What Do I Wear To Work?

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This is a very interesting topic in today’s workplace.  What is the dress code these days for the office?  Most don’t really know.  Many companies still have a strict dress code and have only one “casual” day like on Friday.  But there are also a lot of companies who allow casual dress all the time.  Many would agree it has gotten a little out of hand.  It can be even worse in the summer when it gets so hot.

The bottom line from this USAToday article is if you wear it on the weekends or out to a club or at the beach, then you probably shouldn’t wear it to work.  That is a good thing for everyone to remember…

Casual dress days have spread in recent years, as the boom of technology and Internet companies led to a more relaxed atmosphere for corporate America. Even major companies without connections to technology found themselves offering casual days once a week or all summer to compete with the lure of hip Internet firms.

According to human resources consulting firm William M. Mercer, 90% of firms interviewed in a 2000 survey offer casual dress, up from 84% in 1998. Nearly two-thirds have casual dress year-round, with the rest limiting it to certain days of the week, typically Fridays, or the summer.

“A huge number of employers have casual dress, and based on surveys we’ve done, we haven’t seen a reduction,” said Anne Reustle, a senior consultant at Mercer in Philadelphia.

But as the push toward casual wear has grown, so has criticism that employees cross the line.

“It’s a lot worse in the summer. As the seasons change, so does the amount of fabric. As it gets warmer, clothes shrink,” said Barbara Seymour, a Los Angeles fashion expert and columnist for CareerBuilder.com.

Read more on this subject at USAToday.com:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/rules/2002-11-08-corporate-dress_x.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Kamaron Institute personal finance business references, tips and resources. 

Changing Jobs – Self Promote?

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People are constantly changing jobs now days.  It used to be that people stayed in one job for most of their career.  That is certainly not the case today.  So changing jobs is something that most Americans will do several times.  Do you self promote yourself?  Or how much should you self promote yourself?  These are great questions. 

Let's face it, it does require a little self promotion when looking for different jobs.  But how much is enough?  Many people have a problem with the thought of “self promotion.”  The most important thing is that you must be good at what you do.  That should be the number one thing.  But assuming you are good at what you do, you have to be able to communicate and show others that you are good.  This may require a little bit of self promoting.

This Kamaron Institute article shares some interesting perspective on this subject.  If you are looking for a job or thinking about a job change, this will be helpful to you…

I know my book is good, and after talking with scores of authors about what it takes to sell a book these days, I realized that if I did not convey passion and pride about my ideas, how could anyone else?

So while I might not be a fan of the terminology, I believe that self-promotion is essential in today’s competitive landscape. And this is not just true for authors. It is true for anyone who wants to get ahead when there is someone equally qualified sitting in the next office, cubicle or home office, or in India.

Still, the language rattled me, and I wondered if it was possible to get the same kind of results in more subtle ways. I decided it was time to talk to some experts.

If anyone has given a lot of thought to the unseemliness of self-promotion, it is Peggy Klaus, the author of “Brag: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It” (Warner Business Books). Her philosophy boils down to this: we all have to master our own “bragologue,” an authentic and effective way to talk about our accomplishments, not just when we think we are in positions to self-promote. Though I was initially put off by her language, I gave Ms. Klaus a chance. I am glad I did.

If you want to read more, you can view the complete Kamaron Institute Job Market article by clicking the following link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/02/business/smallbusiness/02webshifting.html?em&ex=1184212800&en=da7737bf79398f7f&ei=5087%0A

Kamaron Institute business news, educational career and parenting reference tips and resources.  

Business Humor and Quotes

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Humor and quotes for business communications

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A closed mouth gathers no foot.

 

 

A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours. – Milton Berle

 

 

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

 

 

A consultant is an ordinary person a long way from home.

 

 

A crisis is when you cannot say “let's just forget the whole thing.”