When it comes to getting ready for work, have you let yourself go? Do you still dress as sharp as you did on your first day or has your look…slipped? It could happen to anyone if you’re not paying attention. One day you really aren’t ‘feeling it’ so you wear your ‘comfy pants’…it feels pretty good and before you know it every day is comfy pants day only now your sporting a wrinkled shirt to complete the look. Or maybe you were running late one day and just threw you hair in a ponytail or ‘forgot’ to shave. It was fast and easy so it became part of your routine.

You’re good at you job so it doesn’t really matter what you look like right? Au contraire! Every day you make an impression on someone, new customers, old customers and your boss or maybe the person you wish was your boss – fat chance of moving into that dream job looking like you just rolled out of bed or came from the gym.

The fact is not a day goes by where someone doesn’t make judgments about you by the way you’ve chosen to present yourself on that particular day. Taking the time to look good tells the world that you care about yourself and looking like you’ve got it all together is a great way to get ahead at work.  Here are some tips on how to look your professional best every day.

Professional Hairstyle

It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, you’ll need to get your hair ready for the day. Depending on your age (and how much hair you’ve got) this could take some time, so schedule it into your morning routine.  There are some hairstyles that are more appropriate for work and there are other styles that would be really fun for meeting up with your friends on a Saturday night.

It’s important to groom your hair for the workplace and not a social event. If you want to be successful you need to put some thought into how you are prepping your hair for the day. Ask yourself, what impression am I trying to make here?

Fresh Faced

If you’re a guy this usually means being clean shaven. Facial hair can be acceptable, but it must be meticulously groomed. This means NO SCRAGGLY BEARDS no matter how trendy they are at the moment.  If you do have some man-scaping going on make sure it stays clean at all times especially after eating.

For girls it’s all about the cosmetics.  Understated, classic make-up looks professional. Leave your sparkly eye shadow and fun colors for the weekend.  The same goes for accessories, if you choose to wear jewelry, keep your daytime bling clean and simple.

Sweat the Small Stuff

Many times I’ve worked with or seen people at work who think they are dressing professionally, but haven’t quite pulled it off. They ALMOST get there. The reasons they come off as an imposter are the small touches – Things that are not obvious, but still noticeable. If you want to look like a true professional at work watch the details. Here are some things to look for:

• Make sure you don’t just look good but you fit in with your company environment.
• Keep your shoes polished, with no dirt or scuff marks.
• Make sure your clothes are ironed, I can’t stress enough how important a crease-free shirt is!
• Keep your clothes clean and stain free.
• Smell good. Especially if you work out before work. If you do choose to wear fragrance remember to keep it very subtle. A little goes way farther than you think it does.