Clothing. A matter we give little thought to until we don’t get that job offer or aren’t promoted.

I know. It happened to me. When I entered the workforce I paid a visit to the hippest men’s store in my town and bought my starter wardrobe. I was given excellent performance reviews. And my coworkers—even many senior executives—said they liked working with me.

But one day I got into the office early and found a book placed on my desk with no note. I was embarrassed so I put the book aside to take it home after work.  It revealed the “rules” for wardrobe. And I devoured the book that night. 

One bit of advice it contained was “always dress a little better than your supervisor.” After a Saturday at the mall, I started doing just that.

Aside from the compliments I received, I was soon promoted. And shortly after that, I began interviewing at a prestigious advertising agency that hired me with a substantial increase in pay. 

Times have changed somewhat, but I’d still recommend dressing a little better than your supervisor. And for interviews, dress like a CEO of a multinational corporation.  There’s a lot of debate these days about dressing “corporate casual,” but don’t even think about it until you’re hired and know the wardrobe standards of the company. You probably won’t be lucky enough to have an unidentified coworker drop a book on your desk.

If you’re unsure about what to wear to get hired and promoted, consider:

       

I update these resources from time-to-time and invite you to return to this page to see what I may have discovered that could benefit you.