1. Soft Skills for a 21st Century Workplace: Professionalism Presenting Yourself Professionally

2. Managing Your Image
Your image is how you combine clothing, grooming, behavior, and speech to represent yourself to others.
Cultivating an image balances personal expression with social customs.
Your employer expects you to conform to established norms and dress codes.

3. Managing Your Image
How you present yourself influences your professional relationships for these reasons:
Your image is the sum of your observable characteristics
Your presentation signals your role in the organization
Your image affects your career path
Your image reflects that of your company
Your appearance influences how you feel about yourself

4. Dressing Appropriately
Guidelines for dressing appropriately in a professional setting:
Clarify expectations before you start
Consider your department
Respect industry norms
Follow standards for your location
Err on the formal side
Remember that you employer sets the standards

5. Dressing Appropriately
Dress codes can differ by department

6. Dressing Appropriately
Don’ts for dressing appropriately:
Don’t rely on the observations you made when interviewing
Don’t assume the style of dress in one department or job type is appropriate for another
Don’t dress casually if your customers expect more formal attire, even if your company has a casual dress code
Don’t start informally and then dress up to meet expectations – first impressions are lasting ones
Don’t assume you can dress for work as you did for school

7. Meeting Business Casual Standards
Business casual usually means clothes less formal than a traditional suit and tie, yet dressier than jeans and a t-shirt.
Standards of business casual dressing:
Have at least two business suits
Dress more formally for job interviews and important events
Wear appropriate attire for business casual
Dress more formally than what is expected
Avoid inappropriate clothing

8. Meeting Business Casual Standards
Examples of business casual
Optional jacket
Trousers, slacks, or skirt

9. Meeting Business Casual Standards
Don’ts for business casual:
Don’t overlook accessories such as shoes and socks when dressing formally
Don’t dress down for a job interview, even if the interviewer will be dressed casually
Don’t assume “casual” means informal
Don’t overlook your employer’s guidelines
Don’t push the limits of acceptable casual attire by wearing shorts, athletic shoes, sandals, or t-shirts

10. Maintaining a Professional Wardrobe
The clothing you buy for business use is an investment in your career.
Buy well-constructed clothing in classic styles.

11. Maintaining a Professional Wardrobe
Press and hang your clothes, especially when travelling.

12. Maintaining a Professional Wardrobe
Don’ts for maintaining a professional wardrobe:
Don’t forget to wash garments after wearing them once or twice
Don’t wear wrinkled or crumpled garments
Don’t lay ironed clothes on a horizontal surface; hang them to prevent wrinkling
Don’t wear shoes that are dull, scuffed, or scratched

13. Practicing Good Grooming and Hygiene
Personal hygiene is the practice of maintaining cleanliness and health.
Some hygiene habits, such as washing hands, protect health.
Other practices, such as grooming your hair, are dictated by cultural standards.
You should use proper personal hygiene to enhance social and professional interactions.

14. Practicing Good Grooming and Hygiene
Do’s for practicing good grooming and hygiene:
Bathe every day
Groom facial hair
Care for you hair
Keep your breath fresh
Maintain foot health

15. Practicing Good Grooming and Hygiene
Well-groomed professionals:

16. Practicing Good Grooming and Hygiene
Avoid sloppy or extreme appearances in professional settings: