Chris Bilko is a communications professional who graduated with a journalism degree from the University of South Carolina. He has 14 years experience in writing, editing graphic design with a background in the hospitality industry.
In his free time, Chris enjoys playing golf, catching a game at Nats Park, collecting baseball cards, trying new restaurants and enduring Gamecock sports.
Chris is a native of Alpharetta, GA and currently resides in Alexandria.
Erin Gallalee is a non-profit professional with over twenty years of experience in membership growth and recruitment, professional development, chapter relations, financial and database integrity, and committee management.
She attended the University of Maryland, Global Campus, where she pursued degrees in English and History.
When not in the office, Erin enjoys traveling near and far, visiting museums and national parks, and performing with numerous companies within the regional theatre community. A DC-area native, she resides in northern VA.
Kennedy Johnson is a results-driven professional with a strong background in psychology and administrative management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Bridgeport and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at The Chicago School.
She is skilled in data analysis, interpersonal communication, and event coordination, and has a strong foundation in leadership from her time as President of her chapter through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
When not working, Kennedy enjoys going on walks, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.
Celyna is a detail-oriented operations and administrative professional with experience in office management, event coordination, executive support, and nonprofit program operations.
She has streamlined internal systems and supported cross-functional teams to keep organizations running smoothly. Celyna is passionate about building efficient, people-centered processes and is excited to continue growing her skills and impact in the operations space.
When she is not working she enjoys attending concerts, practicing hot yoga, and trying new restaurants.
Raised in San Diego and Brooklyn, Jonah has a background in project management and history. He currently provides executive scheduling and stakeholder engagement support to senior leadership at a nonpartisan health policy think tank in Washington, DC.
As a member of the Treasury Historical Association’s Board of Directors, Jonah builds on that experience managing the organization’s scholarly programs and providing strategic guidance to Board officers on aligning those programs with development and Financial Civics® mission. Jonah also serves in a leadership role with the Washington Numismatic Society, the oldest civic organization dedicated to coin collecting in the DMV region.
He has written on current affairs and historical topics for outlets including The Washington Post, The Conversation, and The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. He is also writing his first book, which stems from his doctoral research and draws lessons from the history of money in America for policymakers and the public.
Jonah is a lifelong numismatist and enjoys cooking, reading, exploring state and national parks, visiting museums, and spending time with his husband and dog.
With a dynamic career spanning communications strategy, grassroots organizing, data analytics, and stakeholder engagement, Neo is passionate about crafting impactful narratives and mobilizing people to drive meaningful change. Her professional experience encompasses roles where she has led successful voter engagement campaigns, developed audience-driven communication strategies, and guided teams toward shared objectives.
Neo received her Bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College and her Master’s in International Relations from Northeastern University. In her spare time, she spends her time biking around the DMV area, caring for her houseplants, and volunteering with the Junior League of Washington.
Every business needs clear guidelines, such as an employee dress code, so your employees dress for success in the workplace.
Employers want workers to dress in a way that encourages productivity and makes a good impression. Consider the following factors:
Some employers hesitate to institute a formal employee dress code policy. You might wonder if it’s better to keep things less formal. Do you need an employee handbook dress code section? The fact is, how employees dress is sufficiently important to justify a formal policy.
If your employees deal directly with customers, they must make a good impression. Even if they aren’t public-facing, they still represent your organization as they come to work every day. You want quality employees who help you build your company’s reputation.
Every business has its own company culture. The way others dress is one of the first things people notice about each other. That’s why defining what it means to dress for success in the workplace is so crucial.
You want a consistent policy that lets everyone know what’s expected. You can communicate this via sending a dress code reminder email to employees. Without a dress code, people will simply dress according to their preferences, which might be disruptive to a cohesive company culture.
A clear dress code clarifies expectations and is conducive to better teamwork and harmony in the workplace. When policies are clear and laid out, as in an employee handbook dress code policy, there’s less room for doubt.
You want your employees to dress for success in the workplace. What does this mean, exactly?
The dress code may be influenced by safety concerns. For example, if employees are working in hazardous conditions, they may need safety gear such as work boots and protective gear. In some cases, these precautions may be legal requirements.
You may prohibit shorts, t-shirts (or muscle tees, or t-shirts with graphic messages or logos), running shoes, or flip flops. In a business environment, ties, shirts with collars, and dress shoes may be required.
Even remote workers should have a dress code if they attempt video meetings where they are seen by others. Similarly, temporary workers should have a clear idea of how to dress.
You may decide to modify requirements based on changing workplace trends. For example, some businesses that traditionally demand formal attire may find it necessary to move their dress code to business casual.
When looking at how to ensure employees dress for success in the workplace, address issues beyond clothing in the employee handbook dress code guidelines. Some issues may reflect company culture, others may be relevant to sensitive co-workers. This includes:
When sending out dress code reminder emails to employees, be sure to mention the above issues as well as guidelines for attire.
“Casual Fridays” are a popular practice for many businesses. Setting aside certain days for more casual attire is a way to maintain a dress code while giving employees a chance to express their personal style and get creative with their work wardrobes, while still following the basic dress code rules.
Companies must be careful not to violate people’s personal, religious, or civil rights. In some cases, these rights may not sync with strict dress codes. For example, before sending a dress code reminder email to employees, it’s wise to leave open the possibility of exceptions such as the following:
Consider having a meeting to review expectations and allow questions, particularly with new policy implementation. During the meeting, explain the dress code in detail and make sure your employees fully understand the reason for its implementation. Also, clearly articulate the consequences for failing to adhere to the policy.
To maintain consistency with the dress code, you should also communicate the dress code for interviews. Be sure to include the dress code within the employee handbook, so that employees have access to the information at all times.
While employee dress codes vary from one business to another, they generally fall into one of the following categories.
This is the familiar business type of attire, such as suits and ties, skirts, and pantsuits. These guidelines are common in formal environments where to dress for success in the workplace means donning traditional business apparel.
This category is a little trickier, as it’s reconciling two contradictory ideas: essentially formal attire with some leeway (for example, ties and dress shoes may be optional). Business casual is common in creative fields such as entertainment, advertising, and publishing. Other professions where business casual is encouraged include teachers, secretaries, and receptionists.
Casual dress codes are common in retail, jobs that are not public-facing, and jobs requiring physical labor. In such places, to dress for success in the workplace often means simply being comfortable. While t-shirts, jeans, and running shoes may be acceptable, there are still guidelines. For example, tees should not exhibit profanity or offensive messages. Casual clothing should not be ripped or revealing.
When a job requires a uniform, much of the dress code is very straightforward. However, employee dress codes still need to clarify certain points, such as the condition of the uniform.
At times, employees may not live up to your standards of dressing for success in the workplace. There can also be gray areas. For example, today’s footwear includes many hybrid items such as shoes that are also sneakers. It’s up to you how to interpret such issues, but it’s important to be consistent in how you enforce rules.
If an employee is not complying with the dress code, a supervisor should discuss it with them as soon as possible. If other employees see that the rules are not strictly enforced, others will likely do the same.
Creating and enforcing a dress code can be tricky, since society has become more complex as standards evolve. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t create an efficient and consistent dress code that supports your needs and helps build better employee relationships. When you send a dress code reminder email to employees, keep in mind that you may need to be flexible regarding employee handbook dress code guidelines.
Erin is originally from North Carolina and holds a BS in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After graduating, she moved to Washington, DC, where she has built a diverse and dynamic career. Over the years, Erin has honed her expertise across various fields, including the restaurant industry, event planning, legal and administrative support, executive assistance, and data management.
With a deep appreciation for organization, efficiency, and adaptability, Erin has thrived in roles that require both creativity and precision. Outside of her professional life, she has a passion for cooking, reading, music, and exploring new destinations—constantly seeking inspiration from both home and abroad.
How to ask for a job that does not exist yet (with sample email)
Job seekers tend to assume that all open positions are clearly listed. However, as few as 20% of open positions are posted on job boards. This means that job seekers who apply for work exclusively through job postings found online are missing a lot of opportunities. So how do you ask for a job that doesn’t exist or that isn’t listed as open? Just ask!
If you find a company you are interested in working for and don’t see any current openings listed that match your skill set, you can, and should, still submit a cover letter and resume to that company’s human resources department or to a suitable manager within the organization.
That may seem like a waste of time, but really, you will be getting ahead of the game. Whenever a position does open up, the hiring manager will hopefully already have you in mind. Take a look at this sample email asking for job openings to see what this looks like.
Subject line: [Your Job Title (for instance, “Legal Secretary”)] Interested in Career Opportunities
[First Name of HR/Recruiter/Hiring Manager]
My name is [your name], and I am a [recent grad from [school] OR job title and your expertise; for instance, a “social worker with experience in child welfare.”] I hope you’re doing well.
I realize you do not currently have a job opening listed for a [job title], however, I would still like to make introductions and explore ways I can help your team with [value you can provide; for instance, “developing accessibility-focused website projects.”]
I checked out the [company’s name] website and like the projects you are currently developing, in particular:
Note: This is also a great place to personalize your email and add information about where you heard about the company and why you would like to work for them.
For the past # years, I have worked with [your experience with examples of past clients or projects. Providing detail and showing you you will be an asset to their team is key.]
When time allows, please see a few examples of my work here:
Note: If you are a recent grad with limited real-world experience, provide links to college projects, case studies, internship projects or volunteer efforts.
I have also attached my resume to this email. Please let me know if I can provide more information.
Sometime in the near future, I look forward to speaking with you.
Warm Regards,
[Your name]
[Your email signature with contact information]
The bottom line for how you ask for a job that doesn’t exist is that you have to take the initiative. Simply calling or sending a note based on this sample email asking for job openings can tell hiring managers that you have initiative and are eager to work with them. The company or hiring manager may not necessarily be looking for someone, or at least not yet. But when you prove yourself to be an attractive candidate, you will get your foot in the door for whatever opportunities come next. Start with this sample email asking for job openings and see where it takes you!
