I never realized the importance of “looks” when trying to find a job. I admit that I am not a very keen dresser, and I never know what I am supposed to wear for formal events. My mom would usually pick out my outfit because she enjoyed doing it. Before going to the Dress for Success Workshop, I had no understanding of how to look professional. At the beginning of the workshop, I was shocked by the stats the woman presented. She said that 55% of perception is based on appearance, and 65% of managers say that they hire based on looks. This immediately drew me into the workshop because I wondered how I could improve my appearance simply with clothing. 

The woman started the workshop giving us ideas of what clothing to start investing in. She told us to first invest in a dark color suit, such as black, navy or brown. After getting a suit, we should start shopping for “fillers,” meaning shirts and belts. In addition, it is recommended to buy a steamer, because we should only wear clothing that appears to be in “like new” condition. She understood that these clothes are expensive, especially for a college student, so she encouraged us to look out for sales. A company that I would recommend that offered me very reasonable prices was Jos A Bank®. 

I knew that I needed to buy professional clothing, but she also provided us with small tips to improve our appearance. For instance, I never knew that my tie was supposed to reach the top of my belt buckle. Also, I learned that my socks should be mid-calf and should match the color of my shoes and pants. Ever more precise, she told us to remove the sewn labels from out jackets and untuck the pockets of our pants. Shoes should also match our belts and she recommended to wear either half break or full break pants at the bottom. Without going to this workshop, I could have never guessed these subtle details that employers may pay attention to. 

Another important topic that she discussed was personal hygiene and physical appearance. She really stressed the importance of clean nails, brushed teeth, and not too much cologne. Also, when preparing for interviews she said that men should shave and keep our hair back and out of our faces. My dad recently told me a story of how he brought my cousin, a graduate business student at Indiana University, into his office to meet some of his clients. My cousin was unshaven, had bad breath and lacked a professional attitude. My dad’s clients were immediately unimpressed with my cousin despite being a very good business student. My dad was forced to sit him down in his office and teach him how to look professional. I am very glad that Villanova offered this workshop and did not allow me to face the fate of my cousin.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.