A powerful tool at your disposal is your professional appearance, both in person and online. These days, employers and hiring managers are still interviewing potential employees, but they’re now using the Internet and social media as a method of researching job candidates. So both kinds of first impressions are crucial in today’s competitive and tech-savvy job market. You need to focus on presenting yourself as a consummate professional anywhere you’ll make that first impression. From the interview room, to the networking event, to your online persona, be prepared to take charge of your own personal brand and sell yourself with confidence.

The old saying “You only get one chance to make a first impression” is so frequently heard because it’s true. It’s common knowledge among image consultants, that the way you present yourself in job interviews and the workplace is a critical key to impressing those in hiring positions. If you’re considering either a new job, or a promotion at your current company, dressing professionally allows decision makers to see you in the role you’d like to have.

Look at colleagues who impress or inspire you: How do they dress? Those who hold positions that you aspire to are likely dressing a level up from their own position and are good examples to learn from. Even in a company with a relaxed dress policy, opportunities exist to take your appearance to the next level. While many employees dress at the lower acceptable levels of a casual policy, hold yourself to a higher standard that reflects discernment and professional awareness. Dressing to impress your employer or potential employer isn’t just about looking nice. If you dress professionally, as though you already possess the job you want, your appearance carries the message that you are serious, careful, observant, and willing to work for advancement.

If you do choose to look for job opportunities outside your current organization or are presently in transition, the networking circuit is an ideal place to begin building your personal brand. Networking events present an environment to make contact with people who may know about open positions or can put you in touch with those who do (gatekeepers). Use these occasions to promote yourself with confident body language and a successful appearance. Some ways to do this:

1. Dress as if you are attending a job interview. Don’t wear your best interview suit if the environment does not call for it, but do dress with the same level of attention to detail and grooming. Neat, clean hair and clothes with a minimal amount of tasteful jewelry or makeup allows you to present yourself at your best, even if the event is casual.

2. Shake hands with everyone you meet using a firm web-to-web handshake and maintain direct eye contact, all of which is body language demonstrating self-confidence and sincerity.

3. Introduce yourself with your first and last name and repeat the other person’s name to cement it in your memory. Introducing a new contact to the next person you meet is a great way to show confidence, friendliness, and helps you remember everyone.

4. Prepare a “mini resume” calling card that features your contact information on the front, and a list of your key competencies on the back. This helps those you meet remember your objective and area of specialty. Give this card the same attention to appearance and accuracy as you do your traditional resume.

5. At these events, remember that you are not the only person shopping for a job. Can you help someone else in his or her search? Chances are they will be willing to help you, too (and it doesn’t hurt your karma). Notice too, that the people YOU are most likely to recommend for a position are those that have taken care to present themselves well.

6. Keep your conversations professional and positive. Your disappointments in your current or previous position should be kept private. Speaking well of a current or former employer makes prospective employers and colleagues feel that you are professional and trustworthy.

7. Follow up with the contacts you’ve made in a carefully written email or LinkedIn invitation within the week.

8. Thank the host via email or LinkedIn. Consider a “public” thank you via LinkedIn recommendation or posting on their Facebook wall. This is great advertisement for them, and an opportunity to increase your public presence.

Social media sites are another forum in which to promote a professional personal brand in your job search. According to a recent survey by recruitment solutions provider, Jobvite, 80% of companies plan to use social networking to find and attract candidates this year. If the majority of your pictures on Facebook feature behavior or activities that you wouldn’t display at a job interview, they’re unlikely to make a favorable impression upon a hiring manager who searches your name.

Just like networking and presenting yourself daily at your company, you’ll want to “dress to impress” online too. Recruiters are using social media sites for research — even third place Twitter is tapped by 42% of recruiters according to Jobvite (LinkedIn leads in recruiting research activity; Facebook is second) — findings can be a deciding factor in competitive hiring environments.

Present your online image tastefully and professionally. Practice prudence in your online postings: Remember that your posts become public and can remain online on another site, attributed to you, long after you have removed them from your own pages. Offensive jokes and lewd remarks won’t reflect positively on you. Also consider grammar and word choice when portraying your professional brand online. “Lol” speak is cute in a note to a close friend, but is off-putting to an employer looking for a well-spoken employee who communicates professionally with others.

The Kelly Services’ Global Workforce Index showed in January 2008 that 32% of survey respondents found their most recent job online (including social media sites), and 21% found work via ‘word of mouth,’ like that which results from networking events. Conduct your search with savvy by putting your best self forward —both in person and on the Internet.

Classic Hairstyles for Men

Even if the world tries to go crazy with the most edgy looks, you can stay in trend with a classic haircut. Spiky hairstyles, just as shaggy and layered haircuts, will provide a versatile look that can be adjusted to any occasion. Keep it natural, or shape it with some styling products and change your hairstyle from one moment to another. Leave the bangs and top part a bit longer, so that you can get a look that’s really easy to shape.

Curly Hairstyles for Men

Curly hairstyles are just as easy to manage, but make sure you are using the proper products that match your hair type. Avoid brushing when dry and make sure you wash it well after using styling products.

Layered haircuts will be the best choice, emphasizing the texture and providing even more volume. Starting from buzz cut, through medium and long haircuts, you can choose either of them, but make sure it matches your face shape and style.

Edgy Hairstyles for Men

There are edgy looks to, that will provide eye-catching appearances. Go for a buzz cut- long hair mix that creates extreme effects. You can try the tecktonik hairstyles, with long hair at the back and top and short on the sides and mixed even with extra short bangs.

The street style is very popular, easy to manage and provides an edgy look. Styling products are a must have item in this look, just as straightening. But using all these tools and products, will lead to a damaged hair. So treat your hair well, because even if you’re a man, a perfect hair starts form a healthy look. Condition well, moisturize and nourish deeply with hair masks and avoid abusing of your styling habits each day.

Men hairstyles are extra easy to manage, you just need to find the best haircut to match your face and style. Use the proper haircare products, stay natural as much as possible or enjoy an eye-catching look and stay trendy with these latest cuts. Try something new, go for the styles you haven’t tried yet and you’ll be amazed by the result you’ll get. New hairstyles are the most simple way to update your look.

Bangs can offer a versatile character to your hairstyle and a simple but effective change to your haircut. Make sure you find the one that matches your personality, your style and the 2010 trends. There’s a huge variety to choose from, starting from extra short ones and till the choppy long ones.

Elegant Bangs Hairstyles Yes, in 2010 you can keep the elegant styled bangs, even if you have short, medium or long hairstyles and haircuts to match it with. Go for side swept bangs, or full long ones that will hide your eyebrows. These longer styled bangs can offer a versatile haircut, that can be changed instantly form the most elegant or office- like hairstyle, to the most crazy party hair. Simply use some hair styling product and spice it up with some texture or extra volume.

Edgy Choppy Bangs Hairstyles If you are ready to go more edgy, there are some gorgeous short choppy bangs hair styles that can make soft and also asymmetric edgy looks. There are several shapes to choose from, starting from chopped baby bangs, and till the uneven eyebrow sweeping cuts that are great for large foreheads.

Short Funky Bangs Hairstyles Short bangs are the perfect choice for the ones with bangs hair styles for small foreheads, or the ones who crave extreme edgy looks. You can make them asymmetric, choppy layered or straight shaped, the essential is to match it with your face shape. Get inspired from celebrities like Agyness Deyn, Hale Berry, Sharon Stone, Victoria Beckham, Alissa Milano, Audrey Tautou and many others that sport this glamorous style with maximum of femininity. You can opt for any of the styles, the main idea is simply to show attitude. Even if with the most classic hairstyles-with-bangs ever, you have to show personality, and wear a  unique haircut that match any occasion and any outfit. Versatile hairstyles are on top, and there are plenty of looks to choose from. Feel free to try a new hairstyle or a new haircut and freshen up your appearance.

Short Emo Hairstyles

Short emo hairstyles are quite rare, especially between girls. Even boys get a longer haircut for this style. The choppy layers are the main must have in this hairstyle and the extra straight texture. Keeping it dark shaded makes the hairstyle even more edgy. Bangs can be left straight in this case, to create a more dramatic look. Colors can be used in strands, in any shade or color, just make it bright. But stick to the two tone hair colors.

Medium Emo Hairstyles

Medium emo hairstyles are very common, mostly featuring side swept bangs. With their asymmetrical, choppy layered haircuts, they may be styled in a messy unique look. It will need strong styling products to get the wright structure, but the result is more than eye catching. It is a great way to attract attention and stand out of the crowd. It is still dark colored in most of the cases and shaped in a bouffant style with a super straight texture.

Long Emo Hairstyles

Long emo hairstyles are created in strong layered haircuts with extensions if needed. Dark shaded and in extreme cases spiced up with some colored strands, the long emo hairstyle is a really high maintenance style to have. It needs touch-ups even if fixed with the strongest hair styling products. A good thing is, that the colored strands can be even more defined and get an even more outstanding effect. The hair is thinned out for a manageable style and the bangs are side swept.

Mens Suits

Dressing for a job interview is one of the most important things you can do to jump start your career, after all first impressions really do count. So what should you wear to an interview?

The answer depends on both your style, and the job you are interviewing for. However, keep in mind that you should always dress “up” for an interview, and never wear casual wear when you’re interviewing for a new job.

A great look for a new job interview is a classic mens suit, in traditional navy or grey. Your classic new suit can be paired up with a designer mens shirt and tie, you will not only look successful, but you will feel successful as well. Feeling great about the way you look in your wardrobe can be the key to self-confidence, a trait that employers like to see.

You should also keep your shoes and socks conservative; dark colors will work well with any men’s suit combination.

Which Dress Shirt?

There are several types of dress shirts that go well with men’s suits. Silk, linen or a cotton blend are common dress shirt materials, but how do you know which dress shirt to wear to an important job interview?

The first aspect you should think about is color. For a professional look, a long sleeved white cotton dress shirt is always a good choice. Oxford cotton is the most practical choice, simply because cotton will wrinkle less than other materials. Also, white dress shirts will go with any men’s suit you own.

Men’s dress shirts that are made from linen or silk may wrinkle too much to look professional, but you may choose another light color besides white. Pale yellow, pink or blue are common choices, but will make choosing your tie much more difficult. You should also wear a dark colored belt, preferably black.

Spice Up Your Professional Attire

Choosing a tie seems simple, but you can really add some flair to your suit by choosing the right men’s tie. Your tie should be on the conservative side; a silk men’s tie is a great choice for an interview. The color of the silk tie should complement your suit, and be of one solid color, so save the ties with patterns or pictures until after you get hired.

You can also spice up your wardrobe by choosing a men’s designer suit, such as an Armani men’s suit. Armani men’s suits are classically made, and will last for many years longer than other discount suits. They also look great, especially when you are making your first impression on a job interview.

The first introduction of hair dryer began in the 1920’s. It was a large and bulky device when introduced at first. It also had the problem of overheating, that too for a prolonged period. In 1950’s, a reliable model of hair dryer was introduced that was much easier to be used as it came in the form of a small blower with a pink plastic cap for easy handling.

But now, with the latest technological advancements in the hair care industry, newer, innovative models of hair dryers are available to choose from. But without knowing the technique of choosing a hair drying according to its best features and quality, you can ruin your hair like the traditional low quality hair dryers did.

Cheap hair dryers produce lots of positive ions that make your hair frizzy and dull due to uneven heating. If you are really concerned about the health and beauty of your hair, a ceramic blow dryer is recommended. Ionic or ceramic hair dryers produce a number of negative ions that helps in retain the natural shine of the hair without damaging your hair or losing the natural moisture and oil of your hair. Moreover, Ionic Dryers shrink the water droplets on the hair, thereby enabling it to dry faster. This makes your hair look sleek and shiny.

Tourmaline hair dryers are the latest innovations of today that are known for their unique industrial strength and durability on the coils. Since the tourmaline materials produce more negative ions than ceramic, they cause the hair to dry faster, thereby making it sleeker comparatively. So look for such features when buying a hair dryer for your hair.

If you have any questions about finding the right hair dryer for you or as a gift for someone, please feel free to contact me.

GET PREPPED
Wrap a warm towel around the face and neck for about a minute before shaving. As your hair absorbs the hot water, it will become softer and easier to cut.

STEER CLEAR OF PROBLEM AREAS
In you notice an area with skin irritation, don’t shave over that spot more than once. Running a blade over again will make it sore.

TAKE THE WEEKEND OFF
Give your skin a break from time to time. Shaving over ingrown hairs will aggravate the problem even more and cause skin infections.

GO COLLARLESS
A high-collared shirt can trap sweat and oil, both of which clog pores. Stiff collars also rub against the sensitive skin on your neck, causing added irritation.

AND CORDLESS
Avoid electric razors. They slice off hair in several directions. This makes your hair more likely to become ingrown, growing back into the follicle.

American Crew Body Washes A Travel Kit – Gift Set $45

Contains:

Daily Shampoo – 250ml
For normal to oily hair and scalp. Provides a refreshing and invigorating action for the scalp.

Stimulating Conditioner – 250ml
A stimulating, invigorating hair and scalp treatment, this daily conditioner instantly detangles giving hair a silky smooth feel.

Classic Bodywash – 250ml
A refreshing shower gel that nourishes and protects the skin.

Precision Shave Gel – 150ml
Non-foaming formula for normal to fine beard types. Clear gel provides ultimate razor glide for a clean, close shave.

Post Shave Cooling Lotion – 125ml
Works as a lightweight moisturizer and calming aftershave.

FREE Grooming Bag

I have annoying static all winter. How can I tame it?

Static happens when your hair picks up an electrical charge from the dry air, explains Kingsley. “It’s common in the chillier months because the air is less moist everywhere,” he adds. Fight it by switching to a more hydrating shampoo and conditioner for your hair type, then use a tourmaline or ionic hair dryer — they don’t suck out moisture like regular dryers can.

Hydrate Holiday Pack $45

Lavish Salon prides itself on customer service and having top educated stylists working there. Davids’ hair coloring, cutting, styling and customer service skills are a perfect match with Lavish Salon and their reputation for having the best and most educated stylists in the area.

From the welcoming front lounge/reception area, where you may have a coffee, tea, beer/wine(21+) or beverage of choice while waiting to be seated with David Ace, through the main area of the salon where there is local artists work showing as well as an eclectic mix of stylists working away, to the shampoo area where you will have your senses energized or relaxed, whichever you prefer. No matter which part of the salon experience with David Ace at Lavish Salon you are taking in, you will be impressed with the new location where he has chosen to have you treated with the best salon experience possible!

For an appointment that best fits your lifestyle and schedule, David Ace works Tue-Fri 8:00am-9:00pm and Sat 7:00am-5:00pm. (Special circumstance hours upon request)The salon is closed on Sun-Mon.

Lavish Salon :: 10570 Foothill Blvd. #110 :: Rancho Cucamonga, Ca 91730

Call or Text For Appt w David Ace Direct -909.559.6562