There's no escaping the force of your physical image at work: Social psychologists and career experts agree that you're judged not only on your abilities, but on your clothes, style, and grooming, too. Consciously or not, bosses make desk-side decisions based in part on whether they can easily imagine you in a bigger role, so cast yourself carefully. Since every profession has its own (often unspoken) style code, a good beginning strategy is to subtly imitate your boss's look. And give your workspace a makeover, too: Your crisp attire is less convincing when you're buried in papers and empty coffee cups.
The Stats
- You can express individuality, but add unique accents on top of a generally conservative look.
- Men with long hair are viewed as creative, according to Yale psychologist Marianne LaFrance's research.
- Women with medium-length brown hair are judged as outgoing, found LaFrance.
- Image is most important when you first meet coworkers. It's almost impossible to later adjust people's expectations of you upward, says Megan Hustad, author of How to Be Useful.
- Women who show cleavage are judged poorly at work (unless they're selling an inferior product).
- Strangers' assessments of CEOs' power-and leadership-related traits—based only on their head shots—predicted company profits in a Tufts University study.
Dapper Don
Name: Aldon James
Occupation: President of the National Arts Club
