Dress it UP!
A Note to Minions:
What they are telling us right now is only half the secret: a uniform is important – whether it be skirts and boots or t-shirts and jeans or suits and ties, only owning a finite amount of combinations saves on time, money, and morning stress. Proven. OK. So, what happens when you feel like you’re stuck in a rut?
Wearing new clothes makes you feel new. Period. If you’ve been working at a job for more than six months, that grey suit you wear every day has become YOU. If you’re the boss-boss-high-executive-CEO of the company, this is fine. If you’re an assistant, it is hopeless – you’ve blended into the walls ages ago and, even if your work stands out, YOU do not. The boring guy who wears goofy ties on Fridays is more excited to be at work than you, and it shows.
Pick a day to dress down: This is usually Fridays, when companies allow staff to wear jeans. When I worked at a smaller firm, I chose Casual Tuesdays.
Pick a day to dress up: The five extra minutes in the morning will make you stand out all day as looking sharp, professional, and extra-presentable to clients. All this fine reputation on five minutes once a week!
Switch it up: Keep your uniform of a grey suit, but buy a new tie once a month. Wear red heels sometimes. It’s not for the crowds, it’s for you. You will feel that new job feeling again without trying too hard.
A Note to Supervisors:
Dress up for your staff. If you want your clients to think of you as professional and ready to serve, you want your staff to know you are equally grateful for their time and for choosing to work with you. Looking sharp not only improves moral, but it improves the overall look and feel of the company. Even if a jeans and t-shirt is your style, make it a styled t-shirt and make sure those jeans don’t have holes in them. If your staff can’t wear jeans, make sure you don’t.
I once had a boss interview me while he was wearing sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt. Unfortunately for me, the attitude of condescension stayed for the two years I worked there. Never again will I take a job from someone who believed I wasn’t worth looking presentable for.