ASK ANDREA says – It’s All About Attitude
Image & Influence – Dress for Success It’s All About Attitude – Download our Free Ebook, Videos & Workbooks for information on how to get ahead in the workplace. How to be stylish and still professional.
Did you know that “Attractive” women earn about 20% more than “average-looking” people? So putting on makeup could mean pocketing a bigger paycheck? Women who wear makeup are reportedly considered more competent than those who don’t, however, wearing cosmetics in the workplace is a balancing act women are tasked with having to appear competent but not “unprofessional.” In other words, don’t go overboard. Simply apply make-up professionally to enhance your looks and best features. “Women should be free to express their femininity without fear. “It’s about attitude, acting and looking professional and presenting yourself as confident and capable.”
What Does It Mean to Be Professional?
Despite what professionalism should be about, we still live in a world in which we’re consumed largely by looks.
“It doesn’t hurt to be easy on the eyes, as it is an asset to use, just like any other,” The careful deployment of a pretty smile and make-up can make your interactions with colleagues and clients easier. Ensure that your looks aren’t the only the icing on the cake and that you bring to the table all of your intellect, toughness, experience, knowledge, and intelligence… Pay attention to your appearance, not through the mirror of the mass media, but simply to ensure you are sending the right messages to the right people around you.”
In 2011, researchers looked into the ways in which we perceive others, particularly based on their makeup. They looked at 25 white, African-American and Hispanic female subjects aged 20 to 50 — they were photographed barefaced and in three other looks: “natural,” “professional” and “glamorous.” Then, 149 adults looked at the photos for 250 milliseconds, which is considered enough time to make a snap judgment. Another 119 adults were offered unlimited time to check out the same faces. All of the respondents generally deemed women with makeup more competent than barefaced women, regardless of how much time they had. That said, the more time they had to evaluate, the more they judged women with “glamorous” makeup as “untrustworthy” — an unfavorable trait in the workplace.
How Much Makeup Is Too Much Makeup, and According to Who?
“Too much” of anything negatively affects women in the workplace. Moderation is the key.
It is imperative that we establish relationships with senior staff and people in positions of power who can help women earn more challenging assignments, raises, and promotions.
How Can Women Create Sponsorships, Develop Mentors in the Workplace?
Human resources departments are in a challenging position to tackle this conundrum: They are held responsible for preventing misconduct, protecting both male and female employees from the accusation of and being harassed, and for investigating reports of these events. On the one hand, they must implement policies that proactively prevent harassment from occurring. However, these same policies have consequences that directly impact women’s careers.
What Can Women Do to Lift Each Other and Themselves Up?
It’s no secret, then, that women are part of the problem in our slut-shaming culture. Women should take action in their own lives to help normalize the culture.
“We must be savvy and strategic in approaching and developing potential work relationships in developing and obtaining our career goals. Finding the right mentors and sponsors is important to your success in the company, in getting a raise and promotion. “You need to make sure that the sponsorship individuals understand your abilities and your value, so they are convinced that it is in their best interest to sponsor or promote you. You accomplish this by performing at a very high level, volunteering for exposure opportunities (no sponsor is going to squander their political capital or put their reputation on the line to speak up on your behalf unless they work directly with you, after you have shown your talents and value, make sure that your sponsor is fully apprised of your game plan for advancement in the company in order to get their buy-in.”
“Women need to be especially conscious of how they present themselves to ensure they are exceeding the standards of professionalism with respect to their appearance and behavior. Although we cannot ignore the reality that women are more likely to get interrupted in meetings, more likely to have our ideas attributed to men in the room and more likely to have our successes attributed to external circumstances that are unrelated to our competence.” We need to toot our own horn and stand up and take credit for our accomplishments.
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