10 Best Grooming Factors For Working In IT – BPO

"Grooming"- a word which has various kinds of definitions! Our society always gives preferences to the well groomed personalities. Business industries or our professional areas are also not different. If you maintain and present yourself in a well groomed way with proper manners, then surely you will be on the first line.

Here I am going to represent and explain you about best 10 types of grooming factors which you need to join the IT- BPO industry.

Firstly we need to know "What is Grooming"?

-If we go through the dictionary, according to Cambridge Dictionary it means- "the things that you do to make your appearance clean and neat, for example brushing your hair, or the things that you do to keep an animal’s hair or fur clean and neat".

If we keep it in a simple way, then we can say- Grooming is doing the necessary things to yourself, which will help you to become presentable in public according to the occasion. Now there are 10 points, which you are going to need whenever you work in IT-BPO industry.

Let’s divide this "Grooming" word into two Categories-

1. Behavioural aspect
2. Physical aspect

While talking about "Behavioural aspect", there are a few points which you should keep in mind. If you are working in this industry-

a. First impression is the last impression – When you are going to meet a person for the first time, you need to keep one thing in mind, the way you are going to present yourself in your first meet, that’s going to stay last. So prepare yourself before your first meeting according to the event.

b. "Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles." ~ Korean Proverb – Avoid Gossiping- When you don’t have any work, all you do gossiping about a topic or a person. You might think it is not gonna hurt anyone or anything, but dear, this is a part of evil. This will eat your time like anything. And it is against a company’s rule as well. Try to invest your time in a better way. If you have free time then you can learn something about other projects of your company or new technology etc. in short, don’t waste your time, utilize it and keep your image clean!!

c. Communication is the Key – If you are willing to learn, Communicate! Communication is the only way of learning process. Or on the other hand I can say, it is a process which can clear your path. Communicate with your colleagues, managers, clients and be open to learn anything. You never know what advice or which word you are gonna need in future. Do not ever let your EGO control your mind. Otherwise it will be very difficult for you to stay in this industry. If you are willing to make a good career here, then you have to throw away your EGO. this is an emotion which might complicate your learning process.

d. Understand the work environment – This is a very important part. Every work environment are different. For example, suppose you are working with the media industry, it might be film, news, magazine or anything. Most of us have a little idea about this glamorous field. But behind the camera, their work environment is different. They have to shoot outdoor in the temperature of 41 degree or somewhere in minus degree as well. They laugh, enjoy, do parties most of the time also they work very hard to create something and enjoy their creation. In IT field, work environment is different than the other fields. You need to understand how your colleagues are, about your boss, about rules and regulations etc. They also have their own ways for refreshment. We spend almost 60% of time with them than our families. We have to be a part of that other family to. The time we spend there, normally they becomes our second family. So, to stay in a joint family, we need to understand the culture, people and the environment. He is one more important thing I want to mention, you always need to be flexible with the team work. If you have social anxiety then you have to find a way to overcome it because this industry’s big part is Teamwork.

e. Be Personable Yet Professional – When you are going to work in a professional environment, you have to balance between personal and professional matters. Everyone has something in their personal life, but you need to maintain your professionalism and dedication towards your work. Ultimately the bitter truth is, we all are working to get paid so that we can enjoy and stay alive in our personal life. If you mess up with your professional life, your personal life will get affected as well. Always remember, you have to be focused and be dedicated towards your work, and that will happen, when you love your job. You don’t have to make extra effort.

f. Open to learn – Learning never ends. A person can learn in their deathbed too. To be successful in your career and most importantly as a human being, you should have to be always open to learn something new from anyone. Technical skills are very important in this industry. Someone might teach you about new things but you should upgrade yourself every time so that you can learn easily. Always try to stay updated with new technologies. Sometimes it might be small, but the main point is, it is a new knowledge for you. These things will help you to open your mind. Remember, small things can make big changes!!

g. Be ready for challenges – That’s the best part. I love challenges. While working in any field, you have to face many and different kinds of challenges from different aspects. Life is never easy. Never be scared to face it. If you win, take it gladly; but if you don’t, then be more glad. Because, you have got a chance to learn something new. Be mentally prepared when you are going to work professionally. There will be people who will try to pull you down, but how you will make your path to win it’s up to you.

Now, let’s come to the point of "Physical aspect"-

a. Take care of your body and your mind :- This is a vast topic. We all grew up with this. Stay hygienic and clean are the most important things. However, it differs. For instance, the products men usually use to stay hygin, those won’t suit in women’s body. One of the most important parts is you have to stay fit. You have to maintain a physical routine for your personal health. It will consume a lot of your energy. So to balance that you have to maintain proper food diet like, protein, vitamine etc. You can consult a nutritionist for that. Apart from that you also have to stay mentally healthy. Sometimes because of the work pressure you might feel frustrated. To avoid that you can do meditation, follow positivity. Try to ignore any negative vibes around you. Refreshment is required. However, you have to know your limits as well. Like after 5 days of work you can go for a weekend vacation or party or do outings or can participates in different kind of activities. These thing can refresh your mind and you will feel fresh in new week and will be ready to face different kind of challenges for the rest of the week.

So there are two categories:-

1. Men’s Body :- Trimming your beards, neat and clean haircut and maintenance, shaped nails, get rid of body odors by using good perfume.
2. Women’s Body :- Proper haircut and maintenance ( if you have long hair then tie it in a simple and clean way/if you have short hair then make sure it is properly tied with simple hair accessories), shaped nails, use mild perfume, normal or soft makeup, light or almost lip’s coloured lipstick and light nail polish.

b. Wear clean clothes and shoes :- Wearing clean Clothes is basic hygiene. While working you don’t want to stink like anything because of your sweat, right? There are many things like that which have to understand by yourself and take good care of it.

c. Office Attire :- Some industry might accept casual attire in office, but in IT-BPO sector, you have to be properly dressed. Your clothes should be washed, cleaned and ironed. Wear clothes as per your office attire. Your shoes should be polished and clean every day. There is a list-

1. For Men’s – Formal Trousers, plain or almost plain shirt, tie and sometimes Blazers or Coat, one Coloured shocks (preferably Black or White), Formal shoes
2. Women’s – Formal Trouser ot knee length skirt, plain or almost plain shirt, tie and sometimes Blazers or Coat. If wearing skirts then skin/black coloured stockings. Or if wearing trousers then one Coloured shocks (preferably Black), Formal shoes.

Grooming is a very important part in professional life. You have to know how to behave, how to present yourself in front of your managers and others in your office. I have discussed briefly about most important points, now it’s your turn to apply in your practical life.

I wish you my best regards in your career!!

Eddie Smith He has been a passionate writer for a long time and presently working as Operation Manager at CyberToss Pvt. Ltd. He has a huge interest in reading classics and share his awesome experiences of life.