We talk a lot about the importance of putting your best foot forward. Throughout this website and in the resume class, we ask the question, “Am I presenting myself in the best possible way”. We are of course referring to your resume but what about YOU? How do you look? How do you feel? How do you feel about how you look? What do other people say about how you look? The best way to answer these questions is to do a little test. Try wearing something that you’ve never worn to work before, something perhaps that you’ve wanted to wear but chose not to. Then judge the response. If you get a lot of “Wow, you look fantastic” or even a mere comment such as “that really suits you”, well then it’s time to review your wardrobe. The first step to dressing for success is to dress in a way that will make you feel good, allowing you to project your best image. Most companies will have a dress code to some degree and some will go to the extreme of suggesting how much of your income should be dedicated to keeping your corporate wardrobe up-to-date. When shopping for a new wardrobe, keep your company dress code in mind.

For most of my working life I was loath to spend my hard earned cash on what I felt was a corporate uniform, you know, the business suit, the business shoes and so on. I couldn’t get a tax deduction as it was not an official uniform. Then I was introduced to the idea of a tailored suit. My only previous experience of this was in Thailand and it was not a good one. To say it was the worst $50 ever spent is an understatement but then again, you get what you pay for. Anyway, I decided to give it another go and spend a lot more than $50, I was due a treat. Much to my surprise, the feeling you get from wearing a tailored suit is phenomenal. First of all, you feel better looking. You can see heads turn as you pass them in the corridors or on the street. Your self-confidence gets a massive boost resulting in a better presentation of you.

Now you’re probably thinking, how does this investment pay? Simple, the fact that you’re feeling better about how you look makes you a stronger negotiator. You sit in front of your boss or a client, bursting with confidence and they pick up on it. Walk into the same situation feeling self conscious, whilst looking across the negotiating table at a sharper dressed adversary and you’ll come out with less.

A tailored suit is a luxury but surprisingly, not as expensive as one would think. For maybe 20/30% more than a standard off the peg suit, you can get something that fits like a glove and gives you the power. That said, some of the off the peg suits fit remarkably well. 

Take a look in the mirror now. Would you wear that to an interview? You need to aim to be looking your interview best everyday of the working week. You achieve that and you will never be under suspicion by colleagues or managers when interviewing for a new job.