How to Look more Professional !

[Bobby_italy]

First of all I'm not really sure if this is the right forum, if not I'm sorry for that.

I just wanted to ask you guys what you think about the presence in general of a man and what makes him stand as a tad more professional (you know that first look before getting to know people).

Off the top of my mind:
-Clean Shave,
-Good haircut - not messy,
-Tailored clothing,
-White teeth,
-... continue the list or go in depth on the above if you have some knowledge on the matter!

At last a little background, I'm 18 yo and to be professional I'd need to look a bit older imho, when I grow some stubble I look about 23/25 but that's partly cuz I'm about 6'3'', right now I have an undercut and I'm thinking of letting the sides and back grow to create a nice slick back which looks less childish.

I know this looks like mental masturbation and it probably is but looking better with little effort should be a no-brainer.

Looking forward to hearing your opinions and advices!

 

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[Deleted35442]

First of all I'm not really sure if this is the right forum, if not I'm sorry for that.

I just wanted to ask you guys what you think about the presence in general of a man and what makes him stand as a tad more professional (you know that first look before getting to know people).

Off the top of my mind:
-Clean Shave,
-Good haircut - not messy,
-Tailored clothing,
-White teeth,
-... continue the list or go in depth on the above if you have some knowledge on the matter!

At last a little background, I'm 18 yo and to be professional I'd need to look a bit older imho, when I grow some stubble I look about 23/25 but that's partly cuz I'm about 6'3'', right now I have an undercut and I'm thinking of letting the sides and back grow to create a nice slick back which looks less childish.

I know this looks like mental masturbation and it probably is but looking better with little effort should be a no-brainer.

Looking forward to hearing your opinions and advices!

What's age have to do with being/looking professional? I'd say you answered your own question,

 

[Runum]

You asked... I would definitely refrain from using the word "cuz".

Also, post with less run on sentences and using punctuation.

 

[GuestUser450]

Yeah, none of that matters. Integrity and character > appearance.

Do you have humility and empathy? Are you respectful of people's time and the education they've hard won from experience? Are you relentlessly resourceful and looking to add value first instead of extract it?

That's a pro.

The guy that shows up positive every day, makes everyone else look good, takes the fall, never walks by a piece of trash without picking it up; all the little things that show you think like an owner. It seems cliche, but I'll run to do deals with that guy even if he looks homeless over any suited young "hustler" with attitude.

Side note: don't rush to look/act/be older. Leverage what you've got because every middle-aged executive would give his right arm to tap into what he thinks you have access to just by belonging to your demo. Think about marketing yourself accordingly.

 

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[Sovereign]

We often hear how first impressions matter... unfortunately there is a lot of truth in that.
You can be smarter than Einstein but if you look like him on some of his pictures people won't listen to you at all.

Go wrong with appearance and you might need weeks of hard work for your character to make up for it.
Especially if you work in an environment where people always want to dominate and be the alpha male.
Your age and non-rugged look will definitely give you a disadvantage when going into an encounter with older and wannabe alpha male individuals.

You don't need to look like the guy in the picture, but don't look like a slob either. Just go in with an 'outcome independent' mentality and stand your ground where you absolutely know you are right.
Admit when you are wrong or when you don't know something.

Also etiquette and general good manners go a long way with some people.
But on the other hand some see them as weak and will eat you alive if you abide by etiquette.


On the other hand if you are really and truly good at what you do you can get away with looking terribly. In order to be able to pull this off you must find a way to let your deeds speak in real time (though that is often very difficult).


To sum it up, how you look can be very important but it can also be irrelevant. It all depends on the mentality of people you are meeting with and on your own conduct.
Remember to reciprocate the general stance of your interlocutor and you will pass well as long as you are decently clothed.

 

[TonyStark]

 

[Dave510]

The culture in the "tech startup in San Francisco" sector is very different.

What "professional" looks like is completely contextual. Wearing a suit is professional in a lot of the traditional industries like banking or law, but it would look pretty odd if your business is carpet cleaning, and you show up to your client's house in a 3 piece Tom Ford.

Also, if you are in an industry where wearing a suit is the professional dress code, then avoid super thin lapels like the picture above. That's not professional looking at all.

 

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[Jon L]

Its important to look like you care about your appearance - it shows you respect those around you. That said, there is an amazing amount of business out there to be had. BE YOURSELF, and you will attract people you want to do business with. If you want to say 'cuz,' go for it. If you're really good at what you do, it won't matter *to the people who want to do business with you.*

I was on a call with a client recently - on webcam - and I was wearing a pom pom on my head to make my client's daughter laugh. Not at all professional. They've just added two more (large) projects to our list in addition to the one we just started.

My work product, however, is really good. They're beyond happy with what we're doing for them. If I weren't doing a good job, suit or pom pom wouldn't have mattered. I much prefer to work with clients like this than people that have to wear $10k suits every day. (By the way, this client is also amazing at what they do, too.)

Will you turn away business if you're not 'professional?' Yup. Can you make millions of dollars and work with clients you actually enjoy by being yourself? Yup.

 

[Bobby_italy]

Thanks for the input guys, sorry for the "cuz" not very mature by me..

I like your different point of views and repsect them, I think I'm going with the better safe than sorry route and dress a little classy.

 

[Fox]

A big thing that I rarely see motioned is how you post and present yourself online.

- Clear, concise writing style
- Proper username and having a profile pic/email address (not jakechoclateman909@yahoo)
- No LOLs and OMGs
- An intelligent format for even small posts (into, background, problem, context, question)
- Use whitespace, break up your posts and articles into easy to read sections

I am an admin on a few different FB and Linkedin groups and regularly see posts such as 'Hey guys, thanks for the add haha, who knows where i can get work cause I just started codding last week, tanx'.

Learn to write in an interesting way, write sharp short sentences and always provide context. You can be an idiot but still come across smart if you write well. Unfortunately it doesn't work too often the other way around.

 

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[Jon L]

A big thing that I rarely see motioned is how you post and present yourself online.

- Clear, concise writing style
- Proper username and having a profile pic/email address (not jakechoclateman909@yahoo)
- No LOLs and OMGs
- An intelligent format for even small posts (into, background, problem, context, question)
- Use whitespace, break up your posts and articles into easy to read sections

I am an admin on a few different FB and Linkedin groups and regularly see posts such as 'Hey guys, thanks for the add haha, who knows where i can get work cause I just started codding last week, tanx'.

Learn to write in an interesting way, write sharp short sentences and always provide context. You can be an idiot but still come across smart if you write well. Unfortunately it doesn't work too often the other way around.

this is true, but the following will get a decent response:

'Hey guys, thanks for the add haha, who knows where i can get work cause I just finished updating the matching algorithm on Match.com and am looking for my next gig, tanx'.

 

[TonyStark]

This is my "go-to" attire of choice:

 

[wbrett1027]

Suit makes you look professional? No

Hard work, caring, and respect makes you look professional

Talking intelligent
Makes you look professional.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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[SteveO]

Thanks for the input guys, sorry for the "cuz" not very mature by me..

...and don't apologize. Just take the information and thank people as you did.

 

[Kasper]

...I think you get the point... act professional, and do not worry too much about looking (seeming) professional. I personally will not take a young boy in a fancy suit serious (tailored clothing)! Dress as serious people your own age dresses. be clean and treat people (and yourself) with respect. Dont look like a brat that looks like you are more interested in your looks, than the work you are there to do!

A professional person imo means a person that lives off what he does. (I.e professional investor, football player or even gamer). To get to a level where you can live off that thing, you need to be very serious about it. This cannot be faked. You will have to take everything very serious; your customers (if employed your employer is the customer), if in school take it serious, or drop out and whatever you do, be serious about it. Show everybody that you are professional.

Business partners will soon enough find out if you are a pretender. On the other hand, if they find out that you are very professional for your age (and look), that will impress them. This impression lasts longer than that of a young boy who only knows how to tie a tie (which i by the way believe every young boy should be able to do).

To a certain degree i understand what you are saying though. If you look like an excuse for your self, you will never get to actually prove that you are professional. So you will of course have to be clean and well dressed (to the occasion - never over dress never under dress) I always used to have a tie in my pocket, if I was in doubt whether the organizational culture required suit and tie. A blazer always goes it can be casual and conservative. unbutton and open the shirt if everyone else wears an open shirt, and so on...

I hope you find it useful...

 

[Jake]

The obvious answer is to ensure that your flip flops are equipped with a bottle opener

 

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[Bobby_italy]

The obvious answer is to ensure that your flip flops are equipped with a bottle opener

I hope the guy who inveted those flip flops went fastlane, good to use while others are playing beer pong and you want your piece of bacteria!

 

[mom]

one of the main things for me is how do they look physically....are they fairly lean (proves they have discipline and knowledge about basic nutrition,) do they look after them-selves physically? Not pro. body builder or fitness nut but a few hours a week keeping in shape. I hate seeing high powered people in business suites (male and female) that have huge pot bellies, look like bloated elephants trying to look cool in a suite. Looks terrible.

 

[Ubermensch]

What's age have to do with being/looking professional? I'd say you answered your own question,

I thought the whole purpose of getting and being rich is to look good.

Or, "fly as f*ck," as the kids these days say.

 

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[Rudynate]

First of all I'm not really sure if this is the right forum, if not I'm sorry for that.

I just wanted to ask you guys what you think about the presence in general of a man and what makes him stand as a tad more professional (you know that first look before getting to know people).

Off the top of my mind:
-Clean Shave,
-Good haircut - not messy,
-Tailored clothing,
-White teeth,
-... continue the list or go in depth on the above if you have some knowledge on the matter!

At last a little background, I'm 18 yo and to be professional I'd need to look a bit older imho, when I grow some stubble I look about 23/25 but that's partly cuz I'm about 6'3'', right now I have an undercut and I'm thinking of letting the sides and back grow to create a nice slick back which looks less childish.

I know this looks like mental masturbation and it probably is but looking better with little effort should be a no-brainer.

Looking forward to hearing your opinions and advices!

It works for me. My office is in my home and I sometimes go days at a time without any face time with colleagues and/or clients. Nonetheless, I shave every day, I get my hair cut every two weeks, I keep my shoes polished and wear nice clothes for work every day. I like the way I feel when I look good.

 

[Delmania]

I like the way I feel when I look good.

It's not a foregone conclusion, but researchers call this embodied cognition. Basically, our cognition (which includes our self-view and feelings on that) is influenced by external factors. Holding a warm cup in your hands, for example, has a tendency to make you feel warmer emotions to anyone you're talking to. Dressing professionally makes some people fell more professional, so they will act more professional.

 

[Red]

I just needed this picture to appear in this thread again. For.... research purposes.

 

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[Rudynate]

It's not a foregone conclusion, but researchers call this embodied cognition. Basically, our cognition (which includes our self-view and feelings on that) is influenced by external factors. Holding a warm cup in your hands, for example, has a tendency to make you feel warmer emotions to anyone you're talking to. Dressing professionally makes some people fell more professional, so they will act more professional.

It is somewhat of a truism that a person's external environment and his/her internal environment reflect each other. One of the quickest routes to quieting a chaotic state of mind is to make sure your external environment is in order.

 

[ModernAlpha]

I'm not sure if it's mentioned somewhere in this thread, but knowing your profession would be useful in giving style advice.

If you're in a business like real estate or banking then professional means well tailored suit and tie, conservative colors, nothing too bright/sharp. If you're own a construction company you can wear nice jeans, black t-shirt and carhart jacket, as long as it fits well and is clean, you'd look like a "professional" contractor to home owners.

Some general advice is:

1- Make sure everything fits well.. biggest mistake men make is dressing too baggy. When in doubt, get it tailored to fit perfectly.

2- Spend twice as much per item, buy half as much. Quality is really dependent on price with clothes.. to a point of course.
Example: if you can get a cheap dress shirt for $25, you're better off paying $50 - $60 range at Express, but if you pay $250 for a shirt you're just throwing money to the wind for some fancy designer name. The quality jump from $25 to $50 is probably double the quality. The quality jump from $50 to $250 is probably 5% better if that. Many people think they need a huge selection of clothes. I only own 2 really nice pairs of jeans that fit perfectly, and 6 Express dress shirts. I own 2 blazers. I also own 3 nylon shorts and maybe ten $5 tees for the gym. This works for me. Think about your lifestyle and what you actually NEED, then buy high quality that fits well.

3- Learn what color tones look best with your complexion. My girlfriend does style consulting and this is a huge area of focus. I'm a light complexion with blue eyes.. I look awesome in light pastel colors like light blue, light purple, pink. Someone very tan would look better in a different color palette. Also, your colors COULD be used to counter balance personality in a way.. for instance, I come off as confident and dominant in conversations so the softer color tones make my presence feel softer, if that makes sense. Someone that is shy and not so confident could use bolder colors to get more attention, boost confidence, and the power of their presence. But if I wore bright and bold colors plus my personality, I could be perceived as arrogant, etc.

4- If you grow facial hair it will make you look older, just make sure you have a great trimmer and keep it maintained every few days. If you let it go too many days you look lazy/sloppy. Even guys with a big beard should trim their neck area, etc.

5- Look at the business context you're in. Look at the top earners in your field and how they dress. Dress that way.

---------------

Also keep in mind, style is very important because what you wear tells the world who you are. People glance quick and generalize and put you into a category in their heads right away based on how you look.

That being said, your personality is even MORE important than your style. Style is the first thing people notice, but personality is what they have to experience the entire time working with you. If you want to be perceived as a professional... BE a professional. It's in how you behave with clients. Treat them so they know you care about their needs over yours, that you pay close attention to all the minor details, that you are trustworthy, that if you say you'll call them back in an hour you always call back before an hour, etc.

 

[Rudynate]

I'm. The quality jump from $50 to $250 is probably 5% better if that.

I don't know - I have a couple $200+ shirts, and they never fail to draw compliments when I wear them.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I'm proud to say that I don't own a suit...

However "enclothed cognition" is real.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103112000200

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/clothes-and-self-perception.html?_r=0

 

[Supa]

I just needed this picture to appear in this thread again. For.... research purposes.

I am sure Matt Bomer is the topic of many... researches.

How he plays in White Collar is just incredible. A charisma like he has in it can probably never hurt in business..

 

[Rudynate]

I'm proud to say that I don't own a suit...

However "enclothed cognition" is real.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103112000200

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/clothes-and-self-perception.html?_r=0

So if you needed a suit in a hurry for a wedding or a funeral, would you get it at Men's Wearhouse?

 

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[antro]

1- Make sure everything fits well.. biggest mistake men make is dressing too baggy. When in doubt, get it tailored to fit perfectly.

2- Spend twice as much per item, buy half as much. Quality is really dependent on price with clothes.. to a point of course.
Example: if you can get a cheap dress shirt for $25, you're better off paying $50 - $60 range at Express, but if you pay $250 for a shirt you're just throwing money to the wind for some fancy designer name. The quality jump from $25 to $50 is probably double the quality. The quality jump from $50 to $250 is probably 5% better if that. Many people think they need a huge selection of clothes. I only own 2 really nice pairs of jeans that fit perfectly, and 6 Express dress shirts. I own 2 blazers. I also own 3 nylon shorts and maybe ten $5 tees for the gym. This works for me. Think about your lifestyle and what you actually NEED, then buy high quality that fits well.

3- Learn what color tones look best with your complexion. My girlfriend does style consulting and this is a huge area of focus. I'm a light complexion with blue eyes.. I look awesome in light pastel colors like light blue, light purple, pink. Someone very tan would look better in a different color palette. Also, your colors COULD be used to counter balance personality in a way.. for instance, I come off as confident and dominant in conversations so the softer color tones make my presence feel softer, if that makes sense. Someone that is shy and not so confident could use bolder colors to get more attention, boost confidence, and the power of their presence. But if I wore bright and bold colors plus my personality, I could be perceived as arrogant, etc.

4- If you grow facial hair it will make you look older, just make sure you have a great trimmer and keep it maintained every few days. If you let it go too many days you look lazy/sloppy. Even guys with a big beard should trim their neck area, etc.

5- Look at the business context you're in. Look at the top earners in your field and how they dress. Dress that way.

If you adhere to number 1 and 2 only, you're way ahead of the crowd already.
I rarely see people with well-fitting quality clothes and it makes all the difference.

One pro tip that doesn't revolve around spending money:

Pay attention to posture.
Make sure to stand straight up like you were saying "Come at me, life! I dare you throw everything you got at me, I'll crush it!"

... and then eventually you will crush it.

 

[Ninjakid]

Most of us probably have an idea about what "looking professional" means, but I wasn't sure how to define it. I looked it up, couldn't find an actual definition. So I looked up professionalism in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and got this definition of "professionalism" which seems to most adequately suit this context:

Simple definition: "the skill, good judgment, and polite behaviour that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well"

Full definition: "the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional"

I think it's fair to say that "looking professional" can be simplified to "appearing how one who is competent and respected in a particular profession is expected to look."

The term "looking professional" is closely synonymous with "looking how other people would expect you to look in a given setting." To which my advice would be, have fun trying to fit into that box

I myself take pride into what I wear and my fashion sense. Everything I wear is meant to be an expression of how I feel and what I want to convey to the world.