What is so important about dress? Dress for Success What is so important about dress?

Objective: To understand the importance of a first impression. To be able to describe the appropriate dress for a job interview and why. To be able to describe appropriate dress after you have been hired. (Business dress vs. Casual dress)

What’s So Important about DRESS? First impressions are CRITICAL! You are marketing a product – YOURSELF! Dress is the first thing an employer sees when greeting you! Will dressing properly get you the job? NO, but it will: Give you a competitive edge Provide a positive first impression!

Should you be judged by what you wear? The Reality Should you be judged by what you wear? PERHAPS NOT THE REALITY: You ARE judged With the job interview, it’s HOW YOU ARE DRESSED that sets the tone of the interview.

How Should I Dress? Conservative is ALWAYS the safest route BUT – do some investigation of the employer What you wear should make you look as though you FIT IN with the organization If you overdress or under dress, the employer may feel that you don’t care enough about the job! Ways to find out the proper dress: Call the Human Resources offices and ask Visit the company’s office and observe the attire current employees are wearing Make sure you are not there on a “casual day”!

Hints for Dress Success Make sure you have: Clean and polished conservative dress shoes Well-groomed hairstyle Cleaned and trimmed fingernails Minimal cologne or perfume No visible body piercings beyond conservative ear piercings for women Well-brushed teeth and fresh breath No gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth Minimal jewelry No body odor

Dress for Success- Women Wear conservative colors Matching blazer and skirt or pants – dark colors with light colored blouse – nothing low-cut OR Dress/khaki slacks (pressed) and long-sleeve button-down shirt Skirt length should be a little below the knee and NEVER shorter than above the knee Avoid wearing tight clothing Shoes should be low-heeled Make-up should be minimal Lipstick and nail polish in conservative tones Bring a briefcase rather than a purse

Dress for Success - Men Wear conservative colors Conservative suit or sports coat and pressed dress/khaki slacks White long-sleeved button-down shirt Conservative silk tie (optional) Polished dress shoes Belt that matches shoes If you have a beard or mustache: Make sure it is neatly trimmed If you have any visible body parts pierced or tattooed: Remove all piercings and cover all tattoos if possible

Dressing ON THE JOB Once you’ve landed the job… Consult your supervisor as to what is acceptable dress for his/her department Ask about any “casual days” and what type of dress is allowed on those days When in doubt, DRESS CONSERVATIVELY!

Examples of Appropriate Attire for Women Business Casual Attire Business Professional Attire

Examples of Appropriate Attire for Men Business Casual Attire Business Professional Attire

Business Casual Attire: Professional attire that appropriately covers the body and allows for relaxed comfort. These illustrated examples border on business professional. The two (business professional and business casual) are very similar. The difference is that business professional is a suit where the blazer and pant/skirt are the same color and same material, combined with a dress shirt (and tie for men). Business casual does not have to be the same material; does not require a blazer; and does not require a tie. No trainer will be able to offer an exhaustive list of what is appropriate professional attire and what is not. The image you present to the public, your co-workers, and the youth in our care is essential in creating and maintaining respect (as an individual and as a member of DJJDP’s workforce). One test to use would be: Would I leave my child with a person dressed like this? (Yes/No) Would I feel good about leaving my child with a person dressed like this? (Yes/No) Whether you work with children or not, the image you present to others through your dress will determine greatly the respect you receive in return.

What is too casual? Strapless dresses, shorts, flip flops, pullovers/zip-ups and beach wear are all inappropriate for the workplace.

What is Inappropriate Attire for Work? Any clothing that has words, terms, or pictures that may be offensive to other employees is unacceptable. [Discuss “offensive”] Clothing that has the Department’s logo is encouraged. T-shirts are not acceptable unless specifically authorized for dress down days. However, knit, short-sleeved shirts with collars (Polo shirts) are acceptable. Sports team, university, and fashion brand names on clothing are generally unacceptable, except for dress down days.

Examples of Unprofessional and Inappropriate Attire Midriff baring clothing Miniskirts Excessively high heeled shoes Caps (headwear) indoors Very tight clothing Clothing that reveals cleavage, your back, your chest, your stomach or your underwear is not appropriate for the workplace, even in a business casual setting.

Slacks, Pants, and Suit Pants Slacks that are similar to Dockers and other makers of cotton or synthetic material pants, wool pants, flannel pants, and nice looking dress synthetic pants are acceptable. Inappropriate slacks or pants include jeans, flannel (or other material) pajama pants, sweatpants, exercise pants, short shorts, shorts, Bermuda shorts, bib overalls, leggings, and any spandex or other form-fitting pants such as bike clothing.

Which is appropriate? A) B) C) Obviously, B is appropriate. A and C are not. Remember: Even B can be inappropriate if the pants are not ironed/neat in appearance, if they have paint on them, or if they are frayed/torn. Belts should be work with khaki pants and the shirt should be tucked in.

Skirts, Dresses, and Skirted Suits Casual dresses and skirts, and skirts that are split at or below the knee are acceptable. Dress and skirt length should be no shorter than four inches above the knee, or a length at which you can sit comfortably in public. Short, tight skirts that ride halfway up the thigh are inappropriate for work. Mini-skirts, skorts, beach dresses, and spaghetti-strap and strapless dresses are inappropriate for the office.

Which is inappropriate? B) C) C is inappropriate (too revealing in the front)

Shirts, Tops, Blouses, and Jackets Casual shirts, golf shirts, dress shirts, sweaters tops, company logo shirts , and turtlenecks are acceptable. Most suit jackets, sport jackets, or company logo Jackets are also acceptable attire for the office. Inappropriate attire includes tank tops; sweatshirts; midriff tops; shirts with potentially offensive words, terms, logos, pictures, cartoons, or slogans; halter-tops; tops with bare shoulders; and t-shirts unless worn under another blouse, shirt, jacket, or jumper.

Which is appropriate? A) B) C) D) F) E) A is backless B is see-through C is a T-Shirt D is APPROPRIATE E is strapless and too tight F is a tank top

Shoes and Footwear Loafers, boots, flats, dress heels, and leather deck shoes are acceptable. Wearing no stockings is acceptable if the look is appropriate to the outfit. Conservative athletic shoes and sneakers may be appropriate for some job functions (i.e., umpiring recreational activities) or for health reasons, but are generally inappropriate. Flashy athletic shoes, thongs/flip-flops, and slippers are not acceptable in the office. Closed toe and closed heel shoes are required in the vocational and recreation areas of facilities.

Which is inappropriate? B) A) C) A is appropriate B is fine for those not working in a vocational or recreation area C is inappropriate. Slippers are not allowed.

Which is appropriate? B) A) C) D) A: The height of this shoe is a safety hazard. It would be difficult to perform a direct care duty with these shoes on all day. B: Again, height is a safety hazard and shiny leather/ pleather is unprofessional. C: IS APPROPRIATE. D: Flip-flops/thongs are not appropriate for the workplace. D)

SNEAKERS: What is appropriate (for those authorized by duty/assignment to wear athletic shoes) Appropriate, conservative athletic shoe Inappropriate, flashy athletic shoe Classic athletic shoes are appropriate. Low volume colors are appropriate. Loud colors (florescent) and prints on shoes are distracting. High heeled sneakers are inappropriate. These shoes defeat the purpose of wearing athletic shoes: function. It is important to remember that just because an article of clothing, jewelry, or footwear costs a lot of money does not mean it is appropriate for the workplace.

Jewelry, Makeup, Perfume, and Cologne: Should be in good taste, with no visible body piercing other than pierced ears. Fingernail Length: fingernail length should not interfere with the effectiveness and efficiency of your job performance. Nails should be well maintained with polish or natural color. Hats and Head Covering: Hats and caps are not appropriate in the office. Head Covers that are required for religious purposes or to honor cultural tradition are allowed. Typically the standard for fingernail length is no longer than the tip of the finger. This standard only applies to staff authorized through training to restrain a juvenile. However, if your fingernail length interferes with the effectiveness and efficiency of your job performance – how well and how quickly you can perform those duties (i.e., typing, washing clothes, etc…), then you should trim your nails to the standard length (not to extend beyond the finger tip). Also, if you or your supervisor believe the length of your nails might present a safety risk (such as: cause injury during a physical confrontation), you are required to trim them to the standard length. During RCDT training, no staff member may wear false nails or have fingernail length extend beyond the tip of each finger.

There is a time and a place for all attire There is a time and a place for all attire. Clothing that works well for the beach, yard work, dance clubs, trips to the mall, exercise sessions, and sports contests may not be appropriate for a professional appearance at work. While the jacket this woman is wearing may be appropriate: jeans, sneakers, and mid-drift showing shirts are not. Also be mindful that hoop earrings could be a safety hazard to you in a facility. Please remember that the Department does not reimburse staff for lost, stolen, or damaged jewelry.

Violations of Dress Code If an employee’s supervisor determines that an employee’s clothing fails to meet these standards, the supervisor shall ask the employee not to wear the inappropriate item to work again. The supervisor may send the employee home to change clothes and shall issue a verbal warning for the first offense. All other policies about personal time use will apply. Progressive disciplinary action will be taken for further dress code violations including termination. If you have to ask yourself, “I wonder if this would be appropriate for work?”, then it probably isn’t appropriate for work. You are encouraged to seek guidance from your supervisor when you have questions about what is appropriate to wear to work.