How to Gain Career Momentum by Working With a Coach

How to Gain Career Momentum by Working With a CoachHow to Gain Career Momentum by Working With a CoachImagine sitting down with your boss for your regular update session and hearing her utter the following words I would like you to start working with an executive coach. Your first reaction is likely to be, Why, whats wrong with me? and not, This is great She must really believe in me. And like so many instances in life, your gut reaction will be wrong. Almost without exception, senior leaders invest in executive coaching for high potential individuals, not problem employees on a fast track to the exit. And while the coaching will likely involve both amplifying and developing your strengths and identifying and curing blind spots in your behaviors, the emphasis is on helping you grow from good to great or great to greater. Three Key Benefits of Working With an Executive Coach Coaching prepares you for larger rolesand next steps. Every step up in responsibility offers new challenge s and opportunities to learn as well as make mistakes. Coaching helps you acclimate to the demands of the new role for critical thinking, leadership, and decision-making.Coaching helps you amplify your strengths and gifts. While much of professional development preoccupies on fixing weaknesses, the biggest gains come for emphasizing the further development of our strengths. An effective coach ensures that developing strengths is a focal point of the engagement. Coaching supports the development of the discipline and mindset necessary for success in complex situations. Career growth means you are accountable for problems of increasing ambiguity, including strategy and talent selection. A proper coaching program exposes you to these challenges and offers help in cultivating the tools and skills necessary for success. Yes, the opportunity to work with an executive coach is a privilege, not a problem. It is also a situation where you get out of the experience what you put into it. If yo u have the good fortune to work with an executive coach, here are seven ideas to help you get the most out of this experience. 7 Ideas to Help You Get the Most out of Your Executive Coaching Experience 1. Accept that there is room for growth in your professional skillsets. Do not let ego and arrogance get in the way of recognizing there are always opportunities to improve. The worlds elite athletes reached their levels of peak performance with great coaches observing and helping them tune and tweak or radically cowboy their techniques in search of improvements. We have the same needs and the same opportunities to strengthen as business professionals. 2. Bring a Beginners Mind. This concept borrowed from Zen Buddhism describes setting aside preconceived ideas and being open and eager for new ideas. Without this beginners mind, learning becomes difficult, and you end up in a fight against yourself. 3. Recognize that the coachs role is not to offer answers or to do the work. The co ach is there to observe, ask questions, challenge you and hold you accountable. The heavy lifting and hard work of change are all yours. 4. Accept that success means you will have to change your behaviors. We all understand how difficult it is to change our behaviors. Hows that fitness program or diet going? Are you on target with your New Years resolutions? Have you kept your commitment to meet with your team members every 60 days to discuss their professional development? Are you leise smoking? Regardless of the issue, changing our own behaviors is incredibly difficult. Yet, coaching only works when you follow-through and change, adapt or add the behaviors necessary for you to improve your performance. 5. Accept that you need help from those around you. In the most successful coaching engagements, the coaching client is open with his or her teammates, direct reports and colleagues about this professional development work. Many invite team members or direct reports to hold them acc ountable and support the process. By doing this, you will be modeling a set of behaviors around personal professional growth that others will emulate in their own careers. And most of all, the coaching is about how you engage with others, and you need those others involved in evaluating progress. 6. Create additional mechanisms to reinforce accountability. The worlds leading executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith, pays a person to call him every day and ask 32 questions that he defined, about his own performance. Yes, she asks Marshall his own questions and keeps a scorecard of his yes or no answers. This daily reinforcement coupled with the visible indicator of his failure on key questions that are important to his work and life serve to drive his own improvement. Adopt or adapt this technique to reinforce your own positive behaviors. Ask your significant other or a valued colleague to ask you the questions and score you daily. After a few too many days of no on something important to you, you will either adjust or tell your colleague to quit asking you this question. One answer supports change and the other capitulates to the status quo, but at least the issue is in front of you daily. 7. Show up to your coaching meetings and be in the moment. As trivial as this sounds, many of these arrangements are derailed because the client is consistently out of pocket or dealing with a crisis during scheduled coaching call times. Keep these meetings sacred and unless the loss of life is involved (particularly yours), be there and be in the moment. The Bottom line for Now The opportunity to work with an executive coach can be transformational. For you, not the coach However, coaching only works for someone who truly wants to improve. If you believe you have it all figured out, dont bother. If you are willing to listen and change, we guarantee you will come out the other end of the process a more effective professional.

How to Write an Email Response to a Job Posting

How to Write an Email Response to a Job PostingHow to Write an Email Response to a Job PostingSo youve found a fantastic job listing for which youre perfectly qualified, but youre struggling to write an effective email response to send with your resume. Your email response acts as your titelseite letter to the qualifikation employer, confirming your interest and presenting your qualifications for the job. In your email cover letter, youll face the challenge of effectively selling yourself and telling the prospective employer why youre the right person for the job in as few paragraphs as possible. Template Cover Letters When applying for various positions you can use a template cover letter, such as the example below, but make sure to customize each letter to fit the job description for which youre applying. For example, if youre applying for a senior software engineer position, include your work history and illustrate how youve climbed the corporate ladder to achieve a senior lev el position. But if youre applying for a mid-level software engineer position, you may want to prevent looking overqualified for the job, so you might instead put more focus on your skill set than on your hierarchy of job positions. Use the template below as an example of how to write a cover letter, including details about your own skill set, work experience, and salary history. Cover Letter Example DateDear (Employer), With a background that includes seven years of C programming in a high-volume transaction environment, Im very interested in the Senior Software Engineer position opening at Insert prospective company name here. I have a passion for coding and produce high-quality code, of which I am very proud. Most recently, my experience has been in the financial services industry, producing systems to assist put your previous employer clients in maneuvering the tricky world of retirement planning and portfolio allocation. I am confident that my experience would be an asset t o your organization. I would like to schedule a time to discuss my qualifications and see how they fit your needs for a Senior Software Engineer. Please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange a time. I am available by phone at (111) 222-3333 or via email at bob.smithsmithhome.com. I have attached my resume for your review, and I look forward to your response. Sincerely, Bob Smith As requested, my salary history is as followsFinancial Services Corp starting salary $80,000 current salary $97,000 bonusesXYZ Software starting salary $60,000, ending salary $72,000 Follow-Up Email When companies put the word out about open positions, they likely have a good number of resumes to work through. After a week passes, its wise to follow up with a prospective employerregarding your cover letter and resume and to reaffirm your interest in the position. You can forward a copy of your original email and send a short and simple letter. Heres an example DateDear (Employer), I would like to foll ow up with you about a resume and cover letter sent to you last week for the Senior Software Engineer position. Im very interested in the position and am available for an interview at your convenience. Sincerely, Bob Smith (Put contact information here) Show enthusiasm (but not desperation) when following up. You can also search LinkedIn to see if you know anyone employed by the company and ask for advice, a referral or even an interview, depending on the circumstances. Following up in the right way may just help you land the job of your dreams.

A Guide for Handling Inappropriate Interview Questions

A Guide for Handling Inappropriate Interview QuestionsA Guide for Handling Inappropriate Interview QuestionsA Guide for Handling Inappropriate Interview QuestionsJob hunting can be stressful.As a candidate, you put a lot of effort into crafting yur cover letter and your resume, networking your way to the perfect openings, and managing your nerves on the day of the vorstellungsgesprch. You want to make a good impression by answering questions in a way that orts you as a strong candidate.So what do you do if the hiring manager poses inappropriate interview questions - or worse, illegal? TWEETUnfortunately, this is elend a hypothetical question. You may be surprised to find out that according to asurveyconducted by Harris Poll, a shocking 20% ofover 2,000 hiring and human resource managers that were surveyed indicated they have asked a candidate illegal interview questions. When the same group of hiring managers was presented with a list of illegal questions and asked whether they were legal, at least 33% said they werent sure. Since you canbedrngnis always rely on the hiring managers to do the right thing, researching this subject before the big day can help you map out tricky territory. First off, lets draw the line on what illegal interview questions are. In summary, race, gender, nationality, religion, military status, marital status, and disability are all protected categories. That means employers cannot use them to discriminate in their hiring practices.That sounds reasonable, you might say. What does that look like in practice? Here are some examples of questions that are illegal during the interview process. Some of them are so obvious you might cringe. Others are veiled and round-about. You might even spot one or two that you have been asked in an interview I know I didWho will take care of your children while you are at work?A good rule of thumb on any question that hints at gender or family status discrimination is to ask yourself, Would the employer be asking this if I were the opposite gender? The implication in this question is that you may not be able to fulfil the responsibilities of the job because you are a parent.A legal way of asking this question might look like this Will you be available to be present in the office from 9 to 6 during the work week? As long as that is a valid job requirement, and the question is asked of every candidate, clarifying availability is fair game.Are you planning to have more children?You family plans are legally off-limits in an interview, and this is definetly an inappropriate interview question. While you may be tempted to share pregnancy or toddler stories with a hiring manager (especially if she comes across as friendly or has a picture of a young child on her desk), the prudent thing to do is to refrain from doing so.How often are you away for Army Reserve training?This is an example of a discriminatory question based on military status. A legal way of reframing this question is, Are y ou available to travel two weeks out of the month to exhibit at conferences and visit clients? If those are legitimate job requirements.Have you ever been arrested?Asking about the arrest history of the candidate is an illegal interview question. Notably, the hiring manager can ask whether or not you have been convicted of a crime, or have used illegal drugs in the last 3 months, as neither criminal conviction nor illegal drug use are protected categories.Are you on any medication?This can be viewed as a roundabout way to ask about your health history and possible disability. A legal way to address the underlying concern is, Are you fit to operate heavy machinery, as would be required by this job description?Do you attend church every Sunday?This question hints at potential religious discrimination. A legal way to address a legitimate employment concern is along the lines of, Are you available for after-hours and weekend work duty if needed?What year did you graduate from high schoo l?This is just another way of asking how old you are. Not OK.Now that you know what illegal and inappropriate interview questions might look like, what should your strategy be if one of those lands in your court? You have one of three choices.Answer the question. Many candidates do this as a default simply because they are afraid of coming across as non-collaborative, or dont see anything wrong with the question. My advice is to consider simply answering the question if you are comfortable doing so. Short and sweet answers are best.Refuse to answer the question. With an illegal question, it is certainly within your rights to not answer it. You can point to the protected nature of the category as your reason for not answering. Most employers will back off. Be prepared that this strategy can create some awkwardness not through any fault of yours, but uncomfortable nonetheless.Answer the intent of the question. This option allows you to protect your rights and tactfully address the hi ring managers valid concern. You can offer a response that targets the heart of the question. Instead of answering Where were you born? directly, you might way If you meant to ask whether I am legally allowed to work in the United States, the answer is yes. Alternatively, you could redirect with a clarifying question. Help me understand why this matters, because I want to better understand the job Im interviewing for, will do the trick.Now that we got illegal questions out of the way, lets briefly address inappropriate questions. Believe it or not, cringe-worthy questions are sometimes asked at interviews. HR professionals are usually better trained on this subject, but it is not unheard of for line managers to ask whatever comes to mind. Some examplesDo you get PMS?Can you flirt with customers to make them spend more money?Can you wear more makeup?Your choices on an inappropriate interview question are essentially the same as for an illegal question. You can answer it directly, use humor to redirect, or ask the hiring manager to demonstrate how the question applies to the position you are applying for. If an inappropriate question turns you sour on the position, consider it a blessing in disguise and fodder for a good story.In closing, my best advice when dealing with illegal and inappropriate interview questions is to remain calm. In the interview, as in the rest of your professional life, you have control over what happens next. Dont let a prospective employer bully you into disclosing something that you are not comfortable with.Occasionally, hiring managers use illegal questions as an intimidation tool. Most of the time, however, the interviewer may not realize he is asking an illegal or an inappropriate question. This is particularly true if a portion of the interview is an informal lunch with prospective co-workers. Because of the relaxed setting, it can be easy for them to slip into personal territory with you that might be normal among them but is not appropriate in the context of an interview. Remember that you are in charge, dont get defensive, and protect your personal boundaries with grace and confidence. Aim to diffuse the situation, and use this as an opportunity to showcase your interpersonal skills.Need help with your resume? Take advantage of our free critique today Related Articles

Nuclear Code Courses to Be Offered Next Month in Pittsburgh

Nuclear Code Courses to Be Offered Next Month in Pittsburgh Nuclear Code Courses to Be Offered Next Month in Pittsburgh Nuclear Code Courses to Be Offered Next Month in PittsburghASME Learning Development will present 12 nuclear codes and standards training courses including four special MasterClasses next month in Pittsburgh, Pa. The courses, which will take place from May 20-24, will be held at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center.ASME will also present eight nuclear codes and standards public courses in Pittsburgh ASME NQA-1 and DOE Quality Assurance Rule 10 CFR 830 and Nondestructive Examination Applying ASME Code Requirements (BPV Code, Section V) from May 20-22 BPV Code, Section III, Division 1 The Code and Regulation, ASME NQA-1 Lead Auditor Training, Design and Fabrication of Nuclear Facility Components and Design in Codes, Standards and Regulations for Nuclear Power Plant Construction from May 20-23 and ASME B31.1 Power Piping Code and ASME BPV Code, Section XI In-service Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components from May 20-24.The ASME Nuclear MasterClass Series in Pittsburgh will kick off on May 20 and 21 with Corrosion and its Mitigation in Light Water Reactors, which will focus on the causes and the control of corrosion in light water reactors (LWRs). The course will provide participants with a practical review of corrosion problems in LWRs, including boiling water reactor (BWR) piping and internals, pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generators, PWR control rod drive mechanisms and PWR boric acid corrosion.The second MasterClass in the series, Environmentally-Assisted Fatigue Analysis, Monitoring and Management of Nuclear Plant Components, will be presented on May 22 and 23. The course will concentrate on the evaluation, monitoring and programmatic approaches and strategies that have been used by licensees to successfully meet regulatory expectations related to environmentally-assisted fatigue (EAF). The course will offer attendees in-dep th and practical overview of real-world solutions to managing fatigue in nuclear vessel and piping components.Run-or-Repair Operability Decisions for Pressure Equipment and Piping Systems in Nuclear Plants, also on May 22 and 23, will offer a comprehensive review of the rules and application of the ASME nuclear codes and standards and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations in making run-or-repair operability decisions for pressure equipment and piping and tubing systems in nuclear power plants. Based on a series of case studies of abnormal conditions, the class will address how to diagnose their cause, how to determine the integrity of the system or component, how to decide whether to keep the system or component in service, and how to repair and prevent recurrence.The fourth MasterClass, Treatment of Beyond Design Basis Events (BDBE) in Risk-Informed Applications, will review typical plant design grund and beyond design basis considerations, including the design accept ance criteria, configuration management, and quality assurance. Upon completion of the course, which will held May 22 and 23, participants will be able to evaluate differences between plant design basis and beyond design basis events examine lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima accident and the current NRC orders affecting the evaluation and upgrade of nuclear plants apply appropriate design and acceptance criteria for design basis and beyond design basis events in plant design and modifications and differentiate the treatment of BDBE in risk-informed applications using probabilistic and deterministic methods.ASME will also present eight nuclear codes and standards public courses in Pittsburgh ASME NQA-1 and DOE Quality Assurance Rule 10 CFR 830 and Nondestructive Examination Applying ASME Code Requirements (BPV Code, Section V) from May 20 to 22 BPV Code, Section III, Division 1 The Code and Regulation, ASME NQA-1 Lead Auditor Training, Design and Fabrication of Nuclear Facilit y Components and Design in Codes, Standards and Regulations for Nuclear Power Plant Construction from May 20 to 23 and ASME B31.1 Power Piping Code and ASME BPV Code, Section XI In-service Inspection of Nuclear Power Plant Components from May 20 to 24.For more information on the ASME MasterClasses to be offered in Pittsburgh or to register, visit http//calendar.asme.org/EventDetail.cfm?EventID=41601. To learn more about or register for the nuclear public courses in Pittsburgh, visit http//calendar.asme.org/EventDetail.cfm?EventID=41504. For more information on the various training opportunities offered by ASME Learning Development, visit www.asme.org/learning-development.

How to Paint Pictures with Your Bio and Résumé

How to Paint Pictures with Your Bio and Rsum How to Paint Pictures with Your Bio and Rsum One of the hardest communications lessons you might have to understand as a job hunter is how to tailor your message to the circumstance in which you find yourself. In some instances, you need to give more detail about what youve done and where youve done it. Sometimes it is all about the facts what you did, where you did it and what you achieved. But other times its about you as a person, the values that motivate you and your overall story.Just as your camera will shoot a very different picture of a landscape depending on the length of lens you use, the picture you paint of yourself will have much of the same content, but look quite different, depending on the schriftart of document you compose.Your branding statement will be very short and succinct, just a sentence or two. Your elevator speech will have the branding statement somehow embedded into it, but expand upon it, and include direction you are seeking to take.Your LinkedIn profile will once again utilize your branding statement in the Summary section, but will be much more detailed including key accomplishments for each of the positions youve held, your education and much, much more.In the space of a page or two, your rsum should be a more formal document. Each bullet point will convey a mini-story about a work situation, your task, your actions and the accomplishment you achieved.Too often ignored, another document that can be very helpful to have in your arsenal is a bio, sometimes called a professional profile. They have multiple purposes and audiences.Don Orlando, one of the leading career coaches in the country, sees such documents as very powerful aids in networking. He suggests that its of key importance to analyze the purpose of a bio and understand your audience. According to him, there is no one size fits all form or content for a bio.You should not simply make assertions of your value without supporting them with concrete examples, Orlando says. Instead, he advises that a job hunter find out a potential employers biggest problem. The job hunter should then assume that he or she is being hired and explain how he or she can help solve that problem.Depending on ones background and interests, a bio can be helpful in promoting oneself for speaking engagements or putting oneself forward for an award, says Grant Cooper, also an award-winning certified rsum writer. It can be particularly helpful in creating a relationship, or when seeking an informational interview with someone at a particular company, without coming across as a job hunter applying for a particular position.Another nationally prominent rsum writer, Lisa Parker, offers numerous places where a bio will be found, including websites, business plans, project proposals and even military promotion packets. She emphasizes the importance of keeping a bio to just three or four paragraphs that sum up the value of knowledge, and conv ey that working with, speaking with, or contracting a particular individual will be the best choice.Your bio is more expository by nature than a rsum, Cooper advises. It shouldnt go into the level of detail or be as formal as a rsum. He tells his clients to get a good professional headshot, with excellent lighting. And he cautions not to use a cell phone unless you have no choice.All agree that through your bio you can convey a narrative of who you are, and thereby reveal more of your personality than likely will come through in a rsum. You might include a snippet about your family or non-professional interests that can serve to humanize you in the eyes of the reader. Depending on the purpose and situation, a bio might be just a paragraph or as long as a page.It all comes down to this imagine who is reading about you, and in what context. Branding statements, rsums and LinkedIn profiles are mandatory elements of your campaign for employment. But there are times when a bio will fit t he bill better. In the end, whatever format and language you employ, Cooper rightly maintains that success will only come when you make it interesting and compelling.Happy huntingArnie Fertig is the head coach of JOBHUNTERCOACH.COM, where he utilizes his extensive background in HR Staffing and as owner of a recruiting company to help mid-career job-hunters land their next job. Arnie provides one-to-one coaching services to individuals throughout the U.S. in all aspects of the job hunt, including resume writing, personal branding, utilizing social media, enhancing networking skills, preparing for interviews, and negotiating compensation.

A Guide to Resume Formatting Template

A Guide to Resume Formatting Template Resume Formatting Template Ideas Boring works as soon as it comes to the majority of resumes. The very first key is to realize how resumes are organized. Each resume format was produced to boost yur odds to find the job in 2018. Formatting your resume in docx is ideally suited for practically any work application. Just make sure, whichever format you opt for, which youre targeting it for the job that youre applying to. Our clean, easy, easy-to-read format will cause you to stand out to hiring managers and simple to discover in applicant tracking systems. A critical requirement needed in applying for employment is a resume. There are some quite specific requirements for formatting your resume when it is going to be reviewed by means of an ATS. Be certain that it focuses on what you could provide the employer, not on what you would like from work. You can locate the abilities and attributes the employer is searching for in the job posting. Consistency helps with skimming, and in the event the recruiter would like to refer back to something, they will know where to look. The hiring manager only looks at a resume for a couple seconds so that you are going to want to be certain your primary points and qualifications are simple for a hiring manager to spot. Specific positions might be listed later on, but dates are usually not included. Make sure to have the necessary qualifications to be thought about. Make certain you fulfill the qualifications. You wish to print on paper heavier than that which you traditionally find in photocopiers. When you format your resume you wish to be sure your leave enough margin space to permit for printing. You may get rid of the copyright notice at the base of the document as soon as you have changed the content to your own. You will work with a resume writer whos qualified to compose the document which most suits your requirements. All you need to do is point and click. You may pr etty much depend on it going right to the trash. Ultimately, it doesnt really supply the very best format for those who have zero experience. Profiles state the sort of work youre seeking. Alternatively, you may download your LinkedIn profile for a PDF. Most importantly, keep your information and background related to the job accessible. At any time you produce in-depth information. In case you have time and want a really thorough comprehension of the topic, read through all the resume ideas on the webpage and click the links to more thorough info about each topic. The correspondence has to be absolutely executed as it displays right to the professionalism of the guy or woman and the business. It is possible to see our post to find out more and examples to help you compose a resume with very little or no work experience. If you opt to bullet your experience, for instance, you should make certain to do so throughout. The hybrid format isnt an effective way for individuals wit hout a work experience to break into a business. Choosing whether to lead with your experience or employment history will be contingent on the position youre interviewing for, in addition to whether you would like to stress or minimize the historical effect of your complete job history. What You Dont Know About Resume Formatting Template To lure attention and customers to a business, you will be able to supply totally free samples, sales, and at times promotional giveaways. Now that youve chosen your career youre now prepared to visit the next step If you underline an organization name, be certain the others are underlined too. To raise your odds of working within this area, you require professional childcare provider resume templates. Few hiring managers wish to see unusual colours or innovative templates. Not only are you going to look bad, but its going haunt you down the line with other future prospective employers. Based on your profession, you might want to include ot her resume headings and sections. If you are in possession of a particular skillset youre potential candidate to fit desired position.

7 Tips When Shopping For Maternity Work Clothes

7 Tips When Shopping For Maternity Work Clothes As a woman, figuring out what qualifies as professional attire is already tough enough. Can jeans be business casual? Do you need to wear heels on interviews? The list of questions goes on.But what about what you should wear to work when youre pregnant? The challenge of what to wear only gets tougher. If youre a soon-to-be mom that works in a business casual or business formal environment, youll want to add maternity work clothes to your list of pre-baby purchases. But what can you do to ensure you 1) look professional, 2) feel comfortable, and 3) dont break the bank? Weve got you covered with a list of 7 mom-approved tips below.1. Online Shopping Is a Good Way to GoYouve got enough on your plate right now without going through the hassle of heading to the mall. Online shopping is a more efficient and often cheaper alternative. Plus, if youre buying clothes in advance, you wont be able to try them on anyway. Websites like Asos, Macys, a nd H&M are great options for finding reasonably priced, professional maternity clothes. Pro tip If you buy clothes in advance, leave the tags on until youre ready to use the outfit in question. Try it on and if it doesnt fit like youd hoped, you can always return it. 2. Dont Be Afraid of Color and StripesThe idea that horizontal stripes make you look bigger is an old notion. Wearing stripes can be very effective in creating a flattened look that will make you feel good. Pregnancy can be an exciting but also overwhelming time, and feeling confident that you look your best can help you stay on your game while at the office. You can also try a skirt or a blouse with one stripe to accentuate your curves. To distract the eye away from your belly bump, consider wearing an all-over design that contains a print pattern. 3. Menswear Can Make For Spectacular Second LayersNobody wants to spend excessive amounts of money on clothes theyll only wear once, and chanc es are that you can find stylish, baby-bump friendly business attire in your own home Many pregnant women may opt for wearing mens clothing to cover up their bump and maintain a dignified look while on the job. For example, cardigans and oversized blazers are always wonderful options for maternity business clothes.Raid your husband/father/male friends closet and see what you can find. 4. Wear Clothes That StretchNext, it is important to consider the clothes fabric when weighing your options in finding the best maternity work clothes. Of course, you do not know how your belly and weight will develop as you go from one trimester to the next. So, a jersey fabric, stretch fabric, or flex fabric will permit more flexibility and optimal comfort. This skirt has a tailored appearance, but is made of stretch fabric 5. Always Remember, Comfort is KeyYou are at work and must meet the demands work entails. Of course you want to look the part, but you also want to feel the part. Dont feel guilty swapping pencil skirts for stretchy slacks and high heels for supportive flats. 6. Renting/Borrowing Maternity Clothing Is a Wonderful Choice.Lets face it, your pregnancy will last for nine months, and then you may need a few months to get back to your normal size. And in the first 3-4 months, youll likely be fine in your regular clothes. So its totally understandable if youre hesitant to buy new items at all.Thats where renting and borrowing come in. Plus, theyll help you save space and money that youd rather use for the baby anywayRent the Runway recently started offering postpartum friendly and maternity clothing into subscription services. Over 450 brands and designers are included in these subscription services.If renting doesnt align with your budget, dont feel shy asking friends to lend you clothes. Chances are, youll get plenty of offers from women who were pregnant not that long ag o and have a closet full of maternity work clothes theyll never touch again without even asking. And dont limit yourself just to maternity clothes As with menswear, the key is just finding professional clothes that will accommodate your bump. Ask your friends if they want to do a work clothes swap and see if any of them have clothes that fit you well 7. Find a Store That You Like, and Stick With ItMany stores that sell maternity clothes will often come out with new styles and releases. So if you find an outlet that you enjoy, it is a good idea to continue to shop there. The fit and material that the clothing is made out of will usually stay the same as new items are made available for purchase. Using the same store to purchase maternity work clothes will provide a consistent fit that you can enjoy throughout your pregnancy. ---Dont let the stress of what to wear take away from this exciting time in your life. Remember, youll be glowing no matter which maternity work clothes you chooseRelated Articles Around the Web Maternity Work Dresses Pregnancy Work Clothes Motherhood ... Aki Merced