Did You Dress To Impress or To Fool Your Future Employer?

A woman wore a conservative suit to her interview but showed up for her first day of work wearing a short leather skirt, high boots, and a number of long chains around her neck. She was sent home to change.

Another new employee wore a long-sleeve shirt and pants to his interview, but on his first day at work he wore short sleeves and shorts that revealed numerous tattoos on his arms and legs. This casual clothing was acceptable for his job, but the employee manual that he had been given clearly stated that tattoos were not to be displayed. He was sent home to change.

Both bosses told me that they felt deceived.

Prospective employees often will dress up for interviews, and then dress more casually for their daily jobs. This change is anticipated by employers, assuming professional dress is not required for a position. However, when new employees significantly alter their professional images by changing their clothing choices, how they wear their clothes, or their grooming, they are being unfair to their employers.

Such behavior also may damage a new employee’s reputation. The boss could question the decision to hire that person, and doubt his or her professionalism. Clearly, that is not the way to start a new job.

Consider whether you are playing bait-and-switch.? How would you answer the following questions? Do you think your answers would make your employer feel misled?

• Were your clothes clean and pressed for the interview, but now look like they need a visit to the cleaners?

• Are you dressing provocatively? Is your skirt significantly shorter or tighter than when you interviewed? Are you revealing cleavage?

• Were you clean-shaven at the interview, but started to grow a beard as soon as you were hired? (One man told me he had done this, but he said it had set him apart from other employees, so he planned to shave.)

• Are you dressing flamboyantly? Did you interview in a nondescript shirt and tie, yet show up for work in very bright-colored shirts or ties with slogans?

You want to dress appropriately for your position. If you are unsure about what to wear, ask the hiring manager for advice, or read the dress code, if there is one. You can also look at what other employees are wearing and model your choices after theirs.

Additional information can be found in my new book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success (McGraw Hill). Reserve your copy now at Amazon.

To receive more workplace attire tips, LIKE us on www.facebook.com/pachtertraining

He’s Still Talking! The Secrets To Managing Time When Presenting

My speech went over time. They hated me!

I panicked when I was told to add 20 minutes to my talk!

Lately I have been getting questions about how to judge the timing of a presentation. There seem to be two main concerns:

• How do you calculate correctly how long your talk will take? Many people misjudge their timing, and either go over their allotted time or run out of things to say.

• How do you quickly adjust the length of your talk? What do you do if you are told, shortly before you are to begin, that you have either more or less time than you had anticipated?

Here are four suggestions that can help you master timing:

1. Prepare properly. If you have prepared what you want to say, you are less likely to ramble, which adds additional time to your talk, and less likely to forget material, which would shorten your presentation. In my training classes, the participants use my Speech Organizer, which provides a visual representation of the parts of a speech, to structure their presentations and plan what they want to say.

2. Time yourself. Practice giving your presentation so you will know how much time your talk will take. This needs to be done a couple of times so you become comfortable with your material and your pacing. Timing your talk won’t be helpful if you are racing through it or stumbling over sections.

3. Know what to add or delete. Part of your preparation is anticipating time concerns, and knowing what material you can easily add or eliminate from your talk. To add extra material, have at the ready additional research, statistics or stories that highlight your key points. The opposite approach is effective when you need to shorten your remarks. Know ahead of time what material is not crucial for your key points, and don't discuss those items. Speaking faster is not a substitute for the elimination of material.

4. Get a signal. Have someone in your audience give you an unobtrusive signal to designate when you have only a certain amount of time left.

More tips can be found in my new book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success (McGraw Hill).

To connect with Pachter on Facebook: LIKE us at: www.facebook.com/pachtertraining

Pachter & Associates provides presentation skills training to companies or coaching for individuals. For additional information, contact Joyce Hoff at 856.751.6141 or joyce@pachter.com

Still Working? 7 Ways To Stay Vibrant When Over 50 or 60

You must have been a real looker when you were younger.

The graying of the American workforce has begun. Many people have delayed retirement because of the economy and some older workers still want to work and don’t plan to stop. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of workers age 55-64 in the workplace is expected to increase by 36.5 percent between 2006-2016.

I have been getting a number of questions lately about being a successful older worker, and offer these suggestions to help people stay vibrant in today’s changing business world:

1. Don’t get defensive. The above quote said to a businesswoman in her 60s illustrates that people give back-handed compliments about age. A man was told that “He looked great for his age.” Don’t dwell on the comment or its intent. Simply reply, “Thank you” and move to another topic.

2. Overcome negative self-talk. Don’t keep asking yourself, “Am I too old for this?” View yourself as a professional with lots of good experience and look forward to more career accomplishments. You can also look to role models of successful older workers for inspiration. Diane Sawyer turned 67 a few months ago.

3. Learn social media. Have a Facebook page. Get on LinkedIn. Know about Twitter. You need some familiarity with social media. If you don’t know where to start, ask your children or grandchildren for help.

4. Toot your own horn. Regardless of your age, you need to speak well of yourself. But you will be dating yourself if you continually mention the past. Saying, “At Gimbels we did…” may make you seem like a dinosaur as some people you work with may not have been born in 1987 when this national department store closed. Also, don’t joke about how long you have been in the workplace. One 54-year old manager often says, “When I worked at Ford 100 years ago….”

5. Stay in shape. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help keep you vital and well.

6. Learn how to work for a younger boss. You may need to adjust your communication style. Know how your boss likes to communicate. If he or she prefers texting, learn to text. Remember to act like an employee, not a parent.

7. Get a makeover. You can choose to look younger. Dying your hair, updating your glasses or getting contacts, whitening your teeth, getting a new hairstyle and a contemporary wardrobe can often deduct ten years or more from your look. Some people also choose more extensive measures like Botox or plastic surgery. If you don’t know where to begin, professional coaches can help.

To receive more business etiquette tips, LIKE us on www.facebook.com/pachtertraining

Order your copy now for my new book The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success (McGraw Hill) at Amazon. 

Pachter & Associates provides seminars and coaching on business etiquette and communication for organizations worldwide. Contact Joyce Hoff at 856.751.6141 or joyce@pachter.com for more information.

 **This blog originally ran in February 2011.