Be all that you can be

The classic shirt and tie combination is more difficult than many imagine. It’s not simply a case of wearing a clean shirt and pulling the first tie off the rail that you can find. It’s about style. Classic rules that have been stereotyped and rubber stamped into the business dress code hand book. Shirt and tie combos should be every man’s (and women’s) first thought when dressing for business. There are several rules to follow, but you can experiment with your own style as long as you stick within the general guidelines. Too eccentric may give the wrong image.

Classic Shirt & Tie Combo Rules

1. When you have a plain (white) shirt any tie should go.

2. Don’t wear a tie lighter than your shirt, i.e. a black shirt and yellow tie is wrong.

3. Striped shirts and striped ties don’t always go, but you can pull off the look if the stripes are not identical to the stripe pattern of the shirt. Vertically striped shirts with a broad diagonally striped tie make for a good look.

4. Checked shirts and striped ties are a big no no. Don’t subscribe to this look.

5. Colours - try to match your ties to your suit, shirt or even shoes or belt. The world is your oyster, but keep away from matching patterns for shirt, tie and suit.

Most of all, enjoy experimenting. Your shirt and tie combo is what projects your image. Think what image you are trying to portray.

Any finally - don’t let your ties hang lower than your waistband!!! It’s SO wrong!!!

I find it pretty disturbing that groomed women who wear make-up in business are the ones who get well paid, sail through a job interview and top of the list for promotions. This shows what a shallow world we live in and how every day people must be judging on appearances and not on the real talent the individual has to offer.

A large percentage of Directors admit that they prefer women who wear make-up as she will look more professional unlike a woman who wears no make-up as this will give an impression that she can not be bothered to make an effort.

The evidence is there and shows that your personal appearance plays a huge part in the way you are perceived. In only a couple of seconds for people make an instant impression so that does not give you long to sell yourself, skills and personality so your make-up, clothes and hair will play a huge part in helping you get your foot on the ladder for your dream job.

So if you are looking for a job and pay rise it is time to take pride in you appearance and as bad as it sounds if you are clueless when it comes to make-up you can visit a beauty therapist for a make-up lesson and tips.

Whether you like it or not, first impressions are pretty hard to change, so would you unwillingly wear make-up to save your job?

Have you ever thought about what you eat and how it can affect your ability to perform. Particularly, I am talking about the effect your food will have on your brain.

The way your brain functions can be improved by “Brain Foods”. Such foods stimulate the brain and help improve productivity. If you can get these foods into your daily diet, you will ensure that you are more mentally productive than others.

“Brain Foods”

Walnuts
Fruit
Spinach
Pumpkin Seeds
Fish
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Olive Oil
Natural Sugars

“Brain Drain Foods”

Alcohol
Nicotine
White Bread
Junk Sugars
Overeating
Artificial Foods/preservatives
Hydrogenated Fats

Try and see if you can fit some of the “brain foods” into your diet - mmmmm - that’s food for thought!!!

Ask yourself whether this is a good time for you to retrain.

If you have a particular course or scheme in mind, make certain that you have researched it thoroughly and that you have preferably discussed it with friends and colleagues whom you trust the opinion of.

Keep in mind the relevance of the course you have your eye on to sorts of jobs and careers that are available in your area. Also, you should consider that many employers prefer to take on people with a track record in a particular field over someone with only qualifications in it.

Also be aware that if your current or potential employer offers training it may not present you with a nationally recognised qualification (like an NVQ., B-Tech, A Level or whatever) upon completion of it and yet it may still cost you quite a lot of money Be sure to check for yourself what part time courses are being run by the local community centres, Job Centres, colleges and universities, as these are sometimes run at special rates.

Don’t overlook the development of your interpersonal skills, for example, office diplomacy, negotiation and assertiveness.

Also have a chat with local agencies or anyone you might know who is a freelance worker or who does contract work. Ask them what benefits and pitfalls you should look out for.

Retraining or returning to education to learn new skills is a positive step if you have lost your job. You may have been made redundant and the market place for your skills is limited, in which case you could see this as an opportunity to retrain. Maybe you know redundancy or dismissal is imminent and you want to proactively look for a way to get out of the industry you have been in.

Maybe you want to change the direction of your career and/or expand on your current skill base. Whatever the case, if change is in the air and you feel you want to move elsewhere professionally, perhaps you could start by asking yourself some basic questions:

1. What skills do you have?
2. What would you like to do every day?
3. How important is financial security?

Whatever your answers to these questions, they will help to prepare you to make important decisions when applying for retraining or education.

Once you have a better picture of what you might like from your future career you can embark on some in-depth research. A good place to start would be websites like DirectGov Education & Learning, which have pages dedicated to adult learning, how to find the right courses, as well as gratis advice on matching together courses with whatever your skills and interests may be.

Confidence tips the balance when it comes to generating the momentum to change your life. If you want to get additional training by starting a new course or whether you just want to shine in a job interview, confidence is key.

Over the next few articles we will look at different ways to improve confidence and performance during interviews, meetings and presentations of various sorts, whatever your goals and ambitions.

In many ways, being confident is what you DO even moiré than it is what you ARE. If you truly feel that you are lacking in confidence in a particular setting it can help to think of someone you know who IS confident in that setting and then emulate their body language, how they talk and walk.

This doesn’t mean you should mimic all of their peculiarities and copy their accent or whatever, but if you seek to emulate their confident speech patterns and general body language you will be behaving in a confident manner. Once people start to see you as confident they will react to you in a different way which will further enforce your confident behaviour. Try it and see for yourself.

Smile more and chat with new people more readily. This doesn’t mean you should go\ around with a constant grin on your face, dragging people into conversation even if they don’t want to be. It’s just that if you behave in a more friendly and engaging way people will generally react in a more positive way towards you, reaffirming your own self confidence.

When researching and seeking advice regarding graduate employment, it is important to consider the full range of jobs that are available to those suitably qualified. The statistics alone do not provide a full picture, so it is worthwhile considering all angles available. First, consult a careers counsellor or adviser, usually provided by the university or educational institution. Recruitment agency advisers are also worth approaching for tips and guidance as they deal with employment issues daily.

In today’s employment market there are many more senior positions and fast track schemes available to the new graduate that would have been available 20 years ago. This is due to the fact that a much higher proportion of the work force are now graduates, therefore widening what is available to fresh employees. Another side effect of the increase in the percentage of graduate in the market is that graduates are can now start within a company in a position that does not require a degree and climb the ranks, gaining more and more experience along the way.

When searching for either a graduate career or job, it is very important to stay realistic and concentrate on the progression that is offered within the company. This long-term view will allow for better prospects in the future and make it easier to move horizontally within the industry.

With the relevant research, education, CV and career plan it should not be difficult to achieve the career that you want.

Those who leave higher education often face the challenge of deciding upon a suitable career and finding work within the chosen sector. Deciding which career path to follow is an extremely important and complicated process. Seeking career advice is always and researching the different options available will provide a good starting point for and graduates entering the labour market.

While at university it is very easy to believe the various myths about careers and the labour market that create either a favourable or unfavourable picture of reality. Therefore it is important to approach relevant centres of advice regarding the industry or career, where options can be explored and the myths broken.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency figures show that at least two thirds of recent graduates find employment within the first 6 months of their graduation in the UK, while the rest are divided over unemployment, overseas employment and further education. Considering that high proportion of graduates find employment after university, it is vital to make sure that they have the right access to advice and that they seek it.

The number of those that do not find employment in the first 6 months after graduation has been falling slowly but steadily over the last few years, indicating that a high level of education is a good way of ensuring long term employment and career progression.

Though higher education leads to more opportunities in the employment market, ensuring that you are in the right career for you is still highly problematic and requires a lot of thought and research.

Finding the career you want after graduating can be a daunting and difficult process, and it doesn’t matter whether you are a young graduate from your first degree or a an older graduate leaving university in your thirties.

It’s difficult to know where to begin with your research into jobs and although looking at vacancies is often the usual starting point it is worth bearing in mind that most vacancies are not advertised in that way, and so you are likely to get a skewed vision of what the graduate employment market is like.

Also, deciding what career is right for you can be problematic. If you are unsure you would do well to think about your interests and whatever expertise you may have and think how they may apply to a career. Keep in mind any constraints upon your time or mobility before applying for certain jobs. Children and disabilities can make some jobs less viable for you than others.

Once you have a profile of what you want from life and what you think you have to offer in terms of skills and knowledge, you can use this to narrow down your search for jobs, further courses or whatever else you might want to do after graduating.

Be brave. Your mantra should be “who dares, wins” and “it doesn’t have to be forever”. In other words, if you are free to do so, take a risk. If you aim for the stars and miss, you might still hit the moon, and if you aren’t sure that in 5 or 10 years you will continue to like the career you’re going for now, remember that you can always change careers providing you plan well. Never feel trapped by your circumstances. There is always a way to change them, even if they are in ways that you would not have expected or thought of under normal circumstances.

Once you have a good idea of what you want to do having graduated from university, think hard about your feelings about further education and/or training, what skills and experiences you already have, what sort of working environments may or may not appeal to you and the sort of life you want to live.

Once armed with all this self-reflective knowledge, go out there and start asking around, but try to do so in a focussed and structured way.

Here are some examples of ports of call during your enquiries:

- University careers adviser.

- The information garnered by Prospects, particularly the ‘What jobs would suit me?’ section (found at: www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pplanner). This service offers CV checking, careers advice and details for a whole range of regional graduate services in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

- Psychometric tests. These are often offered by university careers offices and are an excellent way of analysing oneself. They test numeracy, literacy and diagrammatic reasoning, and show your strengths and weaknesses in these areas. Some companies and organisations (like the Civil Service) require candidates take psychometric tests, and research shows that practice actually improves performance, so never be disheartened by a poor first showing after one such test.

- Prospects.ac.uk also offers a wide range of tests and self-assessment exercises for you to peruse at your leisure. Take a look at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Online/Tests.