Louis P. Bucky, MD, FACS
Award-Winning, World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon
Premiere Destination for Finest Injectables & Skin Care
February 7, 2024
Certain factors immediately come to mind when you think about what influences professional success. Education is often considered a fundamental building block — the more you know and acquire skills, the better your chances of climbing the career ladder. Similarly, a solid work history can speak volumes about your experience, reliability, and commitment — all precious qualities employers want.
However, while these conventional elements undoubtedly significantly shape career trajectories, they’re far from being the only influencers. An array of unexpected factors often shapes the journey to professional success. These subtle yet powerful influences can impact your career development in ways you may not readily recognize or understand. In the following sections, we’ll get into seven lesser-known factors that could quietly steer your professional path.
Believe it or not, your physical appearance can profoundly impact your professional success. When you celebrate your physical appearance, you’re more likely to feel confident. When you feel more confident, you’re more likely to go out of your comfort zone — whether that means applying for your dream position or nailing a job interview.
This inevitably means that putting time and energy into your physical appearance can be a precursor for your confidence for the rest of the day. It’s also possible to achieve a more polished and professional look by making adjustments to your daily routine or opting for cosmetic treatments or procedures that can enhance your natural features.
Many cosmetic procedures can be performed to enhance your appearance — invasive and non-invasive, surgical and non-surgical alike:
You ultimately decide how far you’d like to take some of these procedures. Some can be performed with surgery or non-invasive surgery, while others can’t. Depending on your goals, you may need a combination of treatments or procedures. However, you should always do your research, consult a trusted professional, and understand your goals and expectations beforehand.
When meeting in person in a professional setting, people often greet each other by shaking hands. This small action can say more than any words said in this meeting.
Take job interviews, for example. A handshake is one of the first impressions an employer receives from a candidate beyond their resume and application. This non-verbal form of communication can showcase your personality in a variety of ways.
For one, a light handshake may indicate a lack of confidence, while too firm of a handshake can indicate arrogance. All of these impressions can sway an interviewer one way or the other.
If you want to make good impressions and cultivate relationships that can lead to your professional success, you should practice your handshake beforehand to find the right balance that also expresses your personality. Most importantly, remember to smile!
While it might seem surprising, your posture can also influence your professional success. Although the research behind power poses is undecided, there are anecdotes of professionals finding relief from feelings associated with imposter syndrome after practicing some of these poses regularly for long periods.
That said, good posture can be beneficial for your physical health. By practicing good posture, you put less stress on your bones and joints, you’ll be able to breathe more fully, and you’ll have more energy to tackle any tasks that land on your to-do list.
“Good posture” may sound vague, but it includes the following elements:
It can take time to improve your posture, but doing so may help you on your journey to find professional success.
Often in your professional career, you’re expected to speak eloquently to people, whether it’s individually or in front of a large audience. If you meander through your discussion or stop with “um” and “like” frequently, your audience may lose their attention or walk away from the conversation dissatisfied.
This is something virtually everyone can improve upon during their career. Much like practicing good posture, it takes time to improve your speaking abilities, but it’s often well worth the effort.
If you focus on your speech, it tells your audience that you care about their time and their thoughts. Additionally, taking time to figure out what you want to say before speaking can communicate that you’re a thoughtful contributor in the workplace — beyond the actual words you say. Ultimately, being seen as a polished, intelligent communicator can help you significantly in your professional growth.
Some might say how you show up during your work hours defines your capacity for success. However, your hours spent away from work can be equally influential on your professional success. This is where a self-care routine is crucial.
Self-care has the power to motivate you both in and out of the workplace. When you decide to put yourself first through self-care actions, you have the energy to plan the rest of your day around these actions. In other words, if you make self-care a part of your routine, you can more easily accomplish tasks during your workday because you’ve already set aside time to take care of yourself.
Self-care can take a variety of forms, including:
No matter what self-care activity you pick up, it should be a part of your daily or weekly routine. With it, you’ll have the energy and motivation to achieve any professional dream you have.
While it may seem obvious that what you wear can influence your life, research indicates that your clothing choices can significantly impact your performance in the workplace. One study explores the concept of “enclothed cognition” and details how attire can significantly impact mental and physical performance.
Other studies have found that formal business attire can boost your abstract thinking and creativity. It also turns out that dressing up can benefit strategic planning and coming up with those big ideas.
On the flip side, certain environments, such as work-from-home or hybrid workplaces, encourage casual attire to prioritize employee comfort. Though this can be beneficial for your day-to-day tasks, wearing something overly casual to an important meeting or for a big presentation may not give you the confidence boost when you need it the most.
All that to say, when you think about what you’re going to wear to work, it’s always important to dress for success. Your definition of success can change from day to day, so it’s also a good idea to consider what you need to accomplish at work and how your clothing may impact your performance.
Whether it’s a spouse, partner, family member, or friend, having a supportive person in your life can significantly contribute to your career growth. One study highlights the positive influence of supportive relationships on decision-making and personal growth. The study reveals that folks with a support network are more inclined to take on challenges, leading to personal growth, happiness, and better relationship dynamics.
In addition to being beneficial outside of the workplace, being willing to take on challenging projects at work can give you more chances to learn new skills. Doing so can show others that you’re a dedicated team player, as well as put you in a better position to advance your career.
Though some of these factors seem surprising, they’re worth considering and may inspire you to make adjustments as you see fit. None of these factors alone will replace relevant skills and experience, but going the extra mile to improve things like your appearance and speech can complement your existing abilities and give you an extra leg up at work.
If you live in Philadelphia, Ardmore, or nearby communities in PA and would like more information on our practice, or if you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bucky, please contact our office today.
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