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Due to the amount of bad winter weather we've had this year, I have been working from home about once a week for the past 6 six weeks!  This is pretty unusual for me since I typically haul my butt the office 5 days a week no matter what.  But for a lot of folks out there, working at home is a regular occurrence as it's a great help to one's work-life balance.  Not to mention that cutting out a commute is greener (unless you walk or bike to work every day ;)  Anyway, whether you have work from home days scheduled weekly or they are used for one-off situations, here are some things you should consider for such days:

• Set expectations with your boss & colleagues.  Discussing your work at home schedule with your manager might be obvious, but be sure that your colleagues are aware of your schedule.  This note should also include all ways to contact you throughout the day: e-mail, phone number(s), instant message, etc. 
• Stick to your normal hours.  While working from home might mean an opportunity to sleep in, just be sure that you are ready to begin your day when you normally would.  Do not take advantage by sleeping in til 10am when you are normally in the office by 8:30am.
• Recreate your work environment at home.  Having a distinct work space separate from the rest of your living space will mentally prepare you for a productive day.  You don't necessarily need an entire room, but an area that is designated to work only.  If you need home office inspiration, check out this post from Jane Has a Job.
• Get a sitter.  If your children are home all day or even part of the day, get a sitter to watch them while you are working.  Working at home is not a solution for cutting back on child care costs.  You wouldn't want to end up in a tough situation, like your boss or a client calls while you are in the middle of consoling a crying infant or breaking up a fight between siblings.

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• Name and contact information in the header
• Short profile explaining who you are in a nutshell
• College education, keeping details like coursework and clubs to a minimum if you have more than 3-5 years of work experience
• Finally, list your experience in reverse chronological order

As I sit and watch 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' special on tv, I think it is appropriate that I write about holiday gifts in the office!  Depending on your office culture, you and your co-workers may or may not exchange gifts during the holiday season.  In the past, I have traded gifts with my boss, sent out cards to all my team members, participated in a team yankee swap, and done absolutely nothing.  Keep in mind that this is across 3 different companies, so make sure you know what's expected before going overboard or doing nothing.

Of my past 7 holidays in the working world, I have done yankee swaps just twice, but they seem to be pretty popular.  For those who haven't played before, yankee swap is like a grab bag: each person brings in a wrapped gift within a certain price range.  Everyone picks a number, and the first person chooses a gift from the pile (not their own).  The next person chooses another gift, and then decides whether to keep it or take a gift that someone else has unwrapped.  And so on... it's a lot of fun!

But what do you buy for someone in your office, who you may not even know that well?!?  Well, my friends, I've put together a list that should satisfy young or old, man or woman, traditional or hip.  Check these gifts out for ideas:

Candle - Organic Soy Candle
Business Card Holder - Leather Holder with Horse Emblem
Money Clip - Enamel Finish Money Clip
MP3 Player Sleeve - Hand-printed Leather Sleeve
A Fun Gag Gift - Office Voodoo Kit
Cell Phone Sleeve - Phone Pouch with Pocket
Desktop Speaker - Pop-Up Mini Speaker
Desktop Greenery - Bonsai Village Biodome

What would you give to a colleague??

Questions on your particular situation?  Or, have you made an industry switch yourself?  I’d love to hear from you!  Please comment or send me an e-mail  :)

I've spoken a lot about personal branding here on Employed Panache, but I know that the subject of personal branding can be confusing to those who are not marketers.  So for those of you who consider themselves an everyday professional, check out my guest post over at MsCareerGirl.com.

This is my first guest post (ever!) but you can expect to see other posts from me on Ms. Career Girl in the future!

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Don't you love it when the week starts a day late but still ends with Friday? :)  Well, I must apologize for the lack of posts over the past week, especially since I promised a quick one last Thursday.  Between traveling for work and my little sister's wedding last Saturday (which was sooo perfect!), I did not have the energy to blog.  So without further adieu, here are your 3 must-haves when traveling for business:

1. Bottom Half: Pants or skirt with a little stretch, for two reasons... first, bottoms with stretch will be most comfortable when sitting on a plane or train for long stretches of time.  Second, there will be less wrinkles when you get to your destination!

2. Top Half: I recommend layers on top because you never know what type(s) of climates you'll encounter between the actual travel and your final destination.  Might as well be prepared!  Also, a more structured top like a blazer will not only look more professional, but will also keep its shape throughout the day.

3. Shoes: I can't say enough about traveling in flats!  What if you're running late?  Like, literally running to the bus stop or your gate?!  Running in heels will wreck your feet and your mood for sure.  Now, if you need to wear heels once you get to your meeting, it's easy enough to make a swap and stash flip flops or ballet flats in your bag.  I tend to wear not only flats, but also closed toe shoes when traveling because if my feet are warm, I overall feel warm and comfortable.

Finally, if you'll be away for more than a day, give yourself options just in case the weather changes or the office dress code is not what you expected.  When I was packing for my Arkansas trip, I packed a top with matching skirt AND jeans for my second day.  I really wanted to wear the jeans, but then found out that the VPs at this location only allow jeans on Fridays.  I would have felt really awkward if I didn't have the skirt option!

So there you have it!  What are your must-haves when traveling for business??

Picture courtesy of CBSnews.com

Picture courtesy of CBSnews.com

Picture courtesy of CBSnews.com

Picture courtesy of CBSnews.com

Happy Thursday!  It was rainy out by me today, so no woodsy pics.  But, I did play around with the webcam in my laptop... and it's so true, fluorescent lighting does nothing for ya!  So instead of a bunch of outfit pics, I wanted to write another informational post.



After reading through comments on this blog (thank you everyone!!!!) and on discussions I've started on the Chictopia forums, it seems that a lot of people are hesitant to push the fashion envelope at the office.  And I get it - it takes a lot of confidence to wear something that is considered to be out of the ordinary, either for your style or for the general populous around you.  But I'm here to tell you that you can do it, no matter what type of corporate environment you're in!  I don't know of any office setting outside of the medical field that has a super regimented dress code.  (If I'm wrong, please let me know :)  Yes, you may have a certain dress code to work within, but it's still possible to add some panache to your outfits!

My biggest recommendation is to start with smaller pieces, like accessories, for several reasons.  First, you can test the waters this way.  If you do work under a stricter dress code, you'll find out real quick if some funky accessories are acceptable or not.  It also helps you explore your own personal style... some things look cute on others but may not feel right for you.  Before overhauling your entire wardrobe for nothing, and wasting a pretty penny too, make sure the new style reflects the true you.

Funky necklace = Panache!  A fun addition to an otherwise average outfit.

Second, if you're worried about drawing attention to yourself, adding a bolder necklace, cute headband, or interesting earrings won't completely change your style overnight.  It'll help you build confidence, especially once the compliments start rolling in from your co-workers and friends :)

Finally, once you feel comfortable with smaller items of panache, it'll be easier to move onto other bigger items, like skirts, sweaters, etc.  Practicing with accessories first will also help you pinpoint exactly what to invest in.  I've personally wasted so much money in the past by rushing into trends and new styles that I definitely wish I started slow.

So there you go!  Adding some panache to your office wardrobe needn't be complicated or scary at all :)

PS: The orangey/salmon sweater tank will probably also be up for grabs soon!

1. Dress for the Occasion

2. Learn New Names

3. Talk About Your Panache

4. Ask Questions

5. Believe in Yourself!

1. Research the company you’re interviewing with.  Meaning, go beyond the part of their website that provides the mission statement.  Find out if the company has been in recent news.  This will prepare you for tip #4, and may help you understand whether you actually want to work there.
2. Prepare everything the day before your interview.  Gather your resume, portfolio, entire outfit, etc. so that you’re not scrambling and creating unnecessary stress for yourself the day of.
3. Know your resume inside and out – in other words, don’t put something out there because you know it sounds good.  Be prepared to speak to each bullet point – realistically, this probably won’t happen, but you’ll be ready for anything.
4. Prepare smart, thoughtful questions for the interviewers.  This makes a really good impression because it shows that you have a true interest in working for the company.  The questions can be around their personal experience with the company or something you found during your research.  Don’t do a quick Google search and ask super generic questions, this will be obvious.
5. Follow up later that day or the next (at the latest) with an e-mail thanking the interviewer for his/her time.  I don’t think many people do this anymore, and it’s a nice touch.  It also opens up a line of communication that allows you to politely inquire about their progress in filling the role.  This question should only be asked if it’s been a couple weeks since you’ve heard from the company, or if they are several days beyond a promised decision date.

According to an article on Ecommerce Journal, 73.3% of companies now use social networks to find candidates for their open job positions.  And of those found on LinkedIn, 90% get the job.  Since we spend all of our free time on a whole slew of social media sites, this is good news!  Yes?

Knowing that a lot of corporations have jumped on the social media bandwagon can definitely be used to your advantage.  But, keep in mind that this means your profiles, posts, pictures, etc. will be that future employer's first impression.  Will you miss a chance at a new, awesome job because you proudly posted that keg-stand pic last weekend?  If you ensure that all your public info reflects who you are on paper, you're golden!  

That does not mean you need to hide all the fun stuff about yourself.  It's ok for the world to know that you love to cook or are training for a marathon.  Another way to view it is by asking yourself, "what is my personal brand?"  How you paint your canvas reflects your brand at work... your style, personality, what differentiates you from the crowd.  Leverage social media sites to showcase your brand beyond that canvas.  Just weed out the darker stuff - things that could hurt your chance at that new job.

Personally, I try to keep most items on my profiles as clean as possible.  No crazy party pictures, no cursing, no super personal details that could make someone else cringe.  Don't get me wrong - everyone is human and definitely does things that they regret, or at least that they don't want leaked into their professional life.  But again, it's all about perception and that first impression.

Given that I spend a lot of time deciding what to wear, I want to periodically write about my thought process when I pick out my clothes and also when I make purchases.  I want others to learn from my mistakes.  One recommendation is to cultivate your personal style before making major clothing and accessory purchases. 

Soon after I college graduation, I moved out to New York City and was floored by how different everyone dressed.  Polished and put together, while I felt like a slob.  I felt pressured to dress better - and so I went to stores that were not completely out of my price range (when shopping the sale racks).  Banana Republic, Gap, Ann Taylor, etc.  I then dressed *well* (by my standards at the time) but looked like every other corporate New Yorker ...minus the paycheck.  Something with my new wardrobe didn't click though, and I never felt quite like myself in what I wore, minus a few items here and there.

Fast forward a few years later, and I moved back to good ol' Jersey and eventually switched jobs, only to spend time in NYC on the weekends.  Or at night running to/from grad school, which doesn't count.  I soon felt uninspired with my surroundings (and still do, but that's a whole other story), and realized that the best part of New York was the people.  You saw all walks of life and it seemed that no one was afraid to be themselves.  And that was extremely inspiring!

Not knowing that the world of style bloggers even existed, I googled "street fashion" and stumbled onto Lucky Style Spotter out of curiosity.  Some pictures were interesting, but one person stuck out over the others.  Jessica of What I Wore had a personal style that spoke to me - and still does!  From there, the rest is history... I've been following a number of personal style blogs ever since.  


Long story short (wow, didn't mean to write this much!), poke around these blogs, read some fashion magazines, and see what speaks to you.  I can't really label my personal style, and I feel that I'm still cultivating it a bit, but now I can easily pick items off the rack that are ME :)