Jeff Brown posted a great article the other day over at the BloodhoundBlog, Makin’ Impressions — Being a Pro — Oh, and Lookin’ the Part, and it was a great reminder to myself that even though it is said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, everyone does anyway.
We teach our kids to give everyone a chance, and to get to know someone before you dismiss them. That’s valuable information, and there certainly is a place for it. But the reality is, in the real world, you can’t walk around in khaki pants and a red polo shirt in Target and not be interpreted as an employee.
I really, really like the idea of Casual Friday. If I could, I would wear jeans to work every day. I’m just not comfortable in pants, and absolutely refuse to wear skirts or dresses (my body just isn’t the right shape for them). But I work in real estate (although I’m not a real estate agent), and a big part of this industry is trying to get strangers to hire you to make the biggest purchase of their life. As a part of the team that is our office, if I’m walking around in jeans, that says something about the company, and each agent in our office – regardless of whether I work specifically for them or not.
People are judging us on the way we look. If we don’t look professional, how could we possibly successfully manage their business? Not many people actually say it out loud, but when someone actually does, I usually hear someone protest, “It’s not like I was working today – I just ran in to grab something!” Or even better, “It shouldn’t matter what I look like, they should judge me for me/they’re your client.”
If you were buying a pizza and could see someone wearing dirty jeans running their hands through their hair while preparing the food, would you stick around to see if everyone else looked that disgusting?
Acting how you want to be perceived is the best way to convince others on first glance that you are who you want to be.