Professional Image & Etiquette

1. Professional Image& Etiquette Cathy Parker Assistant Director Career Services University at Albany

2. Self - Presentation • A word about Culture • The way you dress • The way you communicate • Things to watch for

3. It’s All About Culture • Etiquette is culture specific • Work Culture is different from School Culture • Common goal vs. individual goals • People of different ages and backgrounds • Not all company cultures are alike • We are going to focus mostly on US Corporate Culture

4. Multigenerational Workplace • People of different ages have different… • Communication and management styles. • Meanings of work and loyalty to an employer. • Rewards and career advancement ideas. • These generational values can affect… • The behavior of your manager or supervisor. • Policies of a company.

5. Professional Dress • Dress for the job you want not the job you have • Levels of Dress • Business Tailored • Business Casual • Casual • And everything in between

6. Business Tailored Style Key element: Suit

7. Business Casual Style • Still neat and clean • For men • Khakis or dress pants • Button down shirts or polo shirts • Casual shoes • Sweaters and vests • No tie needed • For Women • Khakis or dress pants • Jean or corduroy skirts • More casual sweaters

8. In-between • Between Business Tailored and Business Casual • Men • Sports Jacket and tie – not a suit • Khakis or dress pants • Women • Jackets – not a suit • Skirts – no denim or corduroy • Dressy sweaters – twin set

9. Casual Style OK in some settings

10. Don’ts for Men • Forget to shave • Too much jewelry • Forget to tuck in your shirt – unless casual dress • Baggy pants • Extreme hairstyles or unnatural hair colors (i.e. green, blue, pink) • Hats indoors

11. Don’ts For Women • Really short skirts • Showing too much skin • Sandals are OK but not flip flops • Lingerie on the outside • Spaghetti straps • Really “young” looks • Extreme hairstyles or unnatural hair colors (i.e. green, blue, pink)

12. Spoken Communication • Interpersonal conversation • Start out speaking formally • Do not SWEAR • Do not spread office gossip • Be careful about saying anything negative • Watch your co-workers – follow their lead

13. Phone Etiquette • Speaker phones • Putting someone on speaker phone • Mute your phone while others are presenting information • Voice mail • This is the company’s message system not yours. • A professional message • Leaving a voice-message • State your name clearly. • Keep the message brief – for longer topics use email • Repeat your name and number at the end

14. Written Communication • Proof read it!!! • No typos • Correct grammar, no slang • Business jargon is OK, however • Be careful what you say • You don’t know who will read it • You don’t know where it will go

15. Email is not Always Casual* • Don’t be cute • Acronyms - LOL TTFN • Emoticons ;-) 8-} >8-0 • Do not use text message talk • Don’t use lots of !!!!! • Don’t mark everything urgent • Don’t reply all unless you REALLY mean to. • Do proof read it before you send • Do include a subject line – otherwise it could be deleted • Do add the email address last – to avoid accidentally sending it too soon. • Do use proper capitalization and punctuation *Getting from College to Career, Lindsay Pollak, Harper Collins 2007

16. Other things to know • Your desk and office space • You will be judged by your calendar and wall art • Find out what is allowed and who is allowed to hang them up • Meetings • Be on time • Call ahead if you will be late • Apologize and don’t make excuses if you are late or miss meeting • The technology does not belong to you • Use it for business only • The company can … • Read ALL of your email • Block certain websites • Track your web browsing history • Don’t forward chain letters • Don’t browse inappropriate sites • Don’t use company resources for personal reasons

17. Other company rules and culture • Spending company money • Business dinners • Books and professional dues • Office supplies • Travel • Which airlines and hotels are allowed • How loose are expense reports • Work schedule • What are the “real” work hours • Do you need to plan vacation time ahead?

18. What to watch • Management style: • Don’t be offended if your input is not universally accepted or encouraged • You may need to seek out mentoring rather than have it provided • Policies and procedure: • Take them seriously • If you need to do something outside the rules, Ask. If the answer is no it is no

19. What to watch • Rewards: Not everyone gets a raise; rewards are based on results • Dress: • Dress conservatively until you know what is allowed at your company • Dress similar to people who are respected • Ask about piercings and tattoos • Your parents: • Have nothing to do with your job • They CANNOT advocate for you at work

20. How Can You Know All This Stuff!! You can’t – so relax • No one expects you to get it all right the first time • No one expects you to “just know” • How do you learn • Watch your coworkers • Ask secretaries • Ask your manager • Get a mentor • If you make a mistake – apologize and move on

21. Being Yourself at Work • Being part of any “group” is a compromise • Companies treasure their images or brand • Brand equity = customer loyalty = $$$$$ • As an employee you are part of the Brand • A well understood culture gives us guidance on how to handle situations • A roadmap for success • An expectation of how people will treat you

22. You Have a Choice • Do you want to look like a native or a tourist? • Do you want to be a success or a rebel? • Look for a culture that you would feel comfortable with • Start conservatively until you know the culture • Use your unique personality to stand out in positive ways

23. Always Remember the Golden Rule! In Business…… Whoever has the GOLD makes the Rules!

24. Need More Help? Contact UAlbany Career Services Phone: 437-4900 Email: career@albany.edu Follow us on Twitter UAlbanycareer Like our Facebook page UAlbany Career Services Join our LinkedIn group University at Albany Career Services Hours: M- F from 9 AM – 5 PM