Stacia Williams, For The Guardian

In the next few weeks thousands of high school and college graduates will hit the streets in search of a job, but there are five things every employer wishes these grads had learned in school.

How to dress for success: Transitioning from jeans and flip flops to a suit appears to be a major deal for these new graduates. When they enter the workplace they are confused as to what to wear. Many are either overdressed or scantily clad simply because they have no guidance as to what is appropriate and for the most part, they feel like they can get away with wearing something they already have in their closet. (Usually not). College life was all about style and fashion and the freedom of expression, the workplace is about being conservative and fitting in with the culture. Here is what I suggest:

Men and women

* Two-piece business suit (pinstripe or solid dark colors eg. Navy blue or grey).

* Long-sleeved shirt/blouse .

* Clean, polished conservative shoes.

* Well-groomed hairstyle.

* Clean, trimmed fingernails.

* Minimal cologne or perfume.

* Cover all tattoos and body piercings.

Men

* Necktie with a conservative pattern.

* Dark shoes (black or brown lace-ups are best).

* Dark socks (no sports sock or footsies).

* Get a haircut.

* Fresh shave. Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed.

* No beards.

* No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out).

* Wear a belt. (No baggy pants allowed).

Women

* Wear a matching suit or a jacket with a skirt or slacks.

* Shoes with conservative heels (no open toe, no sling backs, no loud colors).

* Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (no runs please!).

* If you wear nail polish, use clear or a conservative color (no airbrushing).

* Keep your makeup simple and natural.

* One set of earrings only (no hoops or dangling earrings please).

* Nothing tight or revealing.

* No flashy obvious weave jobs.

* No unnatural hair colors.

Loose Lips Sinks Ships: Though it exists in every office, gossiping is not professional! In the workplace you never know who you can trust and you never know who might be listening and waiting to score a brownie point with the boss. Engaging in gossip will soon get you labeled as a "motor-mouth" troublemaker who cannot be trusted with confidential information. Hardly a good way to begin your promising career. Protect your reputation at all cost. Either change the subject or walk away. No exceptions.

Teamwork: To a large extent college is all about individual achievement. Employers however really want employees who know how to be productive members of a team and that requires the ability to get along with others, a positive attitude and commitment to work along with others to get the job done. (No "glory hogs" can live here, so play fair and give credit where it is due). Every now and then be willing to take one for the team without complaining (eg. arrive to work early, leave late, assist a colleague who may need some help).

Effective communication: Employers want employees who understand that a memo or in office e-mail is really very different from sending a text message. They would love for you to spell out the words and yes they definitely want you to use spell check. Also pay attention to your grammar, and your word enunciation. This is the second thing that people notice about you. Using improper grammar, or failing to properly enunciate your words make you appear uneducated. (Definitely not a characteristic you want to show your boss).

Customer service: At some point we are all customers and therefore understand the dynamics of customer service. When we are on the receiving end, we thoroughly understand what has to be done to satisfy us as customers and for the service to be considered exceptional. Employers therefore would really appreciate if these common courtesies were enforced in schools and later applied by the graduates in the workplace. Surely it's not too much to expect that a graduate would know how to properly answer the telephone or take a message?

* For more great tips or comments contact Stacia Williams at 325-5992 or email Stacia@totalimagemanagement.com.