Looking for work is a full-time job.  You want to be taken seriously and you don’t want anyone thinking that somehow you’re past your prime.  Here are some quick tips to help you look more modern than matronly when you’re job interviewing and when you have landed that job that says, “Career 2.0.”  Keep this advice in mind not just for job searches, but also if you’re looking for a new love, or just a new, updated look.

1.  Your hair is the first area to evaluate because it’s the easiest to update.

If your hair is too long, or its shape has been styled the same way for a long time [perm, anyone?], it may not be easy letting go.  When done well, the results of updating your hairstyle will help you achieve not just a more modern hairstyle.  You should also notice how a new cut and style will also give a “lift” to your face – without any surgical nips and tucks!  If you’re on a limited budget, see your stylist and get your bangs trimmed.

2.  Graying hair is part of life for many, but should you color it or uncover it?

Hair color is also one of the easiest adjustments you can make.  As you age, your complexion becomes less intense.  By adding the right color to your hair, your face will appear to have added natural color.  What a great bonus, right?  Hair coloring isn’t for everyone, though.  You have to be prepared for regular upkeep.  Think twice about staying gray as it generally looks best on women with cooler coloring and who look best in cooler blends of color.

3.  Simplify and focus your makeup regimen by wearing the essentials.

Applying the right foundation can easily knock off a decade or more from your actual age.  Without overapplying it, foundation can conceal and look natural.  The point is to create a base on top of which to add color, not to have your foundation change your coloring.  Find the right neutral of eye shadow in the brown family, whether it’s warm or cool.  When you find one that blends with your natural skin tone, you’ll have just discovered your new, updated classic.  As for lips, stick with a softer color, and your onlookers will focus more on your eyes.  Lines around your mouth will be de-emphasized and you’ll look instantly more youthful.

4.  Give yourself a hand.

If your hands are showing signs of age, and you’re following my other advice about your hair and makeup, you want to bring your hands into balance with the rest of your update.  First, pare down how many rings you’re wearing.  Look classy, not like a gypsy about to read someone’s palm.  The optimal nail shape is oval because it slenderizes your hands; however your nails can be cut to complement the shape of your fingertip.  When you wear a polish color that is similar to your skin color, it elongates your hands.  When you shake hands at an interview or when you are striking a deal, you want your hands to look as good as you want that handshake to feel.

5.  Give yourself a lift.

Nothing optimizes the way clothes look on your body better than an appropriately fitted bra and proper shapewear.  You should go to a lingerie boutique or to a department store and be fitted by a professional bra fitter who can also help you source shapewear items to slenderize any other part of your body.  G-strings and thongs can create shapes and crevices on your backside that you’d prefer to avoid if you knew they were there.  Trust me.

6.  Choose flattering and appropriate clothes.

A modern outfit is current, classic to your field of work, and is balanced to your personal style.  Be sure your outfit accentuates your proportions so you’re in control of where people are looking at you.  Color plays a role in the proportion game, as well as the fit of your clothes.  Yet the colors you wear should compliment your “DNA” coloring, including hair, eyes, skin tone so, again, the focus returns to your face.  If, when you put an outfit on, your head appears too big, it’s a hint that the colors you’re wearing are out of balance to you.

U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina’s recent on-air gaffe, when she unknowingly lampooned U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s appearance as “so yesterday,” demonstrates that catty commentary about one’s appearance is alive and well.  No one likes negative objectification, but this kind of judgment happens all the time.  So let’s be realistic.  Projecting a good image isn’t about turning back the hands of time.  It’s about looking your best at this time in your life.

I’m here for you when you are ready for individualized help to revamp your personal image.  Happy job hunting!

Designing and managing your image is the secret science of your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men, women, and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.