I am a reserved person. When writing, I do not let my fingers press the keys without already having a good idea of what I will say. I am nervous about my performance at a job and how others will judge my performance. Recently I attended the Madison College N.E.T. Saturday event and learned about a host of things that employers are looking for in addition to being able to perform the job. One big facet of what they are looking for is appearance. Whether it is clothing, a business photograph, body language or confidence, employers have in mind a business image for their employees.

I have never been a very fashionable dresser. Although I admit it is fun to dress up for special occasions, dressing up for work can be a chore. At the conference, it was emphasized that even the little things like color of socks or a few inches of pant leg length can make or break your look. That seems trivial. It seems that it is not just enough to wear the right clothes but that it is necessary to “work” your outfit in a fashionable sense.

One roundtable discussion at the conference was about body language and what it can convey more strongly than your words – your confidence. The differences between high power and low power postures were discussed as I took notes in a low power posture, taking up as little space in my chair as possible. I have always needed to remain very conscientious about my body position in order to assume a confident stance.

I have been told that when you prepare a resume, you do not include your photo, even if it is your professional business photo. However, it is now recommended for business professionals to keep a LinkedIn account, which is like an online resume of work history and networking contacts. On a LinkedIn account, it is recommended to upload your business photo. LinkedIn states that business searches for your name are seven times more successful when you have uploaded an image. Businesses cannot legally discriminate based on appearance; however, knowing the importance of business image, it is hard to believe a photo can provide no ulterior information.

What I take away from the conference is that businesses have expectations of how an employee should present her or himself. Regardless of what I feel they should expect, the more I know about these expectations, the more I can try to fulfill them adequately.