Real Lives

Thursday May 8, 2008

Grooming for success

The way you dress and carry yourself determines whether you get the job, and more importantly, keep it.

By VIVIENNE PAL
vivienne@thestar.com.my

HERE'S a typical scenario: an international company offers a vacancy for a high-flying job. The number of applicants could fill a building but in the end, only three women were short-listed.

All three were almost equally qualified with good academic achievements and the experience needed to fill the position, with some gaining an edge over the other in different ways.

Yet, it was the best groomed one that got the job.

Like it or not, this is the reality of the workplace, says Chapter One Asia founder and image consultant Wendy Lee.

Wendy Lee will be speaking at the Empowering Women in the Workplace seminar. The professional image consultant also advises at CloveTWO's Lookin' Good section.

An image consultant for the last five years, Lee speak on Power Dressing in an upcoming workshop entitled Empowering Women in the Workplace, presented by HP and Star-Jobs.com.

Her clients include UMW, Citibank, Genting World Resort, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur and Media Prima Berhad.

The workshop will also include a talk by one of HP's more experienced managers on prospects for women in the IT world.

"The employer perceives that the well-qualified and well-groomed one would suit the job better because apart from her qualifications, there is no worry about whether she can blend in with the right crowd, especially where her dressing is concerned," says Lee.

According to a study conducted in the United States that related image to salary scale, about 1,000 companies were shown "before" and "after" photographs of a potential employee. Having seen the "after" pictures, a majority of the respondents were in favour of increasing the salary of the employee from 8% to 20%.

Finding a job in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur means that the jobseeker would be subjected to harsher scrutiny where self-presentation is concerned.

"People are busier in KL, that's why they are far harsher in judging others by their appearances. There isn't much time for niceties, so first impressions count the most. Perception is such that seeing is believing," she explains.

Although men are also subjected to being judged by (first) impressions, it is the women who are judged more harshly on the way they present themselves, adds Lee.

"The fact is, people are visually oriented. If you look good, people will devote that extra time to listen to you," says Lee, who found that out unintentionally.

After putting more effort into her dressing and pairing more jackets with her outfits back in the days when she was still in the pharmaceutical industry, she discovered a difference in how people treated her.

"These were the same clients I knew before I started dressing up and wearing jackets. I realised that I couldn't change my background but I could change my image – the impression I created on people was the one thing I could control," she recalls.

What does it mean to be well groomed and how does one look professional?

The key is in wearing something that would influence how others treat you.

Lee summarises it as "taking care of your hair, wearing well-fitting clothing which is not too tight or, oversized, as that denotes sloppiness; making sure your outfit, including shoes (preferably court shoes or peep-toes) and colours match for a congruent look."

Which means looking appropriate and attractive – within an affordable range.

Ultimately, it's not just about clinching the job; the way you dress and project your image is instrumental to the success of your career and life. Once you've taken care of your image, everything else falls into place.

"If I dress well, I can't afford to behave badly," she reasons.

Besides touching on how to dress correctly by wearing clothes that suit your body shape during the workshop, Lee will go beyond the superficial aspect of self-image and how to increase your face value.

"The 3Vs of first and lasting impressions are visual, vocal and verbal. Once you've gotten the job, what matters after that is how you impact your image. This involves, of course, your appearance, as well as your attitude and actions – these are the things that matter when it comes to keeping the job," Lee concludes.

Related Story:
Empowering workshop