If you are starting a new job, you have probably already thought about what you will wear on your first day at work.

Most of us spend hours figuring out what we will wear on a date because we want to make an excellent first impression. The first day on the job should not be any different.

Because this will be your first introduction to your fellow co-workers, many of your superiors, and your clients, you want to make sure that they take you seriously and respect your right from the beginning.

Tips to Make a Great First Impression

• Be appropriately dressed. It goes without saying that overtly sexy and revealing attire is inappropriate for the workplace. Additionally, an artist accustomed to wearing colorful and flowing clothes would not be dressed appropriately to work at a bank. Not only must you don the proper attire for your job, your attire should also compliment the standards of your company and industry.
• Be consistent. It is not enough to dress appropriately once in a while. You have to dress the right way for every day you step into your office doors. If you don’t, you leave others with ambiguous assumptions of your role and your professionalism.
• Pay attention to color. There has been plenty of research claiming that different colors convey different messages, moods, and vibes. Color choices can say a lot about you and say a lot to others.
• Watch for fit. We have to be honest here – not every body type can wear every kind of clothing. Choose clothes that best suit your actual body type and not the one you had five years ago or the body you wish you had. Make sure you dress in a way that best suits your physical attributes while sending out the right message.
• Buy quality clothing. To some, wearing clothes that are high quality exhibits the appreciation of high standards and expectations. Even if you can only afford to build a wardrobe piece by piece, having a small selection of high quality attire will keep you looking good for a long time.
• Watch your grooming. There is nothing more unpleasant than repulsive body odor, unkempt hair, excessive make up, or torn clothing. Pay close attention to details and it will pay off in the attention people pay to you.
• Dress up a bit. If you are working directly with clients, this is increasingly important. The small effort to add to your presentation gives an air of professionalism that you simply cannot find elsewhere.
• Keep it current. You need to look like you bought your wardrobe in this century. Say goodbye to those shoulder pads or loud prints that will date you back ten years. The world, the companies, the businesses, and the people are evolving so it would tell them that you can keep up with all that.
• Dress for your goals. If you dream of being the chairman of the board, then try to assimilate him or her in your attire. It will make you feel like you are headed up the ladder. And, if you feel that way, then your attitude will lead you on your way up too.
• Ask for help. This is especially true for students who are new to the professional world. Ask your new employer what attire is expected and pay attention to how the other people who work there are dressed when you go in for your interview. If you are still confused, don’t be afraid to ask.

We all know that we need to dress for success but not everyone knows exactly what that means. Hopefully, with the help of these tips, your first day on the job will be one that everyone remembers for all of the right reasons.

(Photo credit: karsten.planz)

This article was written by William Eve, a regular personal finance writer for Home Loan Finder, a 100% free mortgage comparison and application service. Whether you are buying your first home, upgraded or property investor, visit the Home Loan Find website for more quality information and guides on competitive mortgage products.

Related posts:

1. Thoughts After Finding My Job And Its Ups And Downs Almost 3 weeks ago, I was offered an interview for...
2. 9 Tips on Staying Cool Without an Air Conditioner As I’m writing this post, the temperatures in the New...
3. 10 Common Money Mistakes of New College Graduates This is a guest post from Mr Credit Card from...

Long gloomy days. Feelings of eternal hopelessness. Cursing the world for being such a heartless place. This often describes the life of the unemployed. Unemployment is the depressing situation that approximately every 1 in 10 people are facing – and no one is 100% safe.

For the majority of the unemployed, they try to jump right back on the horse. Resumes exit e-mail outboxes at record pace. Networking calls go out to friends and past associates. In the current jobs climate, such mundane tasks have proven to yield unrewarding results. Their relentlessly failing attempts simply puts them back into the loop.

Others turned their backs to the idea of working for “the man”. They’re done with proofreading and refining their resumes. They’ve decided that unemployment is a glass half full. Released from the burdens of their jobs, some are given the opportunity to pursue their own interests – and more are doing it.

Making Lemonade
Here is a short documentary film (runtime of roughly 40 minutes) covering the experiences of 16 advertising professionals whose creative skills allowed to the pave their own paths after joining the unemployed population:

For the people in this inspirational film, unemployment was a fresh start, a blank page, and a clean slate. Life gave them lemons, so they made lemonade. Their stories showed the many possibilities opened without the restrictions of a 9-5 job obligation.

• Start your own business. If you know the industry inside and out, you probably have what it takes to become your own boss. Jeanne started her own business coaching firm and it grew nationwide. Tom went out, got his own clients, and vowed not to forfeit the independence that he’s attained.
• Catch up on your health. The daily lifestyle of a job leaves little room for maintaining physical fitness. The weekdays are occupied by work. The weekends are occupied by much needed rest. Exercise becomes a luxury. Mark chose to get back in the best shape of his life through cycling and simulating the Tour de France. Michelle left advertising to promote health wellness through yoga and proper nutrition.
• Make money with your hobbies, passions, and interests. Everyone has something on the side when that have some free time. It could open the opportunity for a source of income that you actually care about. Kevin turned his painting into a freelance income stream. Bob, a home-roasting coffee enthusiast, decided to run his own mobile coffee shop.
• Pay more attention to your family. The hard worker often deprives their family of their presence. More time at home means more time with family. Kurtis became more proactive in dealing with his daughter’s cystic fibrosis by shooting his own documentary covering the surf camps that improved the overall health of those fighting this chronic disease.
• Give back to your community. Philanthropy is something that not everyone has the money or the time for. But, volunteering and community service promotes self-worthiness and self-fulfillment. Jonathan felt that 3 hours per week, spent as part of an organization that delivered food to the hungry, allowed him to make a difference.
• Re-evaluate yourself. For many, their work defines them. Without the job identity, you have the chance to redefine your life and goals that could lead to a happier you. David Cohen (now Dana Morrigan) took a drastic route to find himself and elected to change his gender when he left his job.

Some motivational quotes from the film:

“If you had something you’ve always want to do, now is the time to do it.” – Steve Hall

“If you do what you love, the money will follow you.” – Kevin Kearns

“I got laid off and I’m finally doing something that matters.” – Kurtis Glade

Your ego and self-esteem may reach an all-time low but you now have so much more room on the upside. Take advantage of this brief period to explore new things and revisit past interests.

Related posts:

1. College Life Without a Meal Plan Higher education brings forth higher costs. Among the many expenses...
2. I Got The Free Health Insurance! In a previous post about my problems with health insurance,...
3. Christmas: Not All About The Gifts Hope everyone had a merry Christmas! This Christmas, as with...

If the title of the post reminded you of the movie “Yes Man” starring Jim Carrey, then you already have a good idea of what I’m going to write but only applied to the workplace.

With everyone striving to find a job or keep their job, becoming a go-getter in the eyes of the employer is very important. Many employees turn down or refuse to an employer’s request when they feel that it inconveniences them or it is out of their comfort zone.

The Can-Do Attitude
Saying “yes” to every time your boss needs you for a certain task leaves a positive impression that you are reliable and dependable. Even if the responsibility is as miniscule as fetching coffee or fixing a light bulb, your boss will at least know that you can get things done.

In the future, your boss will have you in first place when there is a task to complete. As he or she gets used to how resourceful you are, you will also be first in mind when it comes to offering a raise, bonus, or promotion.

Moving Out of the Comfort Zone
We are all used to a certain routine and certain things in our lives and we like to remain with what we are comfortable with. But, when we make the “discomfort zone” our comfort zone, we will see that we improved ourselves. That would be another addition to your skill set which would put you in a better position for a promotion or a new job.

Employers tend to look for candidates who have positive outlooks for their careers and for the company. They look for the drive to overcome and succeed and saying “yes” to the challenges that are presented to you at work will prove it.

Common questions you should say “yes” to:

• Can you come in early?
• Can you stay late?
• Can you be in this weekend?
• Want to join us for lunch?

The next time at work, count how many times you say “yes” and “no” whenever someone asks you to do something. There may be a career-changing “yes” that gets you on top because you’ll never know if an opportunity is hiding behind that one request.

(Photo credit: Andy Welsh and JoelZimmer)

Related posts:

1. Changing The Price From Dollars to Work Hours When Shopping Time is the most precious and limited commodity in the...
2. How Twitter and Facebook Can Hurt Your Career The web has expanded our ability to exercise our freedom...
3. Thoughts After Finding My Job And Its Ups And Downs Almost 3 weeks ago, I was offered an interview for...

Almost 3 weeks ago, I was offered an interview for a position that would support my applications for dental school. It was a coincidence that the interview was on my birthday and I had hoped it would provide some luck for this birthday boy. And certainly enough, I got the job!

As my first full-time job coming out of college, I was fully devoted to it. Since the position would be an essential stepping stone towards my dream career, I’m not going to disappoint my boss and, most importantly, myself.

Honestly, the first few days of work were quite an overload on my body and mind. I was expected to learn everything from the previous employee in about one and a half days. I’ve always thought of myself as a quick learner so it wasn’t so bad. Also, 12-hours workdays were quite overwhelming. I return home ready to crash the bed. With the many responsibilities put on me, I believe I’ve become a valuable part of the office.

Everything has gotten to be routine for me at work and that makes it much easier. My boss has expressed much content with my performance and the great part is that I’m learning a lot. A boss that is easy to talk to and is willing to teach is very hard to come by nowadays. After 3 weeks, I am now helping to train others.

Ups

• Learning a lot.
• Stable source of income.
• Adds to my dental school applications.
• Flexibility in work hours.

Downs

• Less time for family and friends (especially after long days).
• Deprived attention for the blog.

Now that I’m somewhat acclimated to work, I should be able to make the most of the time that I do have. With income, I also should be saving for a large payment towards my college debt (first payment in December), which I expect to deviate from the set repayment plan.

Photo credit: Joe Mabel

Related posts:

1. Back From The Post Graduation Dormancy Wow. It has been a while hasn’t it? For the...
2. Finding A Tenant Is Like Hiring A New Employee Soon, the tenants in one of the apartments in our...
3. Tips On Finding A Job Having a job is the best and most stable way...

Although the economy seems to be recovering slightly, we’re still deep in the whole that it has created. The college graduates of 2009 are suffering from one of the toughest job markets in a long time. Many of my friends are either jobless, studying for a professional exam, or returning to school.

As a recent graduate myself, I’ve found it quite difficult even to land a small part-time paid position in addition to my current internship. From my hours spent applying to different jobs, I’ve realized that companies seem to have altered their hiring process to match the current economic state.

Here are some things job-hunters may have noticed:

• Internships are becoming increasingly popular. Companies are using internships (often unpaid) to gather manpower for their business. As we said before, experience is always welcome. Since many jobs don’t hire you unless you have experience, you are left with internships. It is also a way to gauge and assess a possible candidate for a future permanent position. If an internship seems fun and fulfilling, do it even if it isn’t paid. The experience is priceless.
• A need for multiple resumes and cover letters exists. History and personal accounts have told us that many people don’t end up in the same field of work as the degree stated on their diplomas. I have three different resumes and cover letters that target the specific position for which I am applying. Since not all experiences need to be listed, it is better to have solid resumes with related work experience that are specific to the different positions you are interested in.
• Networking is more important than ever. A good relationship is the name of the game. People will help other people if they are able to connect. Companies always give priority to those who were referred by employees already in the companies. The web has contributed to the evolution of networking but always be careful with how you use social networking for your career.

If the job search fails miserably, suing for a reimbursement of college tuition may be a great way to whine about it (but probably not a good idea).

Photo credit: Daquella manera

Related posts:

1. Dollar-Cost Averaging: Go Discount Shopping in the Stock Market If you follow me on Twitter, you will find that...
2. Tips On Finding A Job Having a job is the best and most stable way...
3. Unemployment is Life Giving You Lemons Long gloomy days. Feelings of eternal hopelessness. Cursing the world...

The web has expanded our ability to exercise our freedom of expression. The growth of Facebook and Twitter has intruded into various aspects of our lives. We all know the power of social networking with these two mediums and that has become a double edged sword.

Some users talk about and show the many events that occur in their lives. Some use it as a marketing tool and some use it to communicate with others. For example, you can even use twitter to find a job.

Everyone and almost anyone can see what is up on your accounts. What you say, what pictures are shown, and what applications you use all serve to create a real profile of what your account profile reveals. This is much like what credit card companies do based on your spending habits.

Perform a Google search on your own name and see what comes up. If you are popular enough (which need not be much), your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn account will probably show up as some of the top results. Any employer can do the same! And depending on how strict your boss is, your career or potential job would be in jeopardy if they find something unsatisfactory.

What Can Hurt Your Image

• The use of various four-letter words. Profanity can be a part of someone’s daily vocabulary. There will be times when your temper takes over and you say things. It is understandable. Just don’t let your employer see it.

• The behind-the-back talk that’s posted in front of the whole world. Any type of gossip and bad-mouthing online for anyone to see shows that you lack integrity and trust. Why would a company want to keep someone who can’t keep confidential and classified information to themselves?

• Any talk of work or of anyone at work (especially your boss). Whether you are writing of a positive or negative experience at work, certain things may be seen as private from your company’s standpoint. The most common tweets and updates from work are: “bored at work”, “sigh, so much work” and “nothing to do at work”. It may show that you or the staff is unproductive, that you are discontent with your job, and that the company is not doing so well. This can all be considered vital (and top secret) information on a business’s wellbeing.

• The photos of your nights out. You were just tagged in a photo with you barfing over the railing on the balcony. It was probably a blast and the picture would be a great memoir but it is pretty obvious why you don’t need to be seen in this inebriated condition.

• The timestamps that record your actions. Let’s say you left work 2 hours early because your boss wasn’t in today. Your update says that you were half way across town when you had an hour of left work. You just handed your boss the evidence to fire you. It doesn’t even matter what you tweet or what your Facebook status is because simplying updating your accounts during work hours may already be enough for you to join the unemployment population.

How You Can Save Your Career

Firstly, note that Facebook statuses can be erased for good but your tweets can still be found even if you have deleted them from your profile page. So it is better off to never have said anything in the first place.

• Don’t use your real name.
• Change the privacy settings of your accounts*.
• Untag yourself from all questionable photos.
• Delete all questionable Facebook status updates and tweets.
• Accept new friends and followers with caution.

*For Facebook privacy settings, you should change the Search Discovery visibility to a narrower search party. For the result content, hide your friend list and the pages you are a fan of. Also, uncheck the public search listing setting so that your name will not show up in the results of search engine searches.

Of course, if you can control yourself and think a little bit before your next tweet or update and take the correct precautions, there is no need to hide your name. Go out there and be known!

Be safe (on Twitter and Facebook)!

Photo credit: carrotcreative

Related posts:

1. Thoughts After Finding My Job And Its Ups And Downs Almost 3 weeks ago, I was offered an interview for...
2. It Is A New Age In The Job Market Although the economy seems to be recovering slightly, we’re still...
3. Become a “Yes” Man at Work If the title of the post reminded you of the...