How can you tell what is appropriate and inappropriate office attire when starting a new job?

Once you have made a first impression, it sticks. We all have an individual style we express through our clothing and overall image. What you wear can also have a big impact on how you feel at work. Wearing clothes you love and that flatter you can give your confidence a big boost.

Most importantly, ask yourself what image you want to project at work and how you want to feel. I asked one of my clients, Ashley, to answer this question. She said, “the image that I want to project through my style is professional but not too conservative. I interface with lots of people and want to be seen as approachable and friendly. At work, I want to feel confident, stylish, comfortable and beautiful.” The answers to these questions helped Ashley to tweak her work wardrobe. She started with her pant suits and traded her collared shirts for softer necklines. Then she added style with accessories in this season’s most popular colors.

When starting a new job, use the official policy as a starting point. It can be tempting to throw on your favorite pair of jeans on Thursday, even if jeans are only permitted on casual Fridays.  Start conservative and take a week or so to look around and see what the majority of other people are wearing. This will help you assess what you can get away with!

Lastly, take into consideration the workplace culture. You may be able to get away with wearing the chunky African-inspired jewelery if you work at a creative advertising agency. If you work in a conservative investment firm, you may not feel so comfortable wearing the same accessories.

With her new look, Ashley felt much more confident and stylish at work. Here are some questions to help you get the same results.

When deciding which outfits are work worthy ask yourself:

1. Does this outfit project the image that I want?

2. Do I feel fabulous, confident and beautiful when I wear this to work?

3. Is it in good condition?

4. Does it fit well?

Taking some time to pull together a work wardrobe that fits your unique style will free up your time and energy to focus on making the contribution that you want to make at work without worrying about how you look.

My job is already feeling stagnant (and I haven’t been here that long), how do you make a job feel fresh again?

The first step is to get crystal clear on what gives you a sense of fulfillment. Think back to the honeymoon period of your job. What was fresh and exciting about it? What made you look forward to coming into work in the morning? If you are drawing a blank, ask yourself these three powerful questions:

1. Which of my strengths do I enjoy using most?
2. What type of work can I do that will peak my interest?
3. What is important to me at this stage in my life?

Answering these questions will help you to re-connect with yourself. Then you can identify ways of getting more of this type of work. Take the initiative to identify projects or opportunities that will keep you engaged and excited.

Research has shown that when you use your strengths and do work that you find interesting, you will be happier and more successful in your career. Knowing what you want will help you to define the action that you need to take.

Networking is about getting support in our professional lives. Many people tend to shy away from networking because they have a misconception about what networking is. The belief that networking is about schmoozing or being inauthentic makes them uncomfortable.

If you want your career to thrive, start looking at networking from a fresh perspective. Just as in our personal lives, we need the support of our friends and family, we also need professional support in our work lives.

We can expect to change jobs many times in the life of our careers. It is important to take the time to cultivate relationships with people whom we can count on for help and to people who we can lend a helping hand to.

To be more confident, reach out in a way that suits your personal style! Some people may thrive while attending a large networking event such as a conference or social event. Others may prefer meeting a colleague for coffee: both help you to build a strong network. Many people wait until they are out of work and need connections to start building a network. If you are in this situation, you may be surprised how many people are willing to help. Regardless, don’t wait any longer, exchange one business card today!