Do you Promote Yourself in the Workplace?

As an Indiana Image Consultant,  I am all about wardrobe, I also do some coaching with professionals and executives who either want to move up or just maintain the status they have. Oh, how I could have used this advice when I was a young professional. I needed the wardrobe advice. I didn’t always dress professionally but dressed the way that pleased me at the time. What that meant was I wore bright florals – yes blue and hot pink – large checkerboard prints, extremely bright colors, etc. As I learned more I did wear more neutrals and nicer jackets, which at the time, was the way I saw other professionals dress. Or course, that dress code has largely relaxed, and  I wonder if it has disappeared. Anyway…that is another conversation.

Indiana Image Consultant’s Advice For Professionals Outside of the Wardrobe

Executive Coaching Consult will help you dress professionally in the workplaceBeyond your wardrobe, there are other ways people promote themselves at work. Some are effective in a legitimate way, and other ways, are, well comical. Case in point, I once worked in a very large office where there many of us at the same level (pre-management), many of whom wanted to be promoted. I remember one fellow in particular who had good skills but not exceptional skills. He was good-looking and got along well with everyone. All of sudden, he started wearing suits without ties and started carrying a briefcase to work every day. He also never left right at 5 pm when the day ended and appeared busily working in his cube. Now maybe he was working hard, I am not sure, but the intriguing thing is that it wasn’t long before he was promoted. This was telling, and very interesting to me. The outward trappings are key to establishing your image.

Anyway, what am I talking about here is self-promotion, but in a positive way. My client today was telling me she knows she doesn’t effectively promote herself at work. She felt men did a better job of promoting themselves than women. I had to think about that, and as an Indiana Image Consultant, I agreed. Do you?

Image Consulting Is More Than Clothes

Beth Divine Is Available To Speak To Organizations About Image ConsultingWe talked about how she could do a better job of promoting herself. I suggested just making a point to write down her accomplishments periodically, in a very detailed way. That way, when had an opportunity to promote herself she would at least have data or facts at hand to recall or refer to. Also, it’s much easier at review time to list your accomplishments when you’ve been recording them all year.

This client was also saying she did not reserve enough time to do strategic planning for her job. We discussed a way to plan to do strategic thinking by putting it on her calendar and making an effort to put it at the forefront of all she does in a given week at work.

At the end of our coaching sessions, I encouraged my client to create two-three goals based on her skill list of what she felt she did well and areas where she could improve. I think it always helps to be accountable to someone when you want to make changes happen in your life.

Book An Appointment With Indiana Image Consultant Beth Divine

As you can see, my advice flows far outside of fashion. My resume is full of big offices, public speaking events, and taking big risks. Your image is much more than your fashion sense, and I have the training to help you be the professional person you see in your head. Check out my services page to learn more, and then contact me to schedule an appointment. An investment in your image can make a big difference in your career.

 

Keep it sassy, Indy.

Beth Divine, MA, AICI-CIC, Indiana Image Consultant