Dress for success: The importance of your workplace attire

Buy a power suit

Power dressing mostly begins with a well-tailored and fitted suit. A matching
jacket adds to that ‘corporate look’. You can pick and choose any color you want,
but not one that screams for attention. You can grab eye balls without the deep
reds or the candy pinks. But again, if can carry off any color, it’s up to you! We are
not complaining, not yet! Whether it’s a pant suit or a skirt-suit, choose a classic
cut and a neutral color that suits you. Dark colors are best for a day at work.

Choose the right shirt

So you’re all ‘suited up but your shirt seems to be flowing out of your well-cut
jacket. An absolute no-no in the fashion stakes! While buying or stitching a shirt,
go for one that fits snug under your suit. Must-haves in your wardrobe are white
and ivory colored shirts.

Become feet-wise

If you are into power dressing, invest in at least four pairs of comfortable pumps.
Well, if you can splurge on a Jimmy Choo or a Christian Louboutin, we won’t judge
you because we know you can pull them off with élan! However, if you cannot
wear heels, choose closed flat shoes. But no peep-toes or sandals please!
Make-up makeover
Throw out all the neutral colours and go bold with make-up. While the face can be
a bit subtle, the lips need to stand out. Go for bold red, fuchsia and even orange if
you love these hues. Red doesn’t mean danger in this case, but screams you are a
power dresser.
Accessories right

Pearls, golf cuffs, simple bracelets and small earrings keeps the spotlight on the
clothes. Chunky jewelers is best for those after-work parties. Remember, bling is
not for the boardroom.
Keeping time

A watch on your wrist goes well with your suit. Research says that if you are a
woman wearing a watch, you have many places to be. Gone are the days when
women were defined by a tiny watch held by a bracelet on their wrists. Big watch
brands are working on developing large watches for women, in line with the
trend.

Bag it!

A fine bag that goes well with your suit is a must. Aim for muted colors unless you
are using the same bag for the office party in the evening. While totes are
convenient, they can also make you stuff too many things into them. So opt for a
medium-sized handbag that can store your wallet, your make-up kit, phone and
other essentials.

How to conduct a personal SWOT analysis

SWOT can help people become the best versions of themselves, When conducting
a personal SWOT analysis, think about what you want out of it. Do you want a
new job or a new achievement in your current position? Are you looking for
personal growth, or want to try something new?

To conduct the analysis, ask yourself questions about each of the four areas being
examined. Honesty is crucial, or the analysis will not generate meaningful results.
With that in mind, try to see yourself from the standpoint of a colleague or a
bystander, and view criticism with objectivity.

It's also important to imagine the potential of what you can become.

"Don't limit yourself to the strengths that you're currently exhibiting in your job.
"List all of your strengths, even the ones that have been dormant for a while. And
pay particular attention to the things that you have that your peers don't — how
are you different, unique and special?"

SWOT questions to ask yourself

To make a SWOT worth the time, you need to set aside the time to really think
about, answer, then sleep on it and revisit it. You won't think of everything all in
one sitting, and that question or answer that percolated in your brain overnight
might be the most relevant and revealing insight in the entire exercise.

Begin by identifying your strengths. These are the traits or skills that set you apart
from others. Questions to ask include:
 What are you good at naturally?
 What skills have you worked to develop?
 What are your talents, or natural-born gifts?
The next step is weaknesses. This part examines the areas in which you need to
improve and the things that will set you back in your career. Questions to consider
include:
 What are your negative work habits and traits?
 Does any part of your education or training need improving?
 What would other people see as your weaknesses?
For the opportunities section, look at the external factors you can take advantage
of to pursue a promotion, find a new job or determine a career direction.
Questions to examine include:
 What is the state of the economy?
 Is your industry growing?
 Is there new technology in your industry?
Finally, look at any threats to your career growth. This part accounts for the
external factors that could hurt your chances to attain your goals. Questions to
consider include:
 Is your industry contracting or changing directions?
 Is there strong competition for the types of jobs for which you are best
suited?
 What is the biggest external danger to your goals?

Remember to be objective, and if necessary, consult others that know you.

Moving outside your comfort zone will help you get the results you're looking for,
instead of reinforcing your own beliefs.

Determine the outcomes

You can evaluate your results using two popular methods. The first is matching.
Matching means connecting two of the categories to determine a course of
action. For example, matching strengths to opportunities shows you where to be
aggressive and take action. On the other hand, matching weaknesses to threats
exposes those areas you should work on or situations to avoid, and lets you know
where to be more defensive of your position.

The second is to convert is to turn negatives into positives — in other words,

converting your weaknesses into strengths, or threats into opportunities. This can
mean growing a skill set through education or finding a creative way to feature a
weakness as a strength. For instance, if you are very outgoing, working in an
introspective and isolated environment may not suit you very well. But if you can
work toward a position, such as sales, in which you interact with many people,
that weakness turns into a strength and could allow you to excel.

Take action

Once your personal SWOT analysis is complete, it is crucial to follow through on

the insights you uncovered.

"SWOT analysis can fail to be effective if it is simply treated as a 'laundry list,'

without any tie-in to how the elements identified in the analysis can be put into
play for the individual carrying out the assessment. "For example, how can the
identified strengths move the needle in the endeavor to achieve a key goal? Or
how can one navigate a potential threat once it is identified … to ensure no
ground is lost?"
"The best outcome is to take action and succeed in the opportunities you have
identified. "This can benefit you on a personal and professional level, and set you
apart from your peers and colleagues."

Once you start using your results, track your progress. Set up measurements and
milestones and keep working toward them. Step by step, little by little, you will get
where you want to be, so get started now.

What is SMART goal setting?

SMART goal setting brings structure and trackability into your goals and
objectives. In stead of vague resolutions, SMART goal setting creates verifiable
trajectories towards a certain objective, with clear milestones and an estimation
of the goal's attainabililty. Every goal or objective, from intermediary step to
overarching objective, can be made S.M.A.R.T. and as such, brought closer to
reality.

In corporate life, SMART goal setting is one of the most effective and yet least
used tools for achieving goals. Once you've charted to outlines of your project, it's
time to set specific intermediary goals. With the SMART checklist, you can
evaluate your objectives. SMART goal setting also creates transparency
throughout the company. It clarifies the way goals came into existence, and the
criteria their realisation will conform to.

What does S.M.A.R.T. goal setting stand for?

Why not think of a small goal you want to set right now, personal or professional.
To make your goal S.M.A.R.T., it needs to conform to the following criteria:
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Specific

What exactly do you want to achieve? The more specific your description, the
bigger the chance you'll get exactly that. S.M.A.R.T. goal setting clarifies the
difference between 'I want to be a millionaire' and 'I want to make Rs.50.000 a
month for the next ten years by creating a new software product'.

Questions you may ask yourself when setting your goals and objectives are:
 What exactly do I want to achieve?
 Where?
 How?
 When?
 With whom?
 What are the conditions and limitations?
 Why exactly do I want to reach this goal? What are possible alternative
ways of achieving the same?
S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Measurable

Measurable goals means that you identify exactly what it is you will see, hear and
feel when you reach your goal. It means breaking your goal down into measurable
elements. You'll need concrete evidence. Being happier is not evidence; not
smoking anymore because you adhere to a healthy lifestyle where you eat
vegetables twice a day and fat only once a week, is.

Measurable goals can go a long way in refining what exactly it is that you want,
too. Defining the physical manifestations of your goal or objective makes it clearer,
and easier to reach.

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Attainable

Is your goal attainable? That means investigating whether the goal really is
acceptable to you. You weigh the effort, time and other costs your goal will take
against the profits and the other obligations and priorities you have in life.

If you don't have the time, money or talent to reach a certain goal you'll certainly
fail and be miserable. That doesn't mean that you can't take something that
seems impossible and make it happen by planning smartly and going for it!

There's nothing wrong with shooting for the stars; if you aim to make your
department twice as efficient this year as it was last year with no extra labour
involved, how bad is it when you only reach 1,8 times? Not too bad...

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Relevant

Is reaching your goal relevant to you? Do you actually want to run a multinational,
be famous, have three children and a busy job? You decide for yourself whether
you have the personality for it, or your team has the bandwidth.
If you're lacking certain skills, you can plan trainings. If you lack certain resources,
you can look for ways of getting them.

The main questions, why do you want to reach this goal? What is the objective
behind the goal, and will this goal really achieve that?

You could think that having a bigger team will make it perform better, but will it
really?

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Timely

Time is money! Make a tentative plan of everything you do. Everybody knows that
deadlines are what makes most people switch to action. So install deadlines, for
yourself and your team, and go after them. Keep the timeline realistic and flexible,
that way you can keep morale high. Being too stringent on the timely aspect of
your goal setting can have the perverse effect of making the learning path of
achieving your goals and objectives into a hellish race against time – which is most
likely not how you want to achieve anything.

SMART+ goals

Another thing that's very important when setting SMART goals, is formulating it
POSITIVELY. Remember that what you focus on, increases. So when you focus on
NOT doing something, all you think about is that thing. And it will increase. So
don't 'stop procrastinating', but 'achieve a daily discipline'.

Linkedin
One of the best social networks for the professional today is LinkedIn. It’s not
strictly about vocational skills, but it isn’t just about being social either. It can be
an excellent platform for people to find new business partners. Opportunities can
be found every day. Businesses can even find new employees to fill their open
positions with ease.
 What Are the Pros of LinkedIn for Business?
 . It improves the SEO profile of a small business.
Search engines today look for value. Sometimes this is found in content. At
other times it is found by how often content is shared with others. With
LinkedIn for Business, professionals get the chance to hit both of these key
points. They can create content which is directly shared on the social
 platform, which can then be shared as an article link on other social sites
like Facebook or Twitter. This means the most crucial bits of information
have increased internet exposure and this can lead to better overall
conversion rates.

 2. It’s an easy way to stay up-to-date within an industry.

Whether a small business owner wants the latest information on their
products or services or someone just has a passing interest in a certain
subject, LinkedIn for Business helps to keep everyone in the loop. You have
instant access to every upcoming trend or idea that is being talked about
right now. As an added benefit, you can also become part of the
conversation where people within the same industry share their own
experiences or lend advice.

 3. It is a cost-effective networking venture.

For people who are on a limited budget, LinkedIn for Business offers a basic
account for free that can help to build a professional identity. It allows
people to build a network that they trust as well. Free accounts are even
allowed to request up to 5 introductions at one time and get weekly alerts
on saved searches. Even if you want a premium account, the cost can be
less than $600 per year.

 4. You know specific information about customer and/or industry

segments.
When you have specific data about what people want, then you know how
to create something of value. This is the cornerstone of any potential
business opportunity. This also provides a secondary advantage as it gives
people the information needed to find new business partners, recruit new
employees, and ultimately reduce overhead costs.

 5. It provides a chance to offer niche expertise.

People today gravitate toward whomever has the most influential data to
share. The internet is filled with information and much of it isn’t accurate.
Maybe you’ve heard the statistic that 90% of the statistics you’ll find online
are made up? Thanks to the answers program within LinkedIn for Business,
you get the chance to show off the niche expertise you have within your
industry without the need to develop your own site. In return, you get an
affordable boost to your credibility.
  6. Company information can be researched for literally nothing.
Whether your focus is B2B or B2C, companies have a chance to research
anyone without spending anything. This can let you know if a potential
business opportunity that seems a little too good to be true really is.. or if it
could be a dream investment. Add in the global access that LinkedIn for
Business provides and even foreign direct investments and other methods
of portfolio expansion which require due diligence to be performed are
easier to complete.

 7. It’s a fast way to establish personal credibility.

LinkedIn for Business allows customers and partners to offer testimonials
regarding your activities. Virtually any data can be shared that can make
individuals and businesses look good. Company contacts can also be
included with this information so that when someone encounters a positive
testimonial or locates skills that are needed for an upcoming project, they
can reach out immediately to begin the relationship-building process.

 8. It enhances your visibility.

In many ways, any professional who wants to get noticed online needs to
have a LinkedIn for Business account. There’s no better way to enhance
personal visibility in the white noise of data the internet provides. Even if all
you’re trying to do is find a job, you’ll become easier to find when you have
an active and optimized account. You still have privacy with this advantage
as well because you can mask your network so your data can’t be mined by
others.

So what are the main benefits of using GitHub?

1. It makes it easy to contribute to your open source projects

To be honest, nearly every open-source project uses GitHub to manage their
project. Using GitHub is free if your project is open source and includes a wiki and
issue tracker that makes it easy to include more in-depth documentation and get
feedback about your project. If you want to contribute, you just fork a project,
make your changes and then send them a pull request using GitHub web
interface.
2. Documentation
By using GitHub, you make it easier to get excellent documentation. Their help
section and guides have articles for nearly any topic related to git that you can
think of.

3. Showcase your work

Are you a developer and wishes to attract recruiters? GitHub is the best tool you
can rely on for this. Today, when searching for new recruits for their project, most
companies look into the GitHub profiles. If your profile is available, you will have a
higher chance of being recruited even if you are not from a great university or
college.

4. Markdown
Markdown allows you to use a simple text editor to write formatted documents.
GitHub has revolutionized writing by channeling everything through Markdown:
from the issue tracker, user comments, everything. With so many other
programming languages to learn for setting up projects, it’s really a big benefit to
have your content inputted in a format without having to learn yet another
system.

5. GitHub is a repository
This was already mentioned before, but it’s important to note, GitHub is a
repository.
What this means that it allows your work to get out there in front of the public.
Moreover, GitHub is one of the largest coding communities around right now, so
it’s wide exposure for your project.

6. Track changes in your code across versions

When multiple people collaborate on a project, it’s hard to keep track revisions—
who changed what, when, and where those files are stored. GitHub takes care of
this problem by keeping track of all the changes that have been pushed to the
repository. Much like using Microsoft Word or Google Drive, you can have a
version history of your code so that previous versions are not lost with every
iteration.

7. Integration options
GitHub can integrate with common platforms such as Amazon and Google Cloud,
services such as Code Climate to track your feedback, and can highlight syntax in
over 200 different programming languages.