Leverage your Professional Profile
Written on the 20th of September 2009 by Rachel Quilty, Personal Brand Strategist
In a competitive world it’s very important that you try to make sure your name gets out there. You want people to notice you and you want to add as much as possible to your resume. The big question though, is how exactly do you do it? Whatever field you are in you likely know that there is stiff competition. When trying to get your name out there you have to do quite a few things, and you have to contend with all of the others who are trying to promote their skills along with you. One reason that you might want to get your name out there is so that you are more reputable, and therefore more hire able for a certain job.
So how exactly do you make yourself more noticeable? One thing that you can do is volunteer for many different public service positions. Generally you will want to make sure that anything you get yourself into is volunteer work, and by doing this you will ensure that people will start talking about you. This is a good way to establish yourself as a decent person who will do good acts for others without requiring any sort of compensation. This is something that will put you in a good light and is therefore necessary.
Public events will also be a plus for your public image as you will be able to speak if given the opportunity. In doing so people will begin to say “Who is that person?” and when they find out, perhaps they will want to know a lot more about you. If you continue speaking then your voice will travel near and far, and more people will know your name than you could have ever imagined.
Another great way to spread your name is by writing articles. Since you don’t have much to write about yourself it would be best to start writing articles that others need done. There are many websites out there that have calls for content on specific subjects and you can actually write on those topics, submit your articles, and your name will be on those articles. It really does seem like a pretty fair deal even though you won’t get paid too much for these articles.
By doing that you will build an online presence. When someone says your name online others will automatically know exactly who they’re talking about because they’ve seen the work that you have done in the past. This will definitely help to get your name out there and will ensure that others know your name.
Finally you want to make as many friends as you possibly can, and make sure that they are people who can help you make your way in the professional world. This is called networking, and it is what will help you make it big and be a success.
Leveraging your professional profile is very important. You’ll meet new people, go to new places, and overall become the success that you’ve always dreamed of. Start working on these steps today!
? Rachel Quilty, Professional Image and Personal Brand Strategist as well as an internationally certified Professional Image Consultant, speaker and author believes, ?Building your profile is as simple as developing a strong personal brand and a striking personal image.? Rachel encourages Jump the Q clients to think strategically when developing a professional image to get that job offer, gain that promotion or win that client. Take control of the decisions others are making of you. Start with these simple strategies, in our free ebook ?Make Your Mark? available at www.jumptheq.com.au.
Creating an impact with your image to leverage your abilities and sky rocket your success is easy with Jump the Q?s advice on:
- Your Personal Brand Strategy
- Your Signature Style
- Your personal best colours
- Styles that suit your body shape
- Wardrobe and travel planning
- Simple stylish hair and make up
- Savvy shopping for your shape
Jump the Q today!?
As a professional image consultant I always advise my male clients to be sure to dress to accentuate their attributes and downplay any challenging areas. A lot of men have the impression that dressing for your body type only applies to women – but that’s not true.
Here are my answers to some recently asked questions that will help any top level professional dress more powerfully for his particular body type while following the perplexing button rule:
Suit-Up with Power and Strong, Silent Messages
Many men in high-powered positions or aspiring mid-level executives who want to get promoted to the C-suite need to understand the power messages of the suit. Whether you are interviewing for a senior level position or attending an evening philanthropic event, chances are you need to be wearing a suit that commands authority. The suit is considered the professional corporate uniform, but today every man needs a suit from time to time – to attend an evening event, a wedding, a funeral, or to make an appearance in court. But regardless of where or why you put on a suit, the key silent messages that the suit conveys are power, sophistication, and elegance.
A Suit Style for Every Man’s Physique
Every body type has its challenges and that is true for men, just as it is for women. There are tall men, short men, slender men, and heavy men. But if you dress correctly for your current body architecture you can use the illusion of correctly chosen clothing to look handsome and commanding. If you work with an image consultant, we will show you how to utilize the lines of suit design details to make you appear taller, thinner, or even heavier – if you happen to be a tall, slender fellow who needs to add some visual pounds.
Below I have listed all styles of men’s suits – and I’ve also included the double-breasted style, because it is a high fashion suit that goes in and out of fashion from time to time. So here are the highlights of the recommended styles of suits that work well with different kinds of body types:
The Heavy Man
Goal: With this body type, you want to create an illusion of appearing taller and thinner.
This man will want to wear vertical lines that draw the eye up and down his silhouette, but also attract the eye away from the waist area. The best suits for this body type are single-breasted, 2-button styles with a medium V stance. They provide slimming lines by creating a longer V in the upper chest section.
Avoid: 3-button coats or jackets with short, rolled collars. They make you look shorter and heavier.
The Slender Man
Goal: The slender man needs to increase breadth across his shoulder and chest area to add some weight on his narrow frame.
This physique will look best in single-breasted 2-button jackets. If you are on the shorter side, a 3-button jacket can give you some vertical lines to make you appear taller. You can also wear a double-breasted suit with lapels that roll below the waist to elongate your torso and give you some added fabric across the midsection.
Avoid: Pinstripe suits that can make you appear too thin.
The Tall Man
Goal: If you are over 6 feet tall you already have a tall, vertical frame, which means you can add some horizontal lines.
The man with this body type is very fortunate, because he can wear all styles of suits, but he will definitely need to wear a longer cut of jacket. You will look great in a 3-button single-breasted style jacket. A double-breasted coat works on the tall man, too, because he can look good with the horizontal lines of the buttons and front opening.
The Athletic Man
Goal: With your exaggerated V-shaped frame, you have the desired ideal shape. Your shoulders are broad but your waist is slim, creating an inverted triangle.
With this athletic build you will look best in single-breasted 2-button styles that will deemphasize a bit of your shoulder width. You may also need to look for “athletic cut” suits that provide a larger drop, which is the difference between your chest measurement and your waist size.
What’s the button-rule?
There is a rule to buttoning a man’s coat in order to project sophistication and elegance. But it is amazing to me to see sportscasters, TV reporters, and celebrities who don’t follow this rule because not doing so can sabotage their image immediately.
Here is a quick history of how the button rule came into existence:
Back years ago King Edward VII became so heavy that he was unable to button the bottom button of his vest. His followers did not want to embarrass him by buttoning their last button, so they began to take his lead and imitate his style – and that started a new fashion trend to leave the last button open. Today suits are designed to leave the bottom button open, and so are vests and sport coats. Here is a quick reference guide to when to button which button of your jacket:
* On a single-breasted 2-button jacket – button the top button only.
* On a single-breasted 3-button jacket – button the top two buttons only, unless the suit lapels tend to roll to the middle button. In that case you would not button the top button because of how the lapel would lay against your torso.
* A trendy, single-breasted 4-button jacket is often designed so that you wear all buttons closed or only the bottom button open. I always encourage my clients to button the last button unless they see a pull in the fabric around the 4th button. In that case you would leave it unbuttoned.
Here’s the button bottom line: Most jackets are designed to leave the bottom button undone. So if you button it then the fabric pulls and shows if you have a few extra pounds, which can undermine your great presence. We realize that when men gain weight, you tend to put the pounds in your lower midsection. So coats are made so that you have some ease for the coat to lay straight with no pulling or tugging – as long as you don’t use that bottom or last button.
I hope that regardless of your physique or title, you will find the right suit that fits you correctly and can emphasize your positive features. When you know the rules of buttoning the coat, it appears that you are a sharp, well-dressed man who understands how to get the most from his wardrobe.
Every man needs at least one modern suit in his wardrobe to wear when the situation calls for a formal, sophisticated look. So next time you shop for suit, remember the importance that lines make in helping you create an illusion to appear more powerful, commanding, and elegant.
Sarah Hathorn is a professional image consultant, certified personal brand strategist, speaker, and author.
Her company, Illustra Image Consulting, works with high-achieving future leaders and large businesses by enhancing their corporate and personal brand image to take their businesses and careers to the next level.
Blog, Ezine & Website: http://www.illustraimageconsulting.com
Phone: 678-528-1239 Email: sarah@illustraimageconsulting.com Copyright 2009, Sarah Hathorn, AICI CIP, CPBS
This article may be reproduced only in its entirety, including the above bio.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Hathorn
Bookmark This Post:Five Tips to Remain Fabulously Stylish [Even in Tough Economic Times]
Written on the 1st of January 2009 by Rachel Quilty
Whether you?re a spender or a saving during an economic downturn, you still want to be fashionable. If you want to look fashionable, then a few trendy items in your wardrobe are a must. However, buy inexpensive items and buy only a few. Incorporating trendy accessories into your wardrobe is an inexpensive way to look fashionable without spending a lot.
Shopping on a budget is no problem when you follow these five great tips:
1. Enhance your assets: Find out what styles you should avoid and which styles accentuate.
2. Purchase carefully: Knowing items that will complement and co-ordinate with what you already have will stop impulse buying.
3. Shop with a Plan: Before you buy, consider if the item will go with three other items you own now, how long it will remain in style.
4. Systematic shopping: Instead of buying all of your clothes at once it’s better to have a shopping schedule. Add one or two items a month.
5. Remove and replace: Once you have built a workable wardrobe it is a good idea to continually remove and replace items you no longer wear.
Shopping will be a breeze when you book your Online Colour and Style consultation today! Email us or Ph 1300 655 755 to start the adventure today.
For additional shopping tips read our ‘ Classics at Bargain Prices’ or our ‘I hate Shopping’ article.
Copyright 2008 Jump the Q. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be copied or reproduced without the prior written permission of Jump the Q.
Dressing_To_Look_Slimmer
Dressing to Look Slimmer
Written on the 26th of October 2009 by Rachel Quilty, Professional Image and Personal Brand Strategist @ Jump the Q
People everywhere are concerned about their weight and their appearances. However, dieting can be disastrous for your health if you do it wrong, and struggling with your weight for the sake of looks isn’t usually the best idea. While everyone should be healthy, there are quite a few things you can do with the way you dress to look slimmer without fighting the pounds. Even people at theoretically healthy weights don’t always look their best, because many of them don’t know how to dress. Here’s a look at a few strategies to help you look slimmer.
First, be realistic. There’s no dress trick that’s going to make a naturally round person look like a lanky teenage model. Having a good understanding of your body type and your best and worst features can go a long way toward helping you dress well. Don’t hold yourself to a physically impossible standard.
Next, start taking a look at what you like, as well as the features you’d like to emphasize and the ones you’d rather didn’t get noticed. Have your friends weigh in, too – many people have a distorted image of themselves, and the parts they don’t like look fine to other people.
Think about where you carry your weight. Does it end up mostly on your hips and thighs, on your belly, or in other areas? The strategies that help an apple shaped person, without much of a waistline, aren’t going to be as useful for a person with most of their weight on their legs.
Now, look at fit. Most people wear extremely poorly fitted clothing – too tight in one spot and too loose in another. It’s binding, uncomfortable, and unflattering, especially if you’re not rail thin. If you’ve been buying clothes that are extremely tight, to try to hold on to a clothing size you once wore, or because you believe tightness makes you look thinner, or if you tend to wear sacks to de-emphasize your body, stop. Both strategies will make you look a lot bigger. Tight clothes give the overall impression of a sausage about to burst its skin, while loose ones make you take up more space.
Go for a close, but not extremely tight fit. You might need to do a little alteration or enlist the help of a tailor to get this done. Have hems taken up if they’re too long. Have pants let out if they bite in at the waist. Choose tops that comfortably fit over your widest part without straining and without turning the rest of the garment into a tent. Have loose areas taken in for a better fit if you need to. Tailored clothes are often more flattering than stretch knits, but some bias cuts do look pretty good. Experiment and look at yourself critically in the mirror to decide if something really fits well.
You’ve probably heard rules about wearing black, avoiding horizontal stripes, or breaking up your shape. While horizontal lines do tend to be widening, and dark colors do tend to be slimming, these rules aren’t ironclad. If you hate black and navy blue, don’t wear them. You’ll seem slimmer if you’re happy, after all. If you find a horizontal stripe pattern that doesn’t look bad, don’t pass it by.
Dressing to look slimmer isn’t actually all that hard, if you’re willing to take a hard look at yourself and what you want. A good fit can do more for you than anything else. Make sure you’re willing to dress like you love yourself, and you’ll look and feel a whole lot better.
Learn how to look slimmer in minutes. Dress slimmer today!
? Rachel Quilty, Professional Image and Personal Brand Strategist as well as an internationally certified Professional Image Consultant, speaker and author of professional development must- have book ?Brand Yourself? . Rachel believes, ?Building your profile is as simple as developing a strong personal brand and a striking personal image.? Rachel encourages Jump the Q clients to think strategically when developing a professional image to get that job offer, gain that promotion or win that client. Take control of the decisions others are making of you. Start with these simple strategies, in our free ebook ?Make Your Mark? available at www.jumptheq.com.au.
Bookmark This Post:Dressing to Look Slimmer
Written on the 26th of October 2009 by Rachel Quilty, Professional Image and Personal Brand Strategist @ Jump the Q
People everywhere are concerned about their weight and their appearances. However, dieting can be disastrous for your health if you do it wrong, and struggling with your weight for the sake of looks isn’t usually the best idea. While everyone should be healthy, there are quite a few things you can do with the way you dress to look slimmer without fighting the pounds. Even people at theoretically healthy weights don’t always look their best, because many of them don’t know how to dress. Here’s a look at a few strategies to help you look slimmer.
First, be realistic. There’s no dress trick that’s going to make a naturally round person look like a lanky teenage model. Having a good understanding of your body type and your best and worst features can go a long way toward helping you dress well. Don’t hold yourself to a physically impossible standard.
Next, start taking a look at what you like, as well as the features you’d like to emphasize and the ones you’d rather didn’t get noticed. Have your friends weigh in, too – many people have a distorted image of themselves, and the parts they don’t like look fine to other people.
Think about where you carry your weight. Does it end up mostly on your hips and thighs, on your belly, or in other areas? The strategies that help an apple shaped person, without much of a waistline, aren’t going to be as useful for a person with most of their weight on their legs.
Now, look at fit. Most people wear extremely poorly fitted clothing – too tight in one spot and too loose in another. It’s binding, uncomfortable, and unflattering, especially if you’re not rail thin. If you’ve been buying clothes that are extremely tight, to try to hold on to a clothing size you once wore, or because you believe tightness makes you look thinner, or if you tend to wear sacks to de-emphasize your body, stop. Both strategies will make you look a lot bigger. Tight clothes give the overall impression of a sausage about to burst its skin, while loose ones make you take up more space.
Go for a close, but not extremely tight fit. You might need to do a little alteration or enlist the help of a tailor to get this done. Have hems taken up if they’re too long. Have pants let out if they bite in at the waist. Choose tops that comfortably fit over your widest part without straining and without turning the rest of the garment into a tent. Have loose areas taken in for a better fit if you need to. Tailored clothes are often more flattering than stretch knits, but some bias cuts do look pretty good. Experiment and look at yourself critically in the mirror to decide if something really fits well.
You’ve probably heard rules about wearing black, avoiding horizontal stripes, or breaking up your shape. While horizontal lines do tend to be widening, and dark colors do tend to be slimming, these rules aren’t ironclad. If you hate black and navy blue, don’t wear them. You’ll seem slimmer if you’re happy, after all. If you find a horizontal stripe pattern that doesn’t look bad, don’t pass it by.
Dressing to look slimmer isn’t actually all that hard, if you’re willing to take a hard look at yourself and what you want. A good fit can do more for you than anything else. Make sure you’re willing to dress like you love yourself, and you’ll look and feel a whole lot better.
Learn how to look slimmer in minutes. Dress slimmer today!
? Rachel Quilty, Professional Image and Personal Brand Strategist as well as an internationally certified Professional Image Consultant, speaker and author of professional development must- have book ?Brand Yourself? . Rachel believes, ?Building your profile is as simple as developing a strong personal brand and a striking personal image.? Rachel encourages Jump the Q clients to think strategically when developing a professional image to get that job offer, gain that promotion or win that client. Take control of the decisions others are making of you. Start with these simple strategies, in our free ebook ?Make Your Mark? available at www.jumptheq.com.au.
Bookmark This Post:Dressed For Media Success ? Personal Branding 101
Written on the 1st of February 2010 by Rachel Quilty
Appearing on TV or in a Video Blog can create an enormous boost to your Personal Brand.
A media or video blog interview is your opportunity to enthusiastically, knowledgeably, and succinctly communicate your message and reach your target audience.
Imagine, you are about to be interviewed. You haven?t said a word. Yet in those few opening seconds you have made a lasting impression.
Your leading attribute in a TV Interview is your personal appearance. You can express your authority quietly and effectively without saying a word.
As they say, ?An ounce of image is worth a tonne of performance.?
What people see is what they expect to get. Your best personal brand is determined more by what your audience or clients expect to see and what positions you favourably in their mind then just looking professional. What is your signature style and what will brand you as professional, individual and credible?
Becoming your own unique brand is essential! The purpose of branding yourself is to differentiate yourself, and achieve the desired result of being known as the thought leader or authority in your field.
Recognising the impact psychologically of colour can make a tremendous difference in how you are perceived. Make a statement with some bold colour or brand yourself with your personal best colours. Ensure a professional image that supports your position of authority and credible by selecting colours are consistent with your brand statement and corporate colours.
Your appearance plays a substantial role in promoting your personal brand. However, the Reporter is relying on you as an expert and you need to be prepared. Smooth and confident delivery of your interview will consolidate your professional image and boost your brand.
It is important to focus on the key message that you wish to deliver. And have prepared three points you wish to make supporting your key message. For example in a recent interview with the Channel 9 Today show, Jump the Q focused their message on the benefits of developing a signature style. Highlighting three key points for creating a Signature Style. Firstly, that it was affordable. It saves you time deciding what to wear and lastly, you can co-ordinate new look effortlessly.
There are many benefits to branding yourself with a Signature Style. Your unique style becomes an intrinsic part of your brand and differentiates you from others. You can express your brand effectively without saying a word. Your branded personal style becomes your uniform. You are always camera ready. In no time, you become instantly recognizable within your field. You become a mini celebrity in your marketplace.
It has been said that, ?A celebrity is influential when she has a definable style?. Individuals such as Victoria Beckham and Paris Hilton who have developed a distinct look have developed very valuable personal brands as a result.
Creating a Signature Style is an investment in building your personal brand and leveraging your professional profile.
? Rachel Quilty, internationally certified Professional Image Consultant, speaker and author believes, ?Building your profile is as simple as developing a strong personal brand and a striking personal image.? Rachel encourages Jump the Q clients to think strategically when developing a professional image to get that job offer, gain that promotion or win that client.
Creating an impact with your image to leverage your abilities and sky rocket your success is easy with Jump the Q?s advice on:
- Your personal best colours
- Styles that suit your body shape
- Wardrobe and travel planning
- Simple stylish hair and make up
- Savvy shopping for your shape
@ Jump the Q.com.au today!
