lot of black pants with nice, different and new shirts.

White starched shirts carry a lot more power than any other combination. This is especially true when you are talking money with anyone.

I know you can add to the list.

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Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. --William Feather