Success Tweets: 140 Bits of Common Sense Career Success Advice, All in 140 Characters or Less is my new career success coach book.  I’m proud to say that it has just gone into its second printing.  I also want to thank all of the kind folks who have posted a review of Success Tweets on Amazon.com.  You’re the best.  I really appreciate you. 

You can pick up a copy of Success Tweets at your local bookstore or on line at amazon.com.  Better yet, you can download the eBook version for free at www.SuccessTweets.com.

Today’s career advice comes from Success Tweet 77…

Keep your breath fresh.  Brush after meals and coffee.  Use the strips.  Don’t chew gum.  Ever.  It makes you look like a cow.

I am always surprised when I meet an otherwise well groomed person who has bad breath.  Usually these people are unaware of the problem.  I was in the mall the other day getting fitted for a pair of new glasses.  The woman helping me had breath that smelled like stale coffee.  It wasn’t very pleasant.  I’m sure she was unaware of it.  I didn’t know her, so I said nothing.

A couple of months ago I was getting a haircut.  My stylist had been eating some kind of snack food that had a lot of garlic.  His breath was overpowering.  I know him reasonably well, so I was comfortable telling him that the snack food he had eaten really caused bad breath.  He thanked me, and popped a piece of gum into his mouth to mask the smell.

That helped, but then he bagan smacking his gum – not very attractive to watch in the mirror, nor to listen to. 

I like gum.  But thanks to Cathy, I’ve broken the habit of chewing it.  It’s difficult to chew gum and not smack it or look vapid.  I have limited my gum chewing to when I’m riding my bike or exercising.  Even then, I focus on keeping my mouth closed and avoiding smacking it.

People often chew gum on airplanes to help their ears adjust to the changes in cabin pressure.  While chewing gum can help your ears, it does little for your image as a professional.  My best career advice is to not chew gum ever.  There are better ways to control bad breath.

Many otherwise well groomed people forget about their breath.  Fresh breath is the mark of a well groomed person.  Brushing after lunch is the best way to keep your breath fresh.  However, if you don’t want to bring a tooth brush to work, the breath strips do a pretty good job of keeping your breath fresh.  Use them after coffee, and after eating – especially when you eat food seasoned with garlic, or after sushi.  Cathy always reminds me when I have wasabi breath.

The common sense career success coach point here is simple.  It’s the little things that mark you as a well groomed person.  Too many people don’t pay enough attention to their breath.  Bad breath is not pleasant.  Follow the career advice in Tweet 77 in Success Tweets.  “Keep your breath fresh.  Brush after meals and coffee.  Use the strips.  Don’t chew gum.  Ever.  It makes you look like a cow.”  Brushing can be inconvenient, so I recommend the breath strips.  I always encourage my career success coach clients to avoid gum.  It can sweeten your breath, but it also makes you look unsophisticated. 

That’s my take on the career advice in Tweet 77 in Success Tweets.  What’s yours?  Please take a minute to share your thoughts with us in a comment.  As always, you have my deepest thanks for reading.

Bud

With this post I’m  more than half way through my series of career success coach posts explaining the ideas in my latest book Success Tweets: 140 Bits of Common Sense Career Success Advice, All in 140 Characters or Less.  You can purchase a copy of Success Tweets at your local bookstore or at Amazon.com.  Better yet, you can download a copy for free at www.SuccessTweets.com.

Today’s career advice comes from Success Tweet 71…

Observe successful people in your organization.  What do they wear?  Dress like them and you won’t go wrong.

This tweet is pretty self explanatory, so this will be a brief post.  That doesn’t mean that the career advice isn’t important though.

If you’re like most people and work for a large company, you’ll notice that your senior executives and other succesful people dress well.  Most days, they’ll be wearing a suit.  You don’t have to wear suits all the time, but you should follow their example. 

Most executives and successful people I know wear clothing that fits well, is clean and in good repair – you should too.  Here are a few of my best tips for dressing like a successful person.  They are good career advice for anyone who wants to move up.

If you’re a man…

Wear nicely tailored wool slacks – not khaki’s.

Wear long sleeved collared shirts – not golf shirts.

Tuck in your shirt.

Wear a tie every couple of days.

Keep your shoes shined.  Wear tasseled loafers or brogues. 

If you’re a woman…

Wear a conservative hem – no more than two inches above the knee.

Make sure your blouses fit, that they don’t gap.

Wear heels that are no more than two inches high.

Wear hosiery that is skin color or darker.

Wear understated makeup and a mild fragrance.

There are exceptions to any rule.  Steve Jobs, Apple CEO comes to mind.  His business attire seems to consist of black mock turtle necks, jeans and sneakers.  If you work for Apple you might be able to get away with this type of attire. 

However, you probably don’t work for Apple.  You probably work for a large company where the executives dress more conservatively.  That means you should follow their lead. 

The common sense career success coach point here is simple.  Successful people create positive personal impact.  Your attire has a lot to do with the personal impact you create.  Follow the advice in Tweet 71 in Success Tweets.  “Observe successful people in your organization.  What do they wear?  Dress like them and you won’t go wrong.”  This is important career advice.  If you follow the lead of senior executives and other successful people when it comes to your attire, you’ll be a step ahead of the game.  Sometimes this means dressing up more than you would like.   But it will put you on the road to the life and career success you want and deserve.

That’s my take on the career advice in Tweet 71 in Success Tweets.  What’s yours?  What do the successful people in your company wear?  Do you dress like them?  Please share your thoughts on this in a comment.  As always, thanks so much for reading.

Bud

With this post I’m half way through my series of career success coach posts explaining the ideas in my latest book Success Tweets: 140 Bits of Common Sense Career Success Advice, All in 140 Characters or Less.  You can purchase a copy of Success Tweets at your local bookstore or at Amazon.com.  Better yet, you can download a copy for free at www.SuccessTweets.com.

Today’s career advice comes from Success Tweet 70…

Business is the first and most important word in “business casual.”  Dress like you’re going to work, not a sporting event or a club.

I saw a tweet on line yesterday that said…

“The impression you make when first meeting someone is 7% verbal, 28% body language, and 65% visual.”

I retweeted this bit of information.  I’m not sure if the numbers are 100% accurate, but they are pretty much aligned with my personal experience.  That’s why the career advice in this tweet is so important.  When you’re going to work, look like you’re going to work.

Recently, I came across the website of a company called Personal Impact International www.personalimpact.ca.  The “quick tips” button on their website yielded some great information on how to dress appropriately at work.  Take a look…

Personal Impact Quick Tips from Personal Impact International

When in doubt dress up.  In business, it’s better to be over dressed than under dressed.

Dress to Impress. Impress your boss – Dress at the same level or one level down. Impress your client – Dress at the same level or one level up.

Impress with Less for Less.  Buy quality, timeless styles. The best you can afford. Colors and styles that mix and match create Wardrobe Capsules that save you money.

Play it Safe all Year Round. Choose seasonless fabrics such as lightweight wools, fine cottons, and silks. Natural fibers look and feel more expensive.

 Love What You Buy. Don’t buy anything on sale you wouldn’t have paid full price for.

Think in Three’s. Less is better when in comes to color. Wear no more than three colors at once including accessories. Patterns count as one color.

Plan Ahead for Professional Polish. It’s the little things that count. Grooming really does make a difference. You — and your clothing — should be in tip-top condition.

Add a Little Pizzazz. Take it easy on the Accessories. Accessories can create the look that says ‘me’. Accessories are the extras that can give you individual style. But remember, in business less is more.

Make a Statement in Shades. A dark or muted jacket worn with a light or contrasting top highlights the face adding authority and presence.

Dress Down with Style. Even on casual days, be prepared. Keep a coordinating jacket handy for the unexpected meeting with the boss or clients.

Avoid Image Blunders. Everything has it’s time and place. Sexy, frumpy and sweaty have no place in the work place — even on casual day. Clothing worn for special activities should be saved for those activities.

Make a Little Adjustment. Making small alterations to the sleeves, hemline and waistline or simply changing the buttons can make your clothing look custom tailored, and you look like a million.
 
Common Sense Prevails. If it doesn’t seem quite right, it probably isn’t. Common sense and tasteful good judgment can create impressions that help you soar to the top.

I like this career advice – if for no other reason that the last point – “common sense prevails.”  The Personal Impact people are right – “if it doesn’t seem quite right, it probably isn’t.”

Things have changed and are more casual today.  Way back in 1983 I showed up for work in a blue blazer and dark charcoal slacks, white shirt and tie.  My boss called me into his office and told me that a blazer is a “sport coat” and that I was at work, not a sporting event.  He suggested that in the future I should stick to suits for work. 

That was then.  This is now.  Times change, and the workplace is more casual.  Today a nice blazer and slacks with a tie is considered quite dressy.  However, the career success coach point remains.  When you go to work, dress to make a positive impression on those around you.

The common sense career success coach point here is simple.  Successful people create positive personal impact.  To create positive personal impact, follow the career advice in Tweet 70 in Success Tweets.  “Business is the first and most important word in “business casual.”  Dress like you’re going to work, not a sporting event or a club.”  As I’ve mentioned, when you’re going to work, dress like you’re going to work.  It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed at work.  When I’m working at home, I may be dressed in my exercise clothing.  However, when I go out – even for a meeting with a client I know well – I shower, shave, comb my hair and put on clothes appropriate for the meeting.  A lunch or coffee appointment usually means a pair of nice slacks, a blazer and an open collar button down shirt.  A visit to a client’s office always means a jacket and tie.  Work is work, fun is fun.  Dress appropriately for each.

That’s my take on the career advice in Tweet 70 in Success Tweets.  What’s yours?  Please take a minute to share your thoughts with us in a comment.  As always, thanks for reading.  I really appreciate you.

Bud