Dress for Success…. Well, Sort Of!

<Career>

The old saying goes ‘Dress one level above the position you are in’…. and also ‘When you look good you feel good’.  Both proverbs are fairly on point, and are great advice for anyone regardless of what type of work they do.  I mean who doesn’t like to feel good about themselves and be confident in what they’re doing?  Although as I’m typing this, I feel like I really need a haircut… which would help a lot in the confidence section.. ha ha…

Lest I digress, this article is about taking the old Dress for Success advice one step in a new direction, considering work environments and cultures are changing as millennials are leaving their mark.  I have worked in a bunch of different companies and industries, however most recently have been fortunate to work in a company with a really great culture.  And while there are a number of things which make the culture unique, one of the things I value is the dress code.  Most folks wear jeans and collared shirts, and comfortable but professional shoes.  And just that simple change makes a big difference…

In the past, it’s always been dress pants and a button-down shirt… That one change to saying Yeah go ahead and wear jeans (5 days a week), it’s no big deal, automatically has a ‘chill out’ vibe effect on the atmosphere.  As in, we are all working hard, we are collaborating, working towards common goals, no need to be to uppity or bureaucratic about it.  I’ve experienced before where the IT department or engineers seemed to where whatever they want, while business folks always had to conform to a certain dress code, and I can say it feels great to take that barrier down, and just let people be themselves.  Oh, and to make the professional jeans look really work, find some sort of comfortable shoe, but not sneakers (thanks Mom..!).  Haha.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying there isn’t something to a nice professional attire, in fact, I’ve ‘had’ to wear one for the first 10 years of my career, with the only jeans days being on Fridays.  And there’s nothing wrong with that, a certain level of formality and professionalism in dress code does go a long way.  But I gotta tell you, now that I’m in biotech, things are much more chillaxed (if you read this blog frequently, that is one of my favorite slang words), I don’t think I could ever go back to wearing slacks and/or tie every day.  For certain supplier meetings and conferences, sure, but I just don’t think there is a need for it on most days.

One other cool thing at my current employer, the CEO and some of the execs have been wearing shorts all summer.  And a few of them go for runs mid-day around town… really cool when the culture starts at the top like that.  (A bit extreme of an example, but good stuff nonetheless).

<Gaming>

So the backdrop image for this article is The Wolf Among Us… a multi-platform game based on a comic series.  That’s Bigby pictured, he is the sheriff of Fabletown… a town that has seen better days, filled with crime and poverty, and believe it or not, Fables – Snow White, Tiny Tim, Beauty & The Beast, Magic Mirror, to name a few.  Oh and not only is Bigby the sheriff, he is a Werewolf… the big bad wolf from Little Red Riding Hood.  He is trying to make his past right, and show members of the community that he has their best interest at heart, and that’s he no longer a bloodthirsty animal.  If that all doesn’t sound too crazy for you, try it for yourself, download a digital version or purchase a physical copy:

If you are looking for a unique story and environment with some extremely volatile situations thrown in, it is well worth checking out.

Cheers,

ZERO