How Not to Get Promoted

CareerBuilder lists the top personal attributes employers say would make them less likely to extend a promotion to an employee as follows:

• Piercings – 37 percent
• Bad breath – 34 percent
• Visible tattoo – 31 percent
• Often has wrinkled clothes – 31 percent
• Messy hair – 29 percent
• Dresses too casually – 28 percent
• Too much perfume or cologne – 26 percent
• Too much makeup – 22 percent
• Messy office or cubicle – 19 percent
• Chewed fingernails – 10 percent
• Too suntanned – 4 percent

I'm surprised "bad body odor" wasn't on the list. Seems like it would be a no brainer.

Now note that this list is of "personal attributes." Of course things like "not doing a good enough job" and other performance-based issues would be rated higher than these (I assume.) But I'm also guessing that someone who is doing a good job and yet has one of these personal attributes could be hindering their career -- and thus losing out on BIG bucks over the course of a working lifetime.

These problems basically seem to boil down to 1) having poor grooming habits (bad breath, wrinkled clothes, messy hair, too much perfume or cologne, too much makeup, chewed fingernails, too suntanned) and 2) making personal/lifestyle choices that are not mainstream (piercings, visible tattoo, dresses too casually, messy office or cubicle.) So if you can maintain at least decent hygiene and avoid fringe lifestyle choices, you'll probably be ok.

My experience is that people who have many of these problems either don't realize that they have them or don't care. For those who don't realize it, they need to be informed and then take action. But who is going to tell them? That's the rub -- no one wants to bring it up and so the employee could be passed up for a reason they are unaware of. And for those who don't care, they kind of get what they deserve IMO. If they don't care what their employer thinks, then they really can't be expected to get ahead, can they?

I'm not sure I can evaluate myself in a completely unbiased fashion on these, but on some I can be completely accurate. Here's how I'd rank myself on the list:

• Piercings – Don't have any


• Bad breath – This could be me. I do have gum in my desk to try and combat it (plus I don't do a lot of very close talking), but who knows?


• Visible tattoo – Nope, none.


• Often has wrinkled clothes – No, my clothes are never/hardly ever wrinkled.


• Messy hair – Short, shaved hair works wonders in this area. :-)


• Dresses too casually – I do dress casually much of the time -- at or just below the average. Could be a sticking point for me.


• Too much perfume or cologne – I don't use cologne or perfume.


• Too much makeup – No makeup for me


• Messy office or cubicle – I fight it, but my office (my desk, in particular) is often messy.


• Chewed fingernails – Nope.


• Too suntanned – If anything, I'm "too white."

How about you? If you evaluated yourself on this list, are any of them potential stumbling blocks? Or do you know anyone who clearly violates one (or more) of these?

Comments

[Jonathan]

Me - messy office, chewed fingernails (I'm a lot better than I used to be though! Now if only I could fix my cuticles...), and possibly dresses too casually (in that I don't wear a tie unless I am going to a meeting, and I almost never wear a jacket because I only have one and it's too small). I suppose someone could tell me my breath stinks, but as far as I know it doesn't.

I don't see any of these things holding me back in my company except perhaps the messiness, but that more as a performance problem due to disorganization. I could definitely be better organized.

I will say that I have NEVER been in a business meeting with people with piercings (other than ears), visible tattoos, or really casual clothing. I don't know anyone with those types of appearance attributes that is ever seen as a representative of any of the companies I work with.

[Squirrelers]

Fortunately, I'm ok on all these...as far as I can tell, anyway:)

I think most of these are controllable, except for bad breath for some people. We all have freedom to choose what we want to wear, how we look, and how we organize ourselves, and I think that's great. Of course, actions have consequences - good or bad - and we all have to acknowledge that reality as well when we make personal decisions.

[BenC]

It's ok that you're too white, you're a Michigander. As a Tarheel, I make fun of all my pale relatives up in Michigan. Of course while I'm sweating 104 degree heat with 70% humidity, my cousins make sure to rub in how cool it is up there.

[Mel]

Too suntanned? Most of these make sense, but why would that be a factor?

[MattJ]

I'm ok on all of these. I'm happy *ahem* not to see 'long hair' on the list, but I suspect it should have been on there, at least for guys.

[No Debt MBA]

I'd say I dress just a smidge below average in terms of formality. I also worry occasionally that my clothes are wrinkled.

Suntanned might be a factor if it's tanning bed tan or spray tan. That looks pretty unprofessional sometimes.

[Elizabeth]

I'm surprised that chronic lateness did not make the list.

[Georgia]

My boss used to say that a cluttered desk was a sign of a cluttered mind. Well, later I saw a sign I loved: If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is an empty desk a sign of? To me, an extremely clutter free desk is a sign you are not working.

[@Moneyperk]

If I had to choose a category for my self, it would be the messy office ordeal. Even though, I'm generally a neat person, the papers sometimes just get too backed up. I try to keep it at a minimum though.

I was surprised that bad odor wasn't on the list either. You'd think that would be a lot more noticeable than chew finger nails. In my opinion, If I were a big wig in an office...I would be a lot more turned off from bod odor; GROSS!!