Is your wardrobe business-ready?

The art of personal presentation carries a lot of weight these days. But that does not mean plunging necklines for women or men trying to look like one of the suits, says Tessa Hood.

My first article on how to improve your career prospects by improving your appearance raised hackles among the silicon.com readership.

I was criticised by some women for talking purely to the male readers whose geekdom prides itself on a significant lack of desire to dress to impress.

Those female respondents were disappointed not to have been mentioned or considered. To be frank, I didn't think women would be slighted by not being mentioned in the same terms as the men.

Through reader comments, I was also told by several male readers that I was more sizzle than sausage and that my comments about personal presentation at work were vacuous, uninformed, hackneyed and irrelevant.

Mmmm, I like it. Keep thinking like that, guys, and watch the females around you start to take over. But the sad truth is women still have a long way to go in IT.

Female IT specialists are very much in the minority in the male-dominated techie corner of the office. Science, engineering and technology remain male preserves in the UK, particularly in computer science where only 13 per cent of all successful further-education applicants were female, according to research from high tech trade association Intellect.

Out of 1.6 million people working in IT only one-sixth are women. According to Intellect, just 20 per cent of IT managers, 16 per cent of software professionals and 12 per cent of IT strategists were female. Apple has no women in senior management although HP, Cisco and eBay do.

Are we really surprised by this? Techie stuff has always been the domain of the boys, and it's always been the lads who find a screwdriver and dismantle the gadgets. Women will face IT issues, not surprisingly, in a feminine way.

Most women feel they are natural problem solvers, multi-taskers and good communicators. Google, Facebook, Ecademy, and other social networking sites plus the growth of blogging are all helping to attract those women who have a natural scientific inclination.

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Women also appreciate the need to present themselves to the very best of their ability. And no, they won't be doing it for the boys in the office but because they see the career opportunities and will be looking to make their move at the appropriate time.

Batting the eyelids, lowering the necklines and raising hems isn't a sure-fire way of getting promotion - it can be quite the opposite - but looking professional, acting professionally and delivering consistent results is a winning attitude, whether you are male or female.

So why should you care and what is it that makes you look business-ready, male or female, and doesn't mean you have to sell out and look like one of the suits?

Well, a huge amount of value, rightly or wrongly, is put into the art of personal presentation these days. We make judgements within just a few seconds of meeting people and we are far more likely to judge a book by its cover than its content despite all the available information to the contrary.

One only has to look at a show like The Apprentice to see that talking the talk and looking the part are meaningless without any real ability to back it up.

But in a world where all your competitors are as capable as you and most have similar qualifications and experience, how can you truly differentiate yourself and improve your career prospects?

Start with the basics such as good grooming. Regular visits to the hairdresser, clean and well-cared for hands and nails are important, as well as attention to detail so that whatever you choose to wear looks fresh and not straight out of the laundry basket.

Clean shoes matter; kept in good repair, not down at heel and scruffy. Perhaps trainers aren't the best form of footwear to make you feel and look more executive? Wear them to work for comfort by all means but perhaps keep a pair of more business-like shoes under your desk to wear at work when you need to attend important meetings.

People will see through a false veneer but people do expect you to project self-awareness and self-esteem and those attributes come from an inner confidence that helps you match your clients' expectations.

Developing a truthful, authentic, personal brand for yourself and encouraging others in your business to consider it too is an integral part of building a career.

The same applies just as much to women in the office. Keep to simple, smart neutral basics. Dress up skirts, trousers and jackets, even fashionable waistcoats, with a good selection of mix and match sharp tops in colours that suit you and well-considered accessories.

Combined with a minimum of make-up and well-cut hair, those clothes and accessories should take you through at least three seasons. The cost per wear of your outfits should diminish as you make your wardrobe work properly for you and should easily repay you for the investment you make in a business-ready look.

The final polish to you, the brand, is the decision you take to make the very best of yourself, present yourself as business-ready and to show yourself in the most truthful and best possible way.

This approach will put those who do business with you at ease and make it a great experience to be working alongside you and your teams.

Tessa Hood is managing director of Changing Gear, a UK reputation and personal brand consultancy based in London and Surrey. She is a recognised expert in the field and has an international portfolio of clients including banks such as HSBC and The Clydesdale, airlines such as British Airways and a variety of City companies. She lectures on Masters courses and is a regular media contributor. Her book,The Personal Brandwagon - and how to jump on it was published in March 2006.