I was recently featured in an article on MSN Career by Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder.com Writer:
When you think of the term “executive,” what comes to mind? Most likely, words like successful, professional, hardworking, composed, smart, admired and well-spoken pop into your head.
Want your co-workers to associate those same terms with you? Then follow these tips for being taken seriously at work.
Dress professionally
Though we’ve all been raised on sayings like “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” in the professional world, presentation counts. There is a certain level of expectation when it comes to dress in the workplace. We expect to see executives in business attire, and consequently, we associate those who wear business attire with positions of power. So if you want to be taken seriously at work, start dressing like it.
According to Frances Cole Jones, author of “The Wow Factor: The 33 Things You Must (and Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today’s Business World,” the dressing professionally rule applies on Fridays, too. “If the C-suite level is not dressing down on Fridays, I recommend you follow their lead and remain in professional dress on Fridays,” she says.
Choose appropriate hairstyles
For women, Jones advises “Having your hair hanging in your face will always make you look younger/less authoritative than you are.” Pulling hair back or putting it up will help you to look more professional.
For men, this means keeping hair short and neat by getting a regular haircut.
