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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Dress for Success, Even in Summer


Sunday, July 13, 2008

Now that the weather has turned hot, we are faced with the mixed blessing of more relaxed dress codes at work.

Even firms that don't generally favor casual dress often allow it during the summer, at least on certain days. When dress is casual, knowing what to wear is not always easy, and mistakes can affect your career.

For example, one warm summer day when C.B. Bowman of North Plainfield was the director of learning and development for a New Jersey-based insurance agency, one of her employees showed up for work in a dress that left little to the imagination. Despite the company's dress code, the employee saw nothing wrong with the outfit because it was an extremely hot and humid day.

Bowman said she sent the employee home to change, pointing out the office was air-conditioned. The employee was eventually fired for other reasons, but Bowman said she thinks this incident served to reinforce the general perception this employee wasn't a good fit for the job.

While rarely does wearing the wrong outfit to work result in being fired, how a person dresses can have a major effect on whether or not he or she is promoted. To be viewed as someone on the fast track to success, one needs to look the part, and not just in the winter, but in the summer as well.

"Management is continuously sizing people up for the next promotion," said Vicky Ribon, Team Manager in charge of the Florham Park office of Administaff, a national human resources outsourcing firm. Potential leaders are judged "not only on their knowledge and skills, but also on their presentation." So always pay attention to the image you project.

Here are some tips for dressing to impress where summer business casual is the norm:

  • Start by looking at the people in the positions you aspire to and take your cues for your summer wardrobe from them.
  • No matter what you choose to wear, make sure you never look sloppy. For men, Glenn Hoffs, fashion director for Brooks Brothers and a South Orange resident, suggests "tropical-weight wool or linen slacks and a long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a fashionably casual yet professional look." Polo shirts also work in most industries.
  • For women, "a summer dress is always appropriate as long as it is not too revealing." Tasteful skirts or pants with blouses also can convey the right image.

    As Bedminster-based Dory Devlin, work and money editor for Yahoo Shine and a former Star-Ledger columnist, notes: "It is hard to know the rules, because they are constantly changing as we become increasingly more casual, but there are still some definite office attire don'ts."

  • The two "worst summer workplace fashion offenses" were "visible underwear and tank tops," noted a recent Monster.com online survey. Other summer items that should never be seen on you at the office are halter tops, short shorts, T-shirts and see-through blouses.
  • The human resources professionals I spoke with would all add flip-flops to the list, for both men and women, of what not to wear to work. Leg or toe jewelry also should be reserved for outside the office. My own rule of thumb for business casual is, if it's right for the beach or a hot summer night, it is probably wrong for work.
  • Remember, dress rules are not suspended when you are attending a company function, such as a picnic, barbecue or pool party at the boss's home. No matter how informal, these are still very much business functions. Clothes that are too tight, too short, low cut or see-through are never appropriate.
  • You don't want your boss picturing you in a thong bikini when he or she is deciding who to promote. At a summer get-together, sandals and sneakers have their place, but leave the ripped T-shirts and jeans at home.

    "Think carefully before you wear your favorite T-shirt with the funny or risqué saying emblazoned across the front," Hoffs cautioned. "Not everyone will share your sense of humor."

    The image you present at work is something that should not be left to chance. Every day, individuals miss out on career opportunities because they do not project the right image. Decision-makers, consciously or subconsciously, often consider whether someone looks the part when deciding whether to hire or promote them. The impressions you make during the summer are no less important than those you make during the winter months.

    A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

    Thursday, July 3, 2008

    If You've Earned A Raise, Then Ask For It


    Sunday, June 29, 2008

    Is the weak economy causing you to hesitate to ask your boss for a raise?

    Ninety percent of employees do not feel this is a very good time to ask for a raise, according to a recent human resources survey sponsored by Randstad, a worldwide staffing agency with offices in Princeton, Parsippany, Swedesboro and Plainfield. The online poll was drawn from a pool of 2,200 employees and 1,295 employers in the United States.

    Most people these days seem to be more worried about keeping their jobs than getting a raise. That can be a costly mistake. The right time to ask for a raise is when you deserve one, regardless of the general state of the economy.

    What do you have to do to get a raise in a tough economy? You not only need to do something that merits a salary increase, but you need to affirmatively promote your accomplishments. Unless you tell them, most bosses don't actually know what you've accomplished, and may even give credit to someone else for your successes. If you want a raise, make sure your boss knows how you have contributed to his or her success and that you can continue to help make him or her look good.

    One way to demonstrate you deserve a raise is to learn new skills or take on greater job responsibilities. Presented properly, your boss will recognize the new skills or additional work being done will make him look good. Particularly in a tight economy, if your boss can achieve greater productivity without hiring additional staff, you can get a raise and your boss can justify it on the basis of saving the company money.

    How you go about asking for a raise is also important. Eileen Habelow, Northeast regional vice president of Randstad, recently gave a bigger raise than she had planned because of the way her employee approached the topic.

    She asked this individual to take over a troubled account and offered him an increase in salary, but the way he responded caused her to rethink the amount she had offered. He told her "he was flattered that she had thought of him for this tough job and was excited by the challenge even though it required him to leave a secure position where he doing extremely well."

    That simple statement reminded her that not only was he the best choice to solve her problem with this account, but also that accepting this position would entail both financial and professional risk for him. So even though she believed he would accept the job at the salary she had initially offered, when he asked for a larger increase she gave him one.

    Prepare carefully before you ask for a raise.You don't simply wake up one morning and ask for one. You have to have a good reason. "I have not had a raise in a long time" is not a good reason, especially in a weak economy.

    "I just completed my MBA;" "I am your top producer;" "I took on additional responsibilities when Sally left;" or "I have a job offer from a competitor." Those are reasons to request a raise.

    Show how you have gone above and beyond what was expected.Use the internet to determine the market value for the work you are doing. Also, recognize the unique value you bring to your employer, those things you do that would be difficult for your employer to replace if you left. Utilize that information to make the case for a raise.

    However, never threaten to leave if you don't get what you are asking for. Doing so will put your boss on the defensive and make it just as likely that she will show you the door as give you a salary increase.

    When you are seeking a raise, bear in mind the advice of Ron McMillan, co-author of "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High:" "You are not asking for a favor, you are engaged in a business negotiation."

    Demonstrate why you deserve one, explaining how you determined a higher salary is warranted. A salary increase is not the only way you can get a raise. You can also ask for more time off, the ability to work a few days a week from home, additional training opportunities or a bonus based on achieving certain agreed upon results.

    A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.