Looking Your Best

Someone who interviewed me by phone recently for an article thought I was a twentysomething business professional with high heels, gray tailored suit and manicured nails.-Not! But I was flattered just the same. And our subsequent e-mail conversation led to greater development of an article idea she had. I hope she was able to sell it.

I know I don't look like everyone else, and I'm definitely not model or movie star material. My hair has been slowly turning gray since my thirties. (I grew out of the ponytail look with an outfit-complementing scrunchi or scarf. Those four years were fun, because I had never had long hair enough to do that.) I struggle mightily with weight loss, and I dream of hats, jewelry and shopping at Nordstrom. Some pairs of shoes are beautiful, but alas, my feet won't ever fit them because of my disability. Lace-ups it always has been…but I make sure they are polished.

People with disabilities can look attractive and professional. Men and women who have disabilities have unique challenges when it comes to dressing for success. Obviously I'm speaking to women here.

Especially if you are sitting down all day, clothing has to be comfortable, not too tight, restrictive or cumbersome, especially when transferring to different seating surfaces. It's okay to find a tailor to alter items if necessary. Make choices that fit the corporate culture. A suit is professional code, but a suit jacket will do fine if the pants don't fit. Black and white is classic, but you can accessorize with colors of your choice. Browns, creams, reds and any solid jewel tones will also work. Gray is considered professional too. I just never liked it. I read an article long ago about color analysis. If the reader was drawn to the gray circle, that meant they were scared of the outside world. Give me red or purple any day-the colors of leadership and royalty! (I'm also a tie-dye fan, but except for a summer wrap that accents certain outfits, it's inappropriate for work.)

Be mindful of buttons. Those too small or in odd shapes can be difficult to handle. Jewelry should be conservative, and match each other and the outfit. Long necklaces, or those without clasps, might work best, but magnetized chains may get caught on your wheelchair and break. Many people find stretch band watches more convenient for the sake of independence. I've had beautiful bracelets, some handmade, some not. But I've been rough on them in the course of a day, so I stopped wearing them. It's fine to wear hats, but just not on job interviews or when representing your organization.

And the manicured nails? Some people just aren't suited to nail salons. You can cut your nails with a mounted one-handed nail clipper, and polish them yourself or with assistance in the color of your choice. Use makeup that is appropriate and that you feel your best in. If eye shadow or mascara is difficult to apply, don't go there. Although you may have favorite perfumes, go easy or don't wear any. (This also goes for men who use favorite strong colognes or aftershave.) Your co-workers may have chemical sensitivities, allergies or asthma. Be considerate.

But going around with head held high and shoulders back, with a warm and enthusiastic smile and manner with everyone, also gets you noticed and remembered.

Let's Hear It for Levenger!

Levenger opened a store in a mall near my home. "It's like my old catalog came to life!" I told my aunt later, absolutely thrilled with my new purchase: Samuel Johnson's Dictionary. She just shook her head and tsked tsked at the current price for hardback books. Well, why not? I checked it out of the public library three times. I love the poetic entries and kept coming back to them. So I decided to buy it for myself to read at leisure. (I always have at least six books going at once. People think I'm odd, but that's the way I've always been.) One day I will read Thomas Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson and Levenger CEO Steve Leveen's The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life, which a couple of people in various book groups suggested reading.

Levenger has been one of my favorite catalogs for years. I spent quite a few minutes admiring everything in the store, and for the most part I could navigate the aisles. The store also sold a lot of things with cartoons from The New Yorker, which reminded me of a former co-worker and our shared longtime interest in the magazine. I still have a very durable accordion file of many colors that is useful, and my oak editor's desk has been great for reference books and more than a few proofreading projects. I still have the cobalt-blue fountain pen (with matching blue ink!) that my aunt gave me for Christmas one year, but it was too difficult to hold while writing. All these years later, I still haven't given up on using it. Luckily I didn't have a case of leather binder envy.

Many of the items are for high-powered CEOs and other executives' offices. At this late date I won't attain that professional stature, but Levenger always makes you feel like you are there already.

You Know It's Going to Be a Weird Day When...

The clock on your computer is an hour slow.
You think it's Friday, but then realize it's only Thursday.

You wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6:00 am, only to realize it's three in the morning…and you can't go back to sleep.

You ride past your subway stop because you just had to finish that really great chapter. Be happy for a good-weather day. You will have a great walk (or roll) to your office!

The paratransit driver stops at the back end of your building and you are at the front-right where you said you would be. And you are left behind. You call to complain.

The bus driver insists that there's no lift on the bus, although an international access symbol is in plain sight. You disagree, and tell him so. He looks even more confused, and then he says another bus will be along in a moment. After he closes the door and drives away, you sigh, open your book and call the complaint line when you arrive at work.

You find that your cell phone screen has a scratch on it. (Hey, at least the phone still works.)

You discover that the tilt feature on your power chair is broken, and you call the repair company. Busy with other things, you vaguely wonder why no one has phoned. A week later, you discover the message on your cell phone, which you never use unless traveling. You call back twice, don't hear anything, and suddenly the repairman shows up one day and fixes the problems. (Hooray!) Go figure.

Your computer freezes for the fifth time in one day. (What else to do but to reboot?)

You realize you lost your cell phone, house keys, credit card and a favorite bookmark all in one week. No worries…they were just all in different places.

Answer the phone and forget your name, who the person on the other end is and why you called that person in the first place.

But things will be fine….

New IT Recruiting: Programming, Web Development, Etc.

Good luck, everyone!

New Jersey, New York - Programmer/Analysts - A Fortune 100 client seeks dynamic recent college graduates for unique entry-level positions in programming-analysis. Applicants selected will build technical, business and management skills while working with one of the nation’s leading corporations. Excellent communications skills are a must.

New Jersey - Web Programmer/Developer - A firm specializing in the telecommunications industry seeks an experienced web developer for a long-term consulting position. A great place to work.

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina - WebSphere Specialist - Work with state of the art technology in a strong team environment. The candidate selected will provide technical support via phone and electronic updates. Applicants should demonstrate exceptional analytical and interpersonal skills and be eager to learn. Preferred technical skills (can be taught): WebSphere, relational database, JAVA, Distributed Op Sys.

Rochester, Minnesota - Financial Analysts - Entry-level positions for recent college graduates eager to begin exciting careers with one of the world’s leading corporations. Degrees in finance, economics, or business administration.

If interested in any of these positions, send your resume to liftinc@aol.com, and mention the job title in the subject line.