Personal Presentation
Tips on personal grooming
What you wear to work and how you present yourself can say a lot
about who you are and whether you will fit into the workplace.
Clothes and grooming are important for your self-esteem and for
the image of the business you are working in. You may be on a tight
budget and have a limited wardrobe but everyone can afford to be
well groomed. The tips listed below are designed to help you present
yourself in the best possible light.
Grooming
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Make sure you are clean and your clothes are clean.
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Pay special attention to your hands and nails.
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Wear deodorant or antiperspirant.
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Use little or no perfume or aftershave. You want to smell good but not
overpowering.
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Have fresh breath and clean teeth. Don’t chew gum or breathe cigarette
fumes over everyone.
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Have clean and neatly brushed hair. Boys might consider
a haircut.
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Young men should be clean-shaven or have neatlytrimmed beards.
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Avoid nail polish, heavy make-up and very long nails.
Clothing
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Dress neatly in ironed clothes.
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Choose clothing appropriate to the position and your workplace. Try to
think of it as your work “uniform”.
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Reserve loud colours, ultra-fashionable styles and message or slogan Tshirts for leisure time.
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Public contact, customer service and professional positions will require a
more formal and conservative style of dress. A shirt with a collar and tie,
dress pants (no jeans or track pants), socks and lace-up shoes (not
thongs, boots or runners) for boys; a skirt, or tailored pants, blouse,
jacket, stockings and low-heeled shoes for girls.
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Construction, outdoor positions or those with no customer contact require
different, less formal clothing and boots but keep safety in mind.
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When working outdoors, wear a hat and sufficient sunscreen.
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Shoes should be in good repair and well-polished.
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Simple clothes that fit properly and quiet colours are most suitable.
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Very tight clothes, see-through tops, low necklines, bare midriffs and
short skirts should be avoided.
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Minimal jewellery.
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Clothing and accessories do not have to be expensive or the latest fashion
to make a good impression, but they should always be in good taste and
clean and well-pressed. They should also be toned down rather than wild
or extravagant. You want the attention of your workmates and customers
to be focused on you, not on your clothes
Activity:
What will I wear to work? Exercise
Area of study
_________________________________
Job
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Workplace
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Find examples in magazines or sketch what you decide are types
of clothing appropriate to this particular exercise and paste them
in the space below. Try to create a composite figure if you can.
Make sure you cover each of the following: hair and/or head
covering, tops (ie. shirt, jacket, sweater), bottoms (ie. pants,
skirt), footwear and anything else you can think of such as a tie, jewellery, bag,
safety wear.
Be ready to explain and defend your decisions
Personal hygiene
Personal hygiene and grooming are extremely important. You need to take pride
in your appearance.
Poor personal hygiene can cause sickness and body odour which can be offensive
to the people you work with, or worse, to the guests with whom you come in
contact.
Hygiene standards and sanitation for food handlers are governed by strict
regulations and laws.
Here are some guidelines for your personal hygiene. To care for yourself, you
need to:
 Have a daily bath or shower
 Use a deodorant or anti-perspirant that is effective for you
 Change undergarments daily
 Eat property, exercise daily, and get the right amount of sleep.
Skin care and makeup
A daily routine of skin care is a must for everyone. If your skin is in a bad
condition because of acne, pimples or blackheads, consult a skin specialist.
Cleanliness is the beginning of a clear complexion. Different types of skin
require different care. Keep your skin care program simple, so that you will do
it every day. Again, it is the daily care that counts.
If you wear makeup, apply it appropriately for day or evening wear. Use makeup
to enhance your natural gifts. Some workplaces will give you strict guidelines
and directions for wearing makeup.
Facial hair
The presentation of facial hair for males is also important. Men who shave
should do so daily. Moustaches and beards should be neatly trimmed and cared
for. It is advisable to avoid highly perfumed aftershave lotions and colognes.
Hair care and styling
Hair is another important aspect of your presentation. It has a big impact on
your total image. If your hair is clean and tidy, it will indicate that you are
someone who cares about their job.
Hair should, therefore, always be neatly cut, styled and groomed. Long hair
needs to be tied back from the face so it doesn’t interfere with work or get
caught in equipment.
Good hair care includes:
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Shampooing - shampoo your hair as often as needed (once or twice a week
or even daily).
Styling – if you tint your hair, it must be maintained often enough so that
regrowth is not noticeable. In most workplaces, management would
probably not allow ‘wild’ hair colours, like blue, green, and so on.
Dental care
You are often in close proximity to people when talking to them. Although your
teeth are not always immediately apparent, it is important that you have good
dental care. This includes:
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Brushing your teeth twice a day. Use dental floss daily.
Using a mouthwash to clean the tongue, gums and roof of the mouth and
to sweeten the breath. This applies particularly to smokers, or when you
have eaten strongly flavoured foods like garlic.
Visiting your dentist every six months. Cavities or gum problems can
cause bad breath. You probably remember what it is like to be close to
someone who has bad breath; it is very off-putting!
Care and presentation of hands
It is important to look after your hands, particularly if you are in a position that
does not involve dirty manual labour. Hands are on show all the time, and people
will notice dirty finger nails or diseased hands. Therefore your nails must be
clean and well manicured. Most establishments only allow clear nail polish. To
care for your hands, use a moisturising hand cream after wet or messy jobs. If
you bite your nails, you must stop now!
Care of feet
If you will be standing on your feet for long periods of time and you don’t take
care of your feet, you run the risk of developing leg, back or neck problems.
And this can affect your overall wellbeing. There are a number of rules you can
observe to ensure this doesn’t happen to you.
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Do not wear shoes that are too small or that do not fit properly. These
can cause calluses, corns and bunions.
Be sure your work shoes fit well and give your feet the support they
need, for the long hours of work.
Sprinkling foot powder in your shoes will help to keep them from smelling.
Change pantihose or socks daily. This will help protect your feet from
blisters and calluses.
Your shoes should be leather, closed-toe and low-heeled (laced up shoes
offer excellent support).
Keep your shoes well polished and heeled at all times
Appropriate jewellery
Every establishment has its own rules about the wearing of jewellery. If an
employer allows jewellery, it usually must be small and discreet. Jewellery
should not be worn which detracts from the image of the establishment.
Some restrictions are also for your safety. Excessive or large pieces or
jewellery can interfere with your work and they can become caught in equipment
and cause injuries.
Uniform and clothes care and maintenance
Part of your personal presentation may be the wearing of a uniform. This
identifies that you are part of the establishment. The uniform also has the
purpose of protecting you in the workplace. For example, the chef’s uniform
gives protection from splashing oil in the kitchen and it helps in maintaining good
hygiene.
To feel good in the uniform, you must take care of it. This means making sure
you wear the complete uniform of the correct size and without stains. If, for
example, you were working at the front desk, your uniform would include a
jacket, skirt or trousers, shirt or blouse, stockings or socks, tie or scarf,
closed-in shoes and name badge.
Your personal presentation includes all of the above. The image you project will
either give a positive or negative impression to your manager, your colleagues
and your customers. In all your work situations your personal presentation will
constantly be noticed and assessed by somebody. It is therefore important
that you are always aware of how you are dressed and how you present yourself.
It can make a difference to your career prospects.
Activity.
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Give a general outline, in your own words, what employers expect from
young employees and explain why those qualities are important.
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Do you agree with general expectations of employers, as outlined, in
terms of personal presentation/hygiene? Why?