What we loved the most about this look (besides that it’s an ideal go-to work look with a statement bag) was the tagline, “In honor of #teampencilskirt.” What a fantastic hashtag! We here at TheWorkingWardrobe would absolutely love to be on that team!

Here she stated that this is her new favorite dress. We can tell you that based on this image, orange is definitely our new favorite belt color.

Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com! OR you can tweet your photo to us here. You can even get all crazy and post it on our Facebook fan page! Whatever medium you so choose, we’d love to see what you wear to work!

]]> http://theworkingwardrobe.com/on-the-job/what-i-wear-to-work-meankrystin/feed/ 1 http://theworkingwardrobe.com/on-the-job/what-i-wear-to-work-kimberly/ http://theworkingwardrobe.com/on-the-job/what-i-wear-to-work-kimberly/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:41:51 +0000 Rachel http://theworkingwardrobe.com/?p=5422 It has been a while since we’ve shared a working look from one of our readers! We’re so excited to start the process up again and share with you how Kimberly, a business woman in the corporate world, adds some fun into her conservative office realm!

Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com!

Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com!

TWW
What is bizME and how did you come about being inspired to start it?
AG
bizMe, an online magazine, is the bizgal’s career coach—guiding and mentoring the young professional as she gains her career savvy, budgets her paycheck, and acquires her lifestyle. It’s like having the honest, real-world advice from a trusted professor and the encouraging support of a best friend all packaged together in articles that reflect a “just like you and me” conversation.

The bizMe idea began at the end of my junior year of college as I contemplated life after graduation with my University of St. Thomas friends. Not one of us felt prepared to enter the global workplace. We were all young, idealistic, athletic, goal driven, ambitious, and accustomed to achievement but yet not confident in taking that next leap into our future. We still wanted that coach, that advisor/mentor who’d offer advice or a better way to accomplish something. I started to research if there was a resource that catered to this transitional period between college and the working world. There was nothing on the web like that, so I started one myself and our first issue launched in June 2007! We published four issues our first fiscal year and are now publishing monthly!

TWW
You have mentioned before that a lot of people mistake bizME for a blog. What sets you apart from other career service blogs?
AG
bizMe is an educational resource that features expert advice based on real-life career experiences. The best way to learn is from the experiences of others and bizMe provides articles that mentor without being preachy.

TWW
You have several experts throughout bizME – what is your area of expertise? Are there any areas of expertise you see bizME taking on in the future?
AG
I enjoy sharing my ideas of successful networking and how to develop a personal brand that’s engaging to clients and managers.

• Soft Skills—the etiquette and manners that baby boomers perceive Gen Y as lacking—we need to refocus on developing the “charm school” curriculum!
• Talent Retention—keeping our young knowledgeable professionals
• Talent Development—underscoring and in all caps the necessity of quality internship programs—it’s where mentoring gets the legs to empower and energize today’s young professionals-in-the-making!

TWW
You have a pretty big event coming up in April – tell us more about that.
AG
We are very excited because we are creating a premiere event for Milwaukee—a fashion show featuring career wear that’s fun, chic, and professional. The first annual bizMe bizstyle Runway show is Tuesday, April 27. The venue is great; the fashions from a wonderful mix of favorite brands and local boutiques, and the confidence created at this runway event will tame any carefully chosen power tie!

TWW
What other events do you have in your upcoming ‘business plan’?
AG
I am hoping to expand the fashion show to Chicago, New York, Minneapolis and LA. We have some plans for some pretty cool seminars but those are top secret!!

TWW
What is one of the most important things you have learned while becoming the bizgal behind bizME?
AG
Ha! Am I the bizgal? When I started bizMe, I never thought that I was going to be considered the bizgal of bizMe but over time, I have and I have learned to present bizMe in the same light and professionalism as it represents me. Personal branding is so important and every young professional needs to learn and understand why image and creating a personal brand based on integrity and poise is vital to career advancement and enhancement. It is not enough to just have a powerful brand but to have an even more powerful personal brand that reflects the same story.

TWW
Do you have any regrets or anything you would do differently when starting bizME?
AG
We built our bizMe product first creating solid content and now have over 225 articles available on bizme.biz. This is amazing because our edit truly coaches the young professional female—we have created a fun site without featuring celebrity gossip, fad diets, or boy talk! If I could rewind to the beginning, I would have begun the networking process immediately. Now my focus is networking and every day presents a new networking adventure! I was a novice in the area of web design and wish I knew then what I now know!

TWW
What is the quintessential piece of career advice you would give to the young business professional embarking on a new career?
AG
Go after that dream job but you can’t sit around and hope it lands in your lap. Get out in the community and meet people in that industry, network, do informational interviews, ask about intern opportunities. Demonstrate your initiative and ambition and your potential will be recognized!

TWW
You gear yourself towards the young professional – if you would give advice to a seasoned professional when working with / hiring / or working for a young professional, what would it be?
AG
Young professionals want to be in an environment where they feel appreciated and the work they do doesn’t go un-noticed. If you are working with young professionals don’t be afraid of an ambitious, go-getter because believe me you would rather have them on your team than working for a competitor.

TWW
Will you ever cater to the bizman along with the bizgal?
AG
We have tossed around the idea and I definitely think there is a market for it; however, I love our niche market of catering to women. The number of women graduating from college out number men 4 to 1. It is a really tough call but time will tell.

TWW
What is your ultimate goal with bizME and where are you in achieving that if you haven’t already?
AG
My ultimate goal with bizMe is to be the number one educational resource for young professionals, that when you have a question about anything business you turn to bizMe first. I also want to increase my speaking engagements because coaching is one of my favorite things to do. Currently, I have booked 15 speaking events this year and bizMe continues to grow everyday. The most successful businesses grow organically and that is how bizMe is growing.

TWW
Is there anything you’d like to say to readers of TheWorkingWardrobe?
AG
Live your dreams!

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

• Bluesuits Style Book – Managing Your Professional Image and Building a Personal Brand

• Corporette – Should Your Interviewer Get a Thank-You Note or eThanks?

• Automotive Car Driving Dealer – Corporate Car Service Can Help You Seal The Deal

• Inc. – Introverts as Entrepreneurs

• Forbes Woman – Women And Gaming: Why videogames are the future of business–and women are getting on board

• 45 Things – How to Know What Your Boss is Thinking

• Ms. Career Girl - 3 Job Search Mistakes Most People are Making

Want to be included in our Workwear Reading List? Email rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com with your publication name and a link on your article or blog post.

Each week we will feature a photograph submitted by one of our readers to showcase his or her working look. No matter your industry, no matter your age, or no matter whether it’s for a day at the office or for a career event, we want to know what you wear to work.

Let us know your thoughts on this ensemble! Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com!

Let us know your thoughts on this ensemble! Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com!

1. Banana peel – Don’t throw out that banana from lunch. Keep the peel for the next time you find your shoes in less than stellar condition and you need a quick shine before the board meeting. Use the inside of the peel and rub in small circles then buff away the evidence.

2. Safety pin – Your brand new cuff links just broke and that French cuff dress shirt just doesn’t look right without them. A safety pin can be a great substitute for links. Use them to hold your cuff together and create a new fashion statement along the way.

3. Paper clip – No dress shirt collar is complete without collar stays, but if you find your collar flying away paper clips are your next best option. Use the heavy duty version and slip it into your collar just like the real thing.

4. Static Guard – Pants sticking to you like a bad habit? Keep a can of static guard in your desk and spray down before the stakeholder lunch. You’ll come out looking smooth as silk.

5. Stapler – For the unfortunate event you tear a hole in your shirt or rip your pants where the sun doesn’t shine, a stapler will hold you together. Staple the inside of the seam of your pants where they can’t be seen and get to a tailor after work ASAP.

* * *

Grant Harris, MBA is Owner & Chief Style Consultant at Image Granted, LLC a Washington, DC based Image Management company dedicated to solving the complex image, style & fashion issues of individuals, groups, & organizations of men. Mr. Harris provides private & corporate wardrobe consultations, closet organization, personal shopping & other value-based services for men in need of practical & affordable style advice. At Image Granted, LLC we dress men for the life they want! – Imagegranted@hotmail.com

* Forbes Woman – Feeling Like A Fraud: Living With Impostor Syndrome

* AOL Find a Job – Work Like Your Nail Color, Even if It’s Nude

* Astek Blog – Real Time Customer Service

* Forbes Woman – Find Happiness At Work

* Mini-Biz Buzz – Listen To The “Experts” But Don’t Lose Sight Of Your Path

* Ms. Career Girl – One Family’s Recipe for Happiness

* HeatherPorter.com – Customer Service the Old-Fashioned Way

Want to be included in our Workwear Reading List? Email rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com with your publication name and a link on your article or blog post.

Let us know your thoughts on this ensemble! Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com!