Despite the ongoing pandemic, work has resumed again for most whether it’s from home or from the office. The “new normal” has begun, but there are certain things that are still the same. The best work advice I ever got was from my father. The same advice still holds true today as well. This wisdom helped me realize that dressing the part for your job makes a huge difference and can even help you on your way to a successful career path.

The first thing that my dad said is that: initial impressions are often the final say for what others think about you at work. When I started working full-time soon after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I use to dress up too much (and yes, that can also be a bad thing). Because I was not used to really drawing attention to myself, I just assumed that dressing like I did for college presentations was alright (and it’s really not).

Not only did people not take me seriously, but I also didn’t feel like I had really joined the corporate world as yet. My dad then told me to dress for the part that I had at work. Once I did that, the world around me changed and more opportunities came up. At work, it’s good to dress according to the environment around you. Since my work is more formal, I chose to wear a crisp shirt with black trousers and other such outfits that showed that I was serious about my job.

The other piece of advice that my dad said was to: have confidence. My dad is the type of person who exudes confidence wherever he goes. He knows that if he talks a certain way, he can garner the attention of a whole room of strangers. That’s true power.

While I was shadowing my dad at work, I noticed that, and I too started to act like I was more confident although I was not at the start. Soon I developed my confidence. This is truly important as confidence helps in the success of your career. I have seen many others fail only because they weren’t confident enough and that’s because they didn’t believe in themselves.

Confidence shows you’re a real leader and the potential for you to lead others is great. Don’t confuse confidence with ego because ego gets you nowhere. Confidence comes from within, and is a force to reckon with. Give yourself time to build up that confidence. Let your own personality shine through and instill that wisdom within yourself. Confidence also goes along with the way you dress, so remember to dress your best.

Although this wisdom may seem cliché, knowing that first impressions are crucial and that confidence plays a huge role in the success of your career is vital. Seeing how my dad also follows this advice shows just how important dressing up for your job is. He inspired me to be the best that I could be. That’s what mentors are for: to inspire others to change. Now that’s true leadership.