One of the not-so-secret tips for workplace success and job security is simply maintaining a professional presence each day. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to do on any budget. You don’t need to buy a lot of books or invest in expensive seminars. Here are a few tips to get you started on increasing your professionalism in the workplace – for free.

5 Free Professional Presence Tips

1. Dress for the job you want.

You have probably heard this tip before, but it continues to ring true. If you want to rise the ranks in your current company – or in another company – you need to dress for jobs that are more senior than yours. If you dress like someone who is lower on the corporate ladder, then you are likely to be treated that way, too.

2. Don’t show too much skin.

If you want to keep things professional, one of the best ways to do that is to dress in such a way that minimizes the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction. Avoid wearing anything revealing or ill-fitting in the first place. And then don’t forget to keep a stash of safety pins or a needle and thread in your desk drawer just in case!

3. Keep your work area clean

Your attire isn’t the only thing that could get you in trouble with the professional presence police. If your work area is a disaster area, you are probably attracting the kind of attention that you don’t want to have. It might be that important papers get lost in your mess. Or it may be that your extensive collection of porcelain dolls or football trophies gather dust that aggravate the boss’s allergies. In general, keep your work area well organized and not overly personalized to the point of needing a small U-Haul if you ever change offices.

4. Get along with your coworkers

Even if you have coworkers who are difficult to get along with, it is important for you to be the bigger person and maintain professionalism in the workplace in your conversations and interactions with other people.

5. Take initiative

If you want to increase your professional presence, one way to do that is to go above and beyond your current job description. Consider ways that you can take the initiative to propose changes, initiate new ideas, and expand upon your current duties. Think about ways to incorporate more of your own interests and talents into the workplace in a way that could enrich your job and benefit the company as well.

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