Photo by mrdestructicity
Some years ago, I remember seeing a guy walking through one of those electronics stores. He was casual, wearing a just simple golf shirt and slacks, but everyone in the place was watching him. He had breezed in driving one of those brand new, shiny silver BMW Z3 convertibles and was just dripping in style.
It was like a movie star had entered the place, but nobody knew who he was. He could have been a blonde bombshell for the attention he was getting. Nobody was staring at him, but everyone in the place knew exactly where he was. I caught myself glancing at him a few times and leaned over to a nearby friend and said, “Man, he’s got it together.” To my surprise, I couldn’t have made that comment to a more knowledgable person. He knew the guy (and had for years). He said, “Yeah, that guy used to wear StarWars T-shirts.”
Turns out he was an IT Director at a pretty prominent firm in town, was recently married to an attractive woman, and was quite upwardly mobile. But, this guy used to be an IT geek that nobody knew, wore StarWars t-shirts, jeans, Converse All Star shoes, had a low-paying job and couldn’t get a date. “So, what’s the story?” I asked.
One day, not so long ago, this guy told the friend I was chatting with, “Man, you’ve got it together. Tell me how you did it!” Not known for his tact, my friend gave him both barrels with this very simple “wow” list:
- Burn every StarWars t-shirt you own.
- Go to [some high-end salon] and get a good cut.
- The Banana Republic has your new wardrobe, go buy it.
- Junk that clunker. Get the newest, highest-end, used car you can afford.
As the story goes, in a very short time this guy went from computer geek to just plain chic. He had a new look, a prestigious new job, a wife, and the attention of everyone in that electronics store.
Well, I’m not telling you to go buy stuff – but you can certainly apply these truths to your life or business. What I get from this story is this: if you want to become successful, looking successful is the best first step. So, what can you do today to look more successful?
Excellent points and this is a post every job seeker should read. It makes the point very well how much image matters. I coach all my clients to think about this but I think I could make it required reading!
Julie Walraven recently posted..Rays of Hope in a Dark World
Thanks for the great comment, Julie. Yes, it’s simple truths like this that can be integral to the job search, and even life in general. In the movie, My Blue Heaven, Steve Martin said “Sometimes, you have to change from the outside – in.” If you want to get somewhere quickly, sometimes you just need to look like you’ve been there already and let reality catch up.
Excellent points and well made, Thank you! I will share this with my son Jon.
Jm Oberschmidt recently posted..jimhandi- http-bitly-c4DXuM- To my son- Jon- Love DAd
What an interesting post. While it is true that lasting change comes from the inside out we live in a society in which a majority of the people that you will knowingly and unknowinlgy will judge you from the outside appearance as that’s all that they can see of you.
I definitely agree that this is a great post for job seekers but I also want to caution the person that would read the words without understanding the context that changing your appearance may help how people perceive/receive you from the outside in, you still must (if you fit in this next statement) work on changing what needs to be changed from the inside out.
Once again, what an interesting and fantastic post all at once. Thank you Michael!
-Haneef
Thanks for the great comment, Haneef. Certainly nobody can fake it for long. However, if you want the chance to prove yourself, dressing for the job you want might just give you the opportunity.