“Hardwork is the key to success”
True that! I have no doubts about this quotation. In fact we all have grown up hearing this one specific encouraging quote. But as we have grown into our sophisticated selves (I guess), we have realized one fact over time. ONLY hardwork isn’t going to push us up the career ladder. If it was the case, society would have been really different. I am not pointing towards ‘destiny’ or ‘Karma’ here dearies, I am pointing towards your personality.
Well, I do believe in not judging a book by its cover, but I also believe in first impression. How you present yourself, express yourself, carry your attire, and reflect your confidence through your personality, etc. matters a hell lot in the real world. I wouldn’t expect you to dress shabbily for an interview or to wear casual jeans-top for your work.
Real life isn’t like ‘Ugly Betty’ or ‘Jassi jaisi koi nanhi’. You have to enhance how you look and doing that will make a large difference in your performance. To clarify, I am not suggesting you to dress like a Runway Model for a corporate house. I am also not asking you to not wear your traditional outfits to work. Let me comprehend you as to what I am asking you to do in the following 7 steps.
1. Be Neat- Do not overload yourself with accessories or handbags while teaming them up with your formal outfit. Keep it simple and sophisticated. Go for a decent watch, spacious (non-neon/ non-blingy) handbag, light earrings , a basic pendant necklace (if at all) and they must complement each other.
2. Be Organized- If you have an interview or a meeting, have a spacious file bag for holding your important documents intact. Avoid carrying different sets of folders for the same and a leather bag would an advantage. Your handbag should be spacious enough to accommodate all the required stuff as it is clumsy to carry two-three separate bags for different requirements. The requirements generally include a schedule diary or a smart phone with a similar app to keep the daily schedule, wallet which must include your important cards like ID, credit card, metro card etc. besides money, tissues, of course your fashion emergency kit, medicines that you require, shades and whatever else is essential to you on a daily routine. Do not clamp much.
3. Wear Confidence Like Make-up – Coming back to not getting dressed like a runway model. Keep your make up to the minimum. Just kohl pencil, dash of mascara, a good foundation & a basic lip-balm or a lip stick would suffice. Seriously avoid glitter lip glosses, eye shadows, red/hot pink lip colors, etc. ladies. Unless you want them to think the forbidden. Best you would wanna wear is, CONFIDENCE! This too could get unbearable if in excess. Wear it but do not over-do it. Always remember that one must walk, talk and think with confidence.
4. Experiment- Everyone gets bored of same old trousers, shirts & blazers. Basic black, brown and blue shades are so mundane. Well yeah, they look fabulous but also boring after a while. Try formal dresses, stylish blazers in decent colors, shirts with high-waist or Knee length skirts or maybe traditional outfits too at times. There are many brands with really classy formal wear collection like Zara, Forever 21, Vero Moda etc. These will fall in your budget and are definitely worth buying.
5. Mix n Match- Don’t always go for same colored blazer and trouser. Markets are flooded with different colors, patterns and styles. Explore and create your formal piece. Like a peach blazer works wonders with a black trouser or an abstract patterned shirt will look really chic with a high-waist skirt. We don’t live in 19th century after all!
6. Learn To Do Your Hair- Leaving your hair open for 8-9 hours with a lot of deadlines on your head, can be really troublesome. Learn how to make a basic bun, high pony tail or basic way to hold back your open hair. Avoid messy braids as they can actually give you a messy look.
7. Walk Tall & See Sharp – The first impression you make when you enter your office is with your walk. Slouching or slow walking isn’t considered an appropriate walk in professional environment. You must walk straight without bending anywhere. Right footwear plays a key role in achieving a confident walk. Footwear could be flats or high heels but make sure they aren’t pencil or too bright. Formal footwear must adhere to the contrast of your attire.
It isn’t necessary anymore to wear lenses instead of spectacles to look your best. Various designs in eye-wear have flooded the markets since the last couple of years. Big frame glasses are back from 90’s and you can also experiment with colors. Avoid too bright colors, you aren’t in college anymore. The nerdy yet sexy look is the latest in town.
Follow these 7 steps and I am sure that you will feel difference in your overall performance besides yourself. There is no harm in making your work a bit fashionably interesting, is it? But, do not ever think that how you look can ever over shadow how you work. We could easily be beauty with brains but everything good requires wee bit of hard work.
