A worthy investment piece is the blazer. Perfect for the summer, when you have ditched the winter coat, and can wear the blazer outside and indoors. Blazers can bring your personal style to new heights, by topping any outfit off with the fabulous blazer. They undoubtly add polish and poise to your look. Here is out selection of stylish and chic blazers...
As a part of the capsule work wardrobe, invest in a number of business suits, and combine the trousers and jackets with the other suits, trousers and jackets. For a more casual look  a blazer works wonders on a pair of jeans. Here is a selection of the www.wearittowork.co.uk blazers.





Shop these looks: (From top left to bottom right)

Red Jacket by James Lakeland>> See item in shop
3/4 sleeve jacket with embellishment>> See item in shop
Nautical Red, White & Blue by Fever Designs>> See item in Shop
Velvet Grey Blazer>> See item in shop
Khaki blazer by Bandolera>> see item in shop
Black cropped blazer by Bandolera>> See item in shop
Grey top quality blazer by Bandolera>> See Item in Shop

Dressing for the office can be tricky when the temperature rises. Keep your cool while maintaining a professional look in your workplace with our summer office outfit tips. (Find this Article in this months PA Enterprise Magazine!)

 

Do’s & Don’ts

 

Dress the part

The levels of formality will vary by corporate culture. The best indication for what to wear is by looking at how the executives, managers and authority figures are dressing where you work and follow their lead. The cliché counts year-round; ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have’.

 

A polished look

The dress code during summer months may be slightly more relaxed, however, it doesn't mean you can be a slob. Make sure your clothes are clean and pressed. If a suit is expected to be worn, opt for a lightweight suit, with a smart top underneath, when you step out of the office, you can remove your jacket, yet still look business-like.

 

The Shoe situation:

Flip-flops are a definite no-go in any business, however, where to draw the line is not always easy. Image Consultant and Executive Assistant Linda Pitts warns: “be cautious when wearing peep toe or open shoes – not always appropriate for office wear, however in any event when showing your feet please, please make sure they have been pedicured, or have them in tip top condition!”

 

Risky Business

Women in all professions should know they're not advancing their careers when they wear revealing clothing. This may get you attention, but not necessarily the raise or promotion you want.  Linda advises:

“Shift dresses are a polished and professional look for the summer and easy to take you from the office to the evening by changing your jewelry or shoes.  Avoid anything too short or exposing too much flesh.  If it’s right for the beach it isn’t right for the office!”

 

Love the layers

The difference between outside temperatures and the indoor office air-conditioning can be 10 degrees or more. Wear layers, which you can strip off when outside, and layer up in the cool of the office.

When shopping for your summer work wardrobe opt for lightweight materials such as silk, cotton, linen, or summer-weight wool and cotton blends.

“If the office air-con gets you down, why not keep a stylish pashmina in your best colours in the office?  You can easily use this at your desk either around your neck or to wrap around your shoulders”…Linda suggests.

It’s also not a bad idea to keep a neutral coloured suit jacket near your desk, as a back-up, in case you have an important client or company executive come in.

 

 

Shapes & Fabrics

If you have a full bust try to avoid dresses or tops with a high or round neck.  A scoop/v-neck will always look better. With a curvy figure avoid stiff fabrics. These can be warm and uncomfortable in the summer heat. Rather look for flowing or drapey fabrics instead.

 

Barely there

Tights may not be demanded by your office dress code, but our image consultant presses that they are always favoured over bare legs.

“If wearing a classic summer dress or suit avoid the white pastey leg look.  Summer tights are available in all shades and deniers and not only make the legs look better, they also feel better in the heat than bare legs.“

 

Make-it work

Surveys show that women who wear makeup earn more money.  Summerize your makeup look with a tinted moisturiser instead of a foundation.  As with clothing, makeup needs to compliment your unique colouring and face shape.  A polished look will always give the impression that you care about your appearance.

Summer is a great time to ditch the heavy make-up and opt for a softer and lighter look.

 

 

 

Style Options:

  The summer shift dress is one of the best sellers at online clothing boutique www.wearittowork.co.uk. Women love the classic silhouette, which is ideal for the season. With short sleeves, it’s easy to wear with a jacket, but cool when on its own. Choosing a fun colour gets you in the summer spirit, while still looking perfectly professional.

 

Polka dots were abundant on the catwalks for this summer season. As inspiring as the latest fashions are, they are not always easy to translate to the work wardrobe, especially when it comes to the summer trends, which often bare plenty of skin. The silhouette is key to keeping it professional. This dress is a cotton and linen mix, which can be trusted to keep you cool. Dress it up with a black blazer, and you’re in business.

 

 

 A light coloured suit is ideal for your summer look. It combines well with lovely pastels, or darker shades if desired. You'll feel much cooler if you stick to light colors in the summer. White, off-white, pastels and light neutrals won't draw heat to you the way darker colors will.

 

 Ruffle blouses are on trend this summer. Opt for colour rather than print, and keep all other items simple and sleek. This fuchsia number is fun yet professional.

 

  Linen materials are expected to wrinkle, as long as they are well pressed before wear, you should be fine. Beige is often a safer bet than white, as they are not likely to be see-through (always check the mirrors before you leave the house).

Often you can use many of your staple winter wardrobe pieces year-round by combining them accordingly, and vice-versa. This lovely pencil skirt is fully lined, and combines equally well with a light beige top, as well as darker materials. Invest in key quality pieces, and pick up summer or winter styles to bring them up-to-date. 

 

 

 

Linda Pitts is an Image Consulant (Colour me Beautiful) and the Executive assistant to the chairman of Cable & Wireless. www.lindapitts.com

Flawless Skin

Every skin, at every age can look a lot cleaner and fresher with the right foundation. Since we all spend most of our time at the office and not on the couch we should try and make the best of our beautiful faces!

Let us have a quick look at facial skin care!

Skin care is essential! Thanks to science there are a great many skin care products out there that work well. No matter if you want to apply foundation or not, everyone should clean their face well in the morning and at night. Cleansing is the basis for a healthy looking skin. Besides the normal face wash, a mechanical, light enzyme peeling, or one on acidic base once a week should be used to rinse those pores well. Depending on how "thick" your skin is you will know how many times you can peel! 

Moisturizing facial skin is very important. Many small wrinkles we see around our eyes, or lip area are actually only apparent, due to a lack of enough moisture. Therefore a day cream, that spends moisture and has a low UVA/UVB protection is great. Try picking a cream without mineral oil (petroleum jelly, or petrolatum liquidum) as that ingredient will dry out your skin in the long run, adding more wrinkles to your face. If you choose a very high UVA/UVB protection you also inhibit the production of Vitamin D! Once your skin is well prepared we can take a look at how to pick and apply the right foundation!

When deciding on the foundation it does not matter what you are going to wear to the office. From business suit, to shift dress, to pencil skirt suit, the right complexion is merely the basis of any flawless look. Choosing the right daytime foundation is important, as you will be wearing it in full daylight, make sure the colour is a perfect match. There is nothing worse than the wrong colour foundation.

                                                

 

Steps to flawless skin

1)   Clean your hands and your face.

2)   Apply moisturizer and/or a make up foundation primer. Only then the make up can be applied evenly and smooth. Dry skin will soak up the make up and look flaky.

3)    Tip: When you are not sure how to find the right foundation colour for you, you can try the foundation on your chin. If there is no colour difference along your neckline you are safe!

4)   Apply the foundation.  The best way is to put a little foundation on the back of your left hand (if you are right handed) and spread it out a little. Like that you ensure not using too much at once. You can use a sponge or a foundation brush. The benefit of the brush is that it lasts much longer, and it doesn’t soak in the foundation like a sponge, therefore it is more economical. Also a brush you can simply rinse out once a week, whereas sponges always have to be displaced, as they start crumbling after a few rinses.

5)    Tip: If you have a few wrinkles you want to use a foundation that provides even more moisture.

6)   Use a transparent fixing powder for a matte finish, and long last.

7)   Apply blusher to your cheeks. You best do this using a blusher brush starting at your cheekbone, moving the brush up along your cheekbone. When you are using a blusher colour for the first time it is best to shake it out of the brush first and then apply it to your cheeks. Like that you see how intense the pigmentation of it is. If you want more colour, you can always reapply.

 

Here are a few celebrity nude Looks that show how much foundation can increase a healthy vibrant skin.

 

                

With the flawless skin look you can wear anything you want really. We suggest a few colourful outfits to match the sunny season:

                     

Shop This Look                                                         Shop This Look                                       Shop This Look

~ The Online Source for Expert Advice on Workplace Conduct~
For more advice on Work etiquette, visit their website www.worketiquette.co.uk or visit our Blog for weekly updates on the topic.


Considerations when conducting Business Internationally

There will be many aspects to consider if you are doing business internationally. Firstly if you’re travelling overseas on business regularly, you’ll have to get used to adjusting your body clock constantly and in certain countries, the likes of Spain being the most obvious example, you’ll soon become familiar with the concept of ‘siesta’ when many businesses shut down between around 1pm and 4pm in the afternoon and public holidays will be different to those which we have in the UK too. However, there will be many more complex issues to have to take into account which will be predominantly connected to local culture, customs, traditions and law.

Preparation

The best way to conduct business in any part of the world is to find out about the place you’re travelling to before you go. In addition to doing your research about the company you’re visiting, you should take some time to get to know a bit more about the cultural, economic and political background of the place you’re visiting. In having more of an understanding about these areas, you’re less likely to commit any faux pas when you’re there. Chances are that you may have colleagues who have been there before you so if you can, ask them about things such as how to greet people, how to behave accordingly, how to dress and, perhaps most importantly, try to find out about things that might offend local people that you might not have been aware of. Here are some of the main considerations you should be thinking about.

Use of Language

No foreign businessperson is going to expect you to learn their language overnight but it’s useful to get yourself a basic phrase book so that you’re able to show courtesy to your host. Even just learning how to say the likes of ‘please’ ‘thank you’, hello’, ‘goodbye’ and a few other simple phrases will always go a long way in determining a person’s perspective of you. Also, be aware of your own use of English. Speak more slowly than normal if your host hasn’t got a great grasp of English and don’t use slang expressions or industry/business acronyms or jargon which they might not understand. Don’t be too ambitious in trying to say too much in their language either. Literal translations can often come out very differently unless you know what you’re talking about and you could be entirely interpreted in a totally different way than how you intended so keep it simple.

Be Businesslike

You’ll want to establish trust with your host so act businesslike. Make sure you turn up for any scheduled meetings on time (in fact, better to get there a little early) and be dressed appropriately and make sure that you know the exact location of the meeting and that this has been verified by your host. It may well turn out that they might have a casual approach to timekeeping and turn up late, but better not to take any chances yourself. Also, find out any local customs with regard to how they conduct business lunches in case you’re invited to one.

Avoid Being too Familiar

You’ll obviously want to make a good impression on your host but it’s important not to become too familiar too soon as what you may perceive as acceptable behaviour may be viewed very differently by your host. For example, American businessmen can show a tendency to be eager to touch people, the old pat on the back or hand on the shoulder type thing and to call people by their first names. However, doing that in somewhere like Asia could make your host feel very uncomfortable indeed so be very careful how you relate to people as many cultures adopt very formal attitudes towards meals, conversation and meetings.

Cultural Considerations

Make sure you understand the basic aspects of the culture of the country you are visiting. You should get familiarised with the different attitudes that might be held in relation to gender, education and religion, in particular.

It can be totally different doing business with people from overseas from doing business with people from your own country so no matter how good you are at your job and how well you relate to people here, don’t leave anything to chance and find out more about a country and its culture and background before you head out there if you want to ensure that you leave only good impressions behind.

 

And of course Wearittowork gives some Style Inspirations:

                               

                                   Shop this Look                                Shop this Look                          Shop this Look

~ The Online Source for Expert Advice on Workplace Conduct~
For more advice on Work etiquette, visit their website www.worketiquette.co.uk or visit our Blog for weekly updates on the topic.

How to Make a Good First Impression

Shop This Look

No matter how much we might think that we are non-judgemental every one of us is ‘guilty’ of making first impressions about people, whether that is in business or in other aspects of our everyday lives and, never more so than in a work environment is this so true. It’s estimated that it can take as little as 3 seconds for us to make an initial first impression about somebody we meet for the very first time and this is whether we do that consciously or sub-consciously. Granted, we’ll have all been in social situations where we can laugh and joke to our friends about our first thoughts about them when we first clapped eyes on them and many of us will be able to relate to the fact that, in many instances, it’s only once we’ve allowed ourselves to get to know a person better that we’re more able to gain a more accurate opinion about them. The difference in the workplace, however, is that whilst we’ll still naturally make a first impression about someone, we may never be in a position to meet with them again. Therefore, first impressions can prove to be everlasting and can make or break a business relationship which can result in the gaining or losing of thousands of pounds worth of business in some cases.

Impressions Before You’ve Even Met

In business, what’s even more challenging is that people will often make a first impression about you even BEFORE you’ve actually met. It’s all based on the subject of perceived status and business hierarchy. Most business people will often know the job title as well as the name of the person they’re going to be meeting, before they’ve even met. As a result, they will likely form an initial impression of a person, simply based around their ‘status’ within a company. For example, if the person you’re meeting is in a higher ranked position to yourself, you’re already likely to be thinking that this is a person worth getting to know as they could be a valuable contact. If they hold the same or similar status to yourself, then you’ll think them worthy of your time. However, if their status is below that of yours, then you’re far more likely to keep them somewhat at a distance or, at best, tolerated. Obviously, this is taking this to the extreme but, nevertheless, it does occur and does demonstrate just how important first impressions are.

So…How Do You Make A Good Impression?

Firstly, it’s important that you both assess and identify your physical appearance, personality, lifestyle and career goals. By doing this, you will be able to create a visual image of the kind of person you wish to be perceived as. This will then be reflected in the way you dress, your grooming, your accoutrements such as the watch and the jewellery you wear and the car you drive and its usually either one or several of these aspects which is likely to form a part of a person’s very first impressions about you. It’s not just designer gear, however, that will determine how you’re perceived.

Body language too will be closely observed. The way you carry yourself, the way you speak, move your eyes, gesture with your arms or hands – all of these will be giving off signals for people to create their own first impressions of you. Even when you speak, whilst this will be a more clearer indication of the qualities you have as a person to do business with and will, to a large extent, enable people to form opinions about your intelligence, knowledge, skills and experience in a particular field, it’s often the WAY you speak that will be remembered more than WHAT you actually say. Having polite manners, showing courtesy, being positive and energetic, coming across as reliable, honest and trustworthy and even smiling all help to give off a positive impression too.

Basically, all the things we’ve spoken about here are a reflection of what you portray as a person to a complete stranger. They are all facets of business etiquette that will combine to enable others to form a quick opinion about you. And, whilst you need to be yourself, it’s often useful to spend a little time observing how other successful business people are able to command the attention of others. Mostly this can be put down to years of practice and refinement when it comes to how they portray themselves because without making a positive and lasting first impression, they might not even get to the stage of discussing business, they’ll simply have left a negative impression on somebody who, when recalling that particular person, will firstly remember that first initial impression that they formed.

Look At Your Corporate Culture

If we take some of the examples shown above, it’s interesting to think that certain elements can be perceived very differently by different people. For example, a Rolex watch or a Ferrari sports car might be seen as aspirational by some, yet some people might think “what a show-off!”. Animated gestures with your arms and hands might demonstrate your enthusiasm to some but may be perceived as ‘over the top’ by others. And, a sales person’s confidence might come across as arrogance to some people.

Basically, there are no fixed rules as such about how you make a good impression. The areas discussed here are simply the main aspects that people tend to look at when forming first impressions so, it’s always a good idea to get a feel of what is and isn’t appropriate etiquette within your own specific corporate environment to gain a better idea of how to create a positive first impression as it will often be this that will ultimately determine your success or failure.

Of course Wearittowork gives some Style Inspirations:




                
Coming Soon!                                                         Shop this Look                                Shop this Look

Let us introduce our new series today! As summer is approaching and we are getting in the swing of adopting our wardrobe, let us have a look at our main feature. Our face is that single important part that we cannot hide. It is out there for everyone to see.

We will start off with the Lips. At the office we communicate to others. Times have changed and a lot is done via memos, and email correspondence, but once in a while you will still have to talk to people face to face. I am sure you can think of someone with really dry lips, and just wanting to hand them your chap stick! Also think of times when you have to give a presentation, don’t you just 10 minutes before check your hair and make up? 

Let us have a look at Lip Care.

Scientifically speaking the lips are different than our skin. The surface of the lips is a mucous membrane. It is different from our skin in that it does not have a protective layer, or oil glands that retain moisture. Additionally lips contain some melanin, but much less than found in the skin. That means that lips are extremely vulnerable to environmental conditions, such as hot, cold, the sun, and air conditioning for example. Why is the sun so harmful? Because it reduces the melanin even further and increases damage from its rays.

Therefore a chap stick on petroleum jelly basis, preferably with a UVA/UVB protection of 6-12 is advisable. Creams on petroleum jelly basis (petrolatum liquidum) are not good for your skin, as it dries it out in the long run!

What colour for what lip shape, for what business outfit?

Many Make Up professionals will tell you a slightly different story, because most of it is personal preference.  A few tips we will give, and you can adjust them to your personal style.

1)   Given you are wearing a classic, tailor made business suit in black or grey, we hope you spice it up with some colourful accessories. Your shoes can match the colour of your bag, and also your lips. Let us assume you did not pick yellow, green or blue at this point! (if they are pick a nude lip colour.) And even if your shoes and your bag are also black, piercing red lips, or a vibrant peach colour are refreshing.

2)   Now let us assume you love the floral print trend. When you have an outfit that already draws more attention, then try balance your lip colour to a more nude and natural look. You can still try a glossy look, but a soft colour tones down your outfit.

3)   If you like ruffle blouses, all you need to pay attention to is the colour of the blouse. Ruffle blouses carry a lot of detail, but if it is a white ruffle blouse you can still put on that vibrant red lip colour. Sometimes you find ruffle blouses with a floral print though, and then try to tone it down a bit.

4)   The timeless shift dress. Here your lip colour follows a similar guideline as with the business suit. It all depends on the way you match your accessories.

 

Shape Advice.

Lips, just like everything else about the human body come in different shapes and sizes.

Narrow lips

To make your lips look optically fuller apply a gloss. Most glosses contain pigments that reflect the light in a way to appear larger. Besides that a gloss is a great pick for the spring and summer season! If you want to keep it matte, pick lighter colours, as dark colours will make your lips look narrower.

Full lips

Depending on “how full” your lips are you might want to make them look smaller. Pick matte nude colours and opt for a clean look. If you do want to through colour on your lips pick darker shades.

The perfect lips

If you have absolutely no problem with too narrow, or too big, you are practically free to take care of your lips and try all colour palettes out there. Try keeping in mind that the colour of your lips are a part of the whole outfit!

Take care of your lips, and although we know make up is not the most single important thing in the world….it does make a positive difference!

Here we have Kate Winslet with and without Make Up. She is still a very beautiful women, but the Make Up makes quite an impacting difference, underlining those beautiful lips even more.

                                  


And of course we have to add a few Business Fashion Style Inspirations at this point, after all we are wearittowork.co.uk! The red lips look great with a classical black business suit, and the nude look is a perfect match with the fuchsia coloured ruffle blouse!




                                                              

                                                    Shop This Outfit                                                             Shop This Outfit

~ The Online Source for Expert Advice on Workplace Conduct~
For more advice on Work etiquette, visit their website www.worketiquette.co.uk or visit our Blog for weekly updates on the topic.

Business Meeting Etiquette

Etiquette in business can come in a variety of forms – be it a business lunch to your choice of attire at an awards ceremony but the most crucial area in which etiquette can mean the difference between a company gaining or losing thousands of pounds is in a meeting setting. There are different types of meetings. They can be both formal and informal and can be held with clients customers or fellow colleagues but the one thing they all have in common is that they usually result in success or failure. And, if you only get one area of etiquette correct in business, it’s important that it’s during a meeting situation.

Formal Meetings

Formal meetings can take many forms. There are board meetings, management meetings, team or departmental meetings and business negotiations and whilst they may differ in terms of their content, they’ll usually have a similar structure overall. Usually, they’ll have a chairperson (often referred to simply as ‘chair’ who will preside over the meeting. There will be minutes to attend to which will often include a record of who’s present and perhaps apologies for any absences. There will also be a set-out agenda which will include the topics to be discussed. If you are conducting a meeting which will include references to reports, statistics or any other information, you should make sure that everybody who is going to be attending the meeting each has a copy of all the necessary facts and figures which may be referred to at the meeting a good 3 or 4 days before it takes place, if possible, and everybody should take the trouble to familiarise themselves with all this paperwork prior to the meeting. Therefore, preparation is important.

Dress and Good Manners

You should dress appropriately for the meeting and be punctual. Make sure that you switch off your mobile phone and you might also find that you’re faced with an established, pre-determined seating arrangement so if you’re unsure about where to sit, ask – don’t just sit down anywhere. Acknowledge the chair and once discussions are under way, if there is no set speaking order, it’s good etiquette to allow the most senior members at the meeting to have their say first.

Listen attentively to what’s said and even if you don’t agree with something, you shouldn’t interrupt mid-speech but make a mental note of the issue (if note taking has been encouraged) and come back to that later when it’s your turn to speak, if appropriate. When you are invited to speak, you should usually address the chair unless those who have gone before you have done otherwise and take your cues from their speeches. i.e. If it’s necessary to condense your points because of time restrictions, make sure your comments are succinct but that you include all of your major points and have made sure that they are relevant to the matters at hand. It’s bad manners to deviate from the main purposes of the meeting as set out in the agenda so make sure you’re always ‘on topic’.

Informal Meetings

Informal meetings can consist of many styles and some are more informal than others. Often you will still have a ‘chair’ who will usually be the person who called the meeting but you’ll not necessarily have to follow the protocol of having minutes or a rigid, pre-determined fixed agenda. However, there will be a purpose as to why the meeting was called so it’s still important to be on time and to follow the same basic procedures as you would in a formal meeting in terms of letting more senior members dictate the flow of the meeting although often in informal meetings, there’s more of an opportunity to engage in discussions or open debate. It’s also good etiquette that if somebody cannot attend the meeting, they are still provided with all the relevant details as to what has been discussed at a later point.

Therefore, meetings can take on many guises but you need to show a level of professionalism whether they are held formally or informally. The key elements of etiquette to remember are to be there on time, dress appropriately, know when to speak and when to listen and be courteous and considerate to others. Remember one golden rule too and that is to keep your counsel about what has gone in any meeting and treat it as confidential. More people are guilty of disregarding business meeting etiquette after the meeting has taken place by gossiping to others about the meeting or divulging information that was supposed to be confidential. Therefore, make sure that you don’t fall into this trap as it will undo all the hard work and effort you put in at the meeting itself and this will undermine your reputation.

Here are a few Style Inspirations!

                                       

                       Shop this Look                                      Shop this Dress                             Shop this Look

Nothing To Wear? Organise Your Closet!
by: Wearittowork.co.uk

Don't deny it, we have all experienced wardrobe dilemma's, and started the day behind schedule because there is "absolutely nothing to wear" in our closets.
In an ideal world, you would take the time on sunday to plan your work week outfit, but for us women who think that is just way too organised, there is a proven way to make the most of your current clothes, and supplement them with missing 'key' items.

In a previous blog entry we discussed the 'capsule wardrobe', by investing in the essential and versatile pieces, you will always have something to wear. This is great, and you probably have some great pieces in your closet, but may never wear them.

The key to making the most of your closet is 'categorising' it. In contrary to other suggestions, we don't believe doing this by colour is the most effective way. Much more effective is to organise it by type of garments. So, all your trousers together, all the dresses together, all jackets etc...

This way, you will move from one side of your closet to the other, finding a full outfit together. You will be surprised how much this will offer you new and creative  options and combinations you may never have considered.



      


Here are the steps to follow to make this work:

1. Have a spring-clean of your closet. Get rid of all items you will never wear. Sell them on ebay, give them to a charity, or store them in a box for the children's dress-up box.  Be strict with yourself on worn-out clothing, just because it's your favourite shirt, doesn't mean it still looks good.

2. Hang all your jackets in one section, the trousers in a second section, dresses in a third, etc. Use your drawers for underwear, casual and sports wear. You don't need this mixed up with your day-to-day clothing, as it will only be more cluttered.

3. What are you missing? After having all your clothing in sections you will see which types of clothing you have too much or too little of. Take this as a guideline for your next shopping spree, if you have tons of dresses but only one pair of trousers, make sure you focus on getting a few more trousers, instead of buying yet more dresses. Consider building a 'capsule wardrobe' for your work clothing.

4. Hang your jewelry and scarves in your closets, preferable on hooks, so they are untangled, and ready to wear. Scarves and jewelry are key to optimising your wardobe, along with good shoes.


Once this is done, you will feel like you have a brand new closet, and getting dressed in the morning will be like going to your own personal clothing shop. Good luck, and happy shopping!


Shop all Dresses Now>> 

Shop all Business Suits Now>> 

Shop all Skirts Now>> 

Shop all Trousers Now>> 

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Shop all Accessories & Shoes Now>> 

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Thanks!

~ The Online Source for Expert Advice on Workplace Conduct~
For more advice on Work etiquette, visit their website www.worketiquette.co.uk or visit our Blog for weekly updates on the topic.


How to fit in to a new workplace

It doesn’t matter how much self-confidence you have starting a new job in a new workplace is daunting for everybody. Whilst you might begin your first day exuberant and excited about the new challenges ahead, you’re also likely to be feeling nervous, daunted and quite stressed. This is all perfectly natural, however, and it’s important to remember that your new employer, as well as the colleagues you’ll be working with, will not be expecting miracles straight away and that they’ll want to help you settle in as quickly and as smoothly as possible. They’ll have been the ‘newbie’ too at some time or other, remember. There are, however, some useful steps you can take to make the transition as smooth and as painless as possible.

Clothing

Probably the first thing you’ll want to know before you even start work, if you don’t already know, is what the appropriate dress code is. You don’t want to look as if you’re going to a dinner dance if you turn up and everyone is dressed casually. Yet, neither will you want to turn up in jeans if everyone’s wearing business suits so, in order that you ‘blend in’ on your first day, it’s important to dress appropriately. Don’t just assume that “it’s this type of company so it will probably be OK to wear that”. Even within the same industry, there can be very different accepted dress codes.

Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of both your immediate supervisor, your colleagues and your boss. They can’t expect you to know everything straight away so they’ll be expecting a barrage of questions from you anyway so you shouldn’t feel stupid asking a lot of questions. Remember, companies would rather you asked a hundred questions than blindly try to carry out your duties without really knowing what you’re doing as it can prove very costly both in monetary times and in time lost if you carry on regardless only to find that the errors you’ve made need to all be fixed later so, if you have any doubts about anything, you should just ask.

Learn How the Equipment Works

Whether you have an office job or you work in a manual capacity, you’re bound to come up against some kind of tools or machinery that you’ve never worked with before so find out the equipment you need to use and how it works. It’s often handy to scribble down a few notes or stick Post-It instructions up as learning how new machinery works can sometimes be complex and, if someone has taken a fair amount of time explaining how something works, you should try to grasp the basics straight away so that you don’t have to keep pulling them away from their work to repeat the instructions.

Be Proactive

As a ‘newbie’ on staff, you’ll probably find that you won’t often be given too much to do over the course of your first few days as your employer will be more interested in helping you settle in initially and to just give you a ‘feel’ of what you’re going to be faced with later. However, if you find that you’ve taken to your new role like a ‘duck to water’, don’t just sit there idly twiddling your thumbs and staring out of the window but be proactive and ask your supervisor or colleagues nearby if you can do anything else for them. They may be glad of the extra help.

Be Friendly

It’s important you don’t overpower your new work colleagues with ‘chit-chat’ during your first few days and don’t get involved in office gossip either – you’re there to work after all. However, that doesn’t mean you should bury your head in paperwork or hide behind your computer screen or machine either. Take your cues from your colleagues and if they are chatting away as they’re working, make sure you join in too. The sooner you get to know your colleagues, the more settled, comfortable and ‘part of the firm’ you’ll feel. Be considerate and respectful too.

Don’t Overdo It!

Remember, you’ve been given this new job on your merits. This might be because of how you came across at interview, the skills you’re bringing with you and other personal qualities and it will probably be a combination of all three. So, whilst it’s important that you’re able to carry out your duties as best you can and as soon as you can, don’t try to over-impress by staying back and working late or taking on too many responsibilities above and beyond your job description too soon as you may find that you’ll be continually played on in the future.

Different people will settle into new jobs at different rates and, if you’ve joined the company alongside other new recruits at the same time, don’t get upset or frustrated if it takes you a little longer to settle in and to grasp new concepts and ways of doing things. Somebody will always be the quickest and somebody will always be the slowest – that’s just life. The key thing to remember is to simply do your best, to ask questions if need be and to be friendly and courteous. As long as you follow these tips, you should find that, within a few weeks, you’ll think you have been in the job for years and always remember, there’s always going to be another ‘newbie’ to take that label off you soon enough.

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