For Molly Ford, it all started with a simple beauty tip. Wanting to share a clever tidbit she picked up (using toilet seat covers as facial blotting tissues), she created the super successful lifestyle site Smart, Pretty & Awkward, which gives three pieces of advice in every post: how to be smarter, how to be prettier, and how to be less awkward. Five years and millions of page views later, Ford works full-time in marketing for a media company in New York City, has a column in Parade Magazine, and also shares her blogging and social media know-how in front of live audiences, speaking at places like Social Media Week, Smart Girls Conference, and as an instructor at General Assembly. The multihyphenate spills her workplace tips for how to look and feel your best during...
An HR Phone Screening: Hoping to nab an in-person interview after the initial phone screening? Then dress up for the phone call—looking professional, even if no one can see you, puts you in the right interview mindset.
Your turn to lead the weekly meeting: When presenting in front of a group, patterns on your clothes can be distracting to the viewer. Wear a solid color top so that your hand gestures are more visible and the focus is on your face.
Your commute: Invest in a nice pair of flats, and change to heels at work (keep two pairs, black and nude, under your desk). You do not want to run into an exec in the elevator in the morning in sneakers, and a chic black flat is walkable and will prevent you from looking like you came from a workout.
Your busiest week of the year: No time for a manicure, but need to have great nails for the whole week? Use a light color—chips are less visible than a dark shade.
A surprise connection: If you are a glasses-wearer, putting a few business cards in your glasses case ensures you will always have one or two to hand out in an unexpected networking moment.
The start of winter: On your desk, keep a small bottle of hand lotion—if it is visible, you will absentmindedly put it on while waiting for a conference call to start or checking emails, keeping hands soft in the cold months.
The big pitch meeting: Treat yourself to a before work blowout and use the time in the stylist's chair to go over any notes. And if you don't live near a DryBar, here's how to do the perfect blowout at home!
To-Do list time: Add “drink X glasses of water” as a task in your planner. Treat it as just another duty on the to-do list, in-between finishing that PowerPoint deck and attending meetings. Hydrated skin is pretty skin!
Your first day at a new job: Grab these items for a drawer at your new desk to keep beauty emergencies at bay: dental floss, travel toothbrush, small deodorant, moisturizing lip balm, mini hair brush, hair elastics, and mints.
A day you are stuck at your desk: The best posture helps clothes to hang right and your back to feel much better. For posture help while you sit at your desk, put an automatic outlook reminder on your calendar for every few hours reminding yourself to sit up straight.
The big office happy hour: The quickest way to endear yourself to co-workers before walking into a social event is to offer everyone (including yourself!) mints.
