Appearance is Important
"Always read
something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
- P.J. O'Rourke
American
Journalist/Author
I once had a
young man come into my office and plop himself in the chair. "Why won't anyone hire me?" he
complained. He had just come from
another job interview where they barely looked at his resume before they told
him they had no position for him. He
really did not do a lot to line up interviews, but what few he did have all
ended the same way - rejection.
I asked this young man to stand
up and go to the mirror that hung in my office.
"Now I want you to look at yourself", I said. His hair was uncombed, he needed a shave and
the clothes he had on looked like he slept in them for a week. "I want you to think about the question
I am going to ask you and answer this honestly." I said. "If you were the employer, would you
hire you?"
It did not take him long before
he understood what the problem was. He
had skill and the ability to do the jobs he applied for. That was never the issue. In fact, that was never the question. His appearance and the impression he gave
would have gotten him the door even if he had a PhD.
It seems that it is now
fashionable to have the attitude of, "This is just who I am. Take it or leave it." What people do not think about is when given
those options, leave it is always the better of the two. You have to understand that the job market is
such that there is always someone as good as you at the job. They have your level of skills and your
ability to work. What will make them
stand apart from you is their willingness to give a good impression rather than
a statement of defiance.
If you own your own company and
you are signing your own pay checks, then you can be whoever you want to
be. You can have every inch of your body
tattooed and more metal in your face than a Buick, but if you are looking to
find a good career, where you are taken seriously and allowed to advance as you
deserve to, you must go by others rules, not your own.
I know that this sound out of
date, however, if you look at those who are professional and successful you
will find they are people who care about how they appear. They take care of their body, mind and
emotions. Success-minded people know
that if you look professional you will act professional and feel professional.
You can be whoever you want to
be. No one is denying you that. However, in the working world, success
belongs to those who care enough about themselves and respects others enough to
show it. If you want to be treated with
honor and respect, then look like you honor and respect yourself. If you want to move to the top in your chosen
career, look like you belong at the top.
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