“Casual Day, huh? I must have missed the memo.”
I was in the elevator, coming back from checking on some computers in our storage, when someone said that to me, probably because he was wearing his long sleeved, button down, dress shirt with a tie and his matching jacket and pant, whereas I was wearing my khaki pants and (surprise, surprise) one of my many short sleeved, button down, dragon shirts. Initially, I commented that it was because of not having a real job yet, and that if need be, then I’ll consider dressing differently. That isn’t entirely true, but it was fine for the moment.
It wasn’t until after I got off the elevator and was coming to the office that I realized how much I didn’t like that comment. I have nothing against the person who said it, just the comment itself.
Where do I start?
A couple weeks ago, we had our annual Paulsen lecture, and it listed some of the ideals that this former Residence Life employee held dear. I would probably include more, but I apparently sent the paper handouts on their way to the recycling center when I cleaned up my desk area last week. Anyway, two of these values were (roughly) “stay true to yourself” and “dress for success”. I understand the importance of both of these items, but I believe that if either are taken to an extreme, they negate each other, at least personally.
I do my best to stay true to myself in what I say and do. I have made comments that I have then had to correct for later when dealing with people, only because I choose to say what I felt and thought instead of considering it first. Some may say this shows the lack of a personal filter, but I feel that it has been more of me saying what I mean to say, regardless of how it sounds. I know that in the past, hiding something I felt or thought or not doing something I thought I should ended in worse situations than if I had not hid it. So, I feel I stay true to myself in what I do.
Dressing for success is fine, and unfortunately, the way of the business world. Sure, looking good is something everyone should attempt to do, and I do my best to prepare when coming to work. I make sure that I am presentable; I shower, I put on clean clothes. I make sure to pick on non-jean, non-shorts to wear to work. I wear short sleeved, button down or polo shirts, and occasionally a long sleeved, button down shirt. I feel I’m dressing appropriately.
Part of that may be because I don’t feel that me getting dressed for work needs to involve clothes I wouldn’t wear out to a family dinner or similar gathering, or even wear around town. I want to be comfortable. And why, really, do I have to look special in clothing? Because people are influenced by what they see, not what is below the outside layer. Meh. Chances are, I’m more likely to trust someone in plain clothes than I am someone in a fancy suit or someone wearing filthy old clothes. I know I can’t be alone in thinking this.
“But Sean, you need to dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Right. Any job I take is supposed to make me happy and still give me time to enjoy my life, my family, and my friends. As a result, I feel I should dress in a manner that makes me comfortable, because logic dictates that if I am not comfortable, I am not happy. If I’m not happy at work, then I’ll worry about going back when I’m not there, which would not let me enjoy my life, family, and friends.
Then again, maybe I’m looking at this wrong. The comments above would probably pertain to people who want careers and are willing to do whatever they need to for their career. My career is not going to be in this field; I don’t think it would make me happy. I’d like to consider getting a masters in something dealing with cyberculture and the like, possibly even a Ph.D., but if I start dressing like some Ph.D.’s, I wouldn’t be allowed into my current place of employment sometimes.
As the case is, I had to crawl around on the floor straightening up a cubicle area in the office because it had gone to hell: cables going across the cubicle, large monitors needed to be replaced with flat panels, sub par power strips where there should be surge protectors. That, and someone is going to be using that area for the summer as there is no where else to put him. Had I been wearing a truly nice shirt as some may want me to wear, it would have been filthy, and the filth would have been much more noticeable.
Generally speaking, I feel I can talk to the students, employees and clients alike, in a much more comfortable manner because of my type of clothing. I’m not some management- or administrative-type figure, with my long sleeved shirt, tie, pressed pant, and dress shoes; I’m dressed in clothing at the upper end of what they are used to. I’d like to think I’m more approachable as a result.
Even so, I think that it comes down to how I carry myself, and not what I’m wearing that makes the impact with the students. These kids are used to non-personal chatting via e-mail, IM, TXT, blogs, and phones. Sure, vlogs (video blogs) are starting to become something you see, but I’m not sure that’ll change it too much. Those means of communication do not need you to look good; they require you to sound good. By sounding good, you speak like you know what you are talking about and/or communicate in an appropriate manner. By that, I mean you use the correct language, be it correct tongue of the country you are in, chat-speak (IM or TXT), or even 1337.
Maybe I feel this way because I am still young compared to the average age of full time employees in my office and the office we are a part of. I graduated college in May 2004, so I still relate more to the students who work for us than the non-student staff.
All I know is that it is past quitting time and I’m still here typing this up. I’m outta here.
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