Want to Move Up? Dress Up!

“Do I need to change how I dress to move up to a leadership position?”

The Fortune 500 company mid-level manager asked this question during a presentation workshop. He said he preferred his casual look, crewneck sweaters and most of all, he liked his beard. Plus, his wife did not want to him shave it off.

I asked, “What is the issue?”? He said everyone in leadership at this company wears a suit and tie. And no one in sports a beard. Humm, I asked, "How do you feel about a raise, a new position and your future with this company? He answered his own question.

The image you want to project is your choice. Think about the people you want to attract whether it is the boss, leadership or an affluent clientele. If your company is a suit-and-tie kind of company, dress for the part you want to achieve. If you are in tech or entertainment, you can skip the suit and project your brand image by adding style to your causal look. You don’t need to become “a look-alike-sound-alike” but you want to project that “you are ready for that next big career jump.”

Or, as a Venture Capitalist said, “If I am going to invest a few million in you and your company, I want to look like you know what do with it.”

Give Yourself The Advantage??

1. When you know you look good you project more confidence. Confidence attracts. It only takes “one look “for others to sum up how professional or successful they think you are.

2. Your dress, how you put yourself together and present yourself communicates your non-verbal messaging. It shows how you think of yourself and your respect for others.

3. Stand out! That’s right. It is your brand image. Fashion is a 1.5 billion dollar industry. People are paying to look good and people are paying attention.

4. Even Mark Zuckerberg outgrew his hoodies. Look like the pro you are.?

5. Who can resist a talented, skilled, confident and well-dressed professional who projects an “I am ready” attitude?

If casual Friday is turning into 5 days a week, share this article with your team.

Jude Jernudd is the founder of Jernudd + and Co-Founder of COBE, The Collaboration of Brilliant Entrepreneurs. We develop your top talent who are on the career acceleration fast track. We work with your company to elevate your rising stars, managers, directors, and sales teams to produce powerful performance.