Chapter 9.

Grooming 

Grooming to keep clean and make face, hair, and skin look nice. So appearance looks clean and neat. Personal grooming is just as important as what you wear. You may select the right clothes, but neglecting personal hygiene can ruin the image you wish to present. Review the following grooming checklist before meeting with the employer.

·         Grooming is very important for creating a good image

·         For enhancement of outer appearance,

·         Important in facing the interview

·         It is the theme of professional personality, especially in customer service oriented

What is Grooming?

Grooming is the process of making look neat and attractive. It is includes everything which makes the appearance tidy and pleasant.

Personal Hygiene and stay fresh

Body odor can become unpleasant. Keep hidden body parts clean. Do not wear the same cloth the next day, after use put clothes dry area and put it on self. Good grooming means covering the basics. Bath daily and use deodorant after bath to avoid body odor. Perhaps using a spray that effectively masks the odor, yet does very little to stop sweating? deodorants and antiperspirants are different things. While an antiperspirant keeps you from sweating by closing or clogging the pores, a deodorant neutralizes the smell of your sweat by antiseptic action against bacteria. Ideally, you want the best of both worlds. Use a mouthwash often and brush your teeth twice a day to avoid bad breath. To keep fresh, frequently face Wash required. A good night's sleep is preferable for a look fresh. Offensive habits should be avoided:

·         Picking nose, teeth, ears or private parts.

·         Open mouth Sneezing or yawning

·         Belching/ burping loudly

·         Eating mouth open or making noise while chewing food.

Well-groomed gentlemen will exhibit the following minimum standers.

Teeth

·      Brush teeth twice a day and rinse well after every meal.

·      Rinse your mouth after every meal.

·      Smokers need to rinse their mouth after every smoke and use a mouth freshener.

Tattoos/Body Piercing

Visible tattoos are unprofessional in the workplace. Non-dangling earrings on ears only. Nose ring ok if small or for religious purposes. Men should not wear visible jewelry.

NO Jewelry in Visible Body Piercing.

Hair

·         well-groomed and professional-looking. Remember, the choice to cut your hair is yours, but the choice to hire you are the interviewer.

·         Clean, neatly cut not extending below the ears.

·         Always well combed

·         Frequently Shampooed

·         Kept in place not oily

·         Be sure beards and mustaches are neat and trimmed.

Face

·         Clean-shaven, No stubble beard or mustache. Well trimmed, above the lip, level, and not drooping

·         Teeth must be brushed clean without nicotine stains

·         Sideburns are to not be longer than half the length of each ear

Hands

·         Regularly washed

·         No marks or nicotine stains

·         Nails are to be short, clean of even length and well-trimmed

Shoes

·         Well-repaired heels

·         Always clean and polished make it a habit to wipe the shoe

·         Lace tied neatly at all times

·         Socks should be clean

Well-groomed ladies will exhibit the following minimum standers.

                                                         Hair—

·   Hair should be left open only if it above shoulder length while at work it should be away from the face

         · Long hair should be tied in a bun using a net or pulled back neatly

          ·  Hair accessories should be black and minimal

           · Natural color hair dye should be used

           · Short hair should be cut in elegant contemporary style, which is manageable and looks neat

           · Hairstyle should suit to face

Teeth

·      Brush teeth twice a day and rinse well after every meal.

·      Rinse your mouth after every meal.

·      Smokers need to rinse their mouth after every smoke and use a mouth freshener.

Make-Up

·         Should be light, subtle and carefully applied light to medium shades

·         Blush-on on the cheek bones and along the neck is a must, it enhances the features

·         A light application of mascara, a light shade of eye shadow, or alternately a whole application.

·         Dark shades of eye shadows, e.g. Brown, pink, red should be avoided during the daytime.

·         A dark circle should be covered with under-eye make-up

Hands

·      Hands should always be clean and well-manicured. The use of Mehdi on the hands or any part of the body is not nice.

·      A healthy body ensures healthy nails.

·      Keep fingernails short and well-groomed. Nails should be well shaped with a light to medium color, nail polish should not be chipped.

·      Extremely long nails, very bright flashy are not allowed.

Shoes

Low heeled are appropriate with most cloths

How to apply antiperspirant:

Be sensitive about smells. Save cologne and perfume for social occasions. Wash the offending area with soap or a good body wash, and then make sure that your underarms are completely dry before applying your deodorant/antiperspirant. Apply max of three swipes to underarm, wait five minutes minimum, and then get dressed.

When to antiperspirant:

Most of us will apply before heading out the door but that needn’t mean can’t benefit from a ‘touch up’ during the day so don’t be afraid of taking antiperspirant/deodorant with you to work and re-apply it an hour or two after you get there.

Grooming for Job Success

Employers hire people they believe will "fit" into their organization. Skills, experience, and qualifications are important, Jobseeker prefers to be hired because of their skills and abilities, BUT like it or not, many of us object to being judged for employment based on how we look. Appearance is important. The academic campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit student's flair for the latest in fashion style, the job interview is not the place to do so. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Appearance expresses motivation and professionalism. Clothing and grooming should create the image that will help to get the job offer.

 First Impressions

Most of us have heard the expression, "A picture is worth a thousand words."Remember this when preparing to meet with a prospective employer. The picture you create will greatly influence your chances of being hired. Most employers form a first impression during the first seven seconds of a meeting. Not much is said is this short time; early judgment is based strictly on appearance. Furthermore, studies reveal that employers consistently ask the question, "Does the individual look right for the job?"

Appearance immediately initiates ten decisions in the first impression made on others.

1.      Economic level.

2.      Educational level.

3.      Trustworthiness.

4.      Social position.

5.      Sophistication.

6.      Economic Heritage.

7.      Social Heritage.

8.      Educational Heritage.

9.      Success in the chosen field.

10.    Moral character

Some basic guidelines to follow are for first impressions:

·            Be clean and neat, including your fingernails, teeth, shoes, hair, and face

·            Conservative two-piece the business suit in a basic color

·            Empty pockets-no bulges or tinkling coins/keys, etc.

·            Avoid heavy cologne or aftershave.

·            No gum, candy or cigarettes

·            Light briefcase or portfolio case

·            No visible body piercing (nose, eyebrow, tongue, etc.) –

·            wear minimum jewelry

·            Arrive ten minutes early and arrive alone

·            Smile; be friendly

·            Demonstrate a positive attitude

·            Use good eye contact

·            Shake hands firmly

·            Use good manners

·            Don't interrupt and don't argue!

·            Don't chew gum

·            Take resumes and/or other pertinent information