Naked people have little or no influence on society.

Song of the day: Power and Control - Marina and the Diamonds

Currently reading: Bad Pharma - Ben Goldacre

Look at me!

(Yes mum, this is what is known as a 'selfie')

Don't I look ready to network? As soon as I learned that there'd be a pre-starting networking event for work (drinks and a 'fun event', most likely pizza-making), I knew that one of the most important steps would be dressing appropriately. Prior to this last week, my clothes consisted mostly of tatty jeans and slightly moth-eaten t-shirts, plus the occasional sweater. I had a couple of dresses, but they were either from about five years ago or from when I was a stone and a half heavier. None of them screamed "I can actually be a professional".

Me, pretty much.

And I didn't feel like I could be either. I still mostly feel like an imposter (the number of times I've told my family and friends "I have no idea what I'm doing" is reaching the triple figures by now), but it's amazing how much better I feel now I've put the outfit together. I bought the dress from New Look last Tuesday, the blazer from Dorothy Perkins on Monday, and the rest of it today - tights from M&S, shoes from Aldo and jewellery from DP again.

I had recently read the adage "fake it until you make it" re: confidence, and was thoroughly planning on using that completely over the next few weeks, but now that I've put together an outfit I'm fairly proud of, I don't think I need to fake it quite so much. I feel more confident because I more look the part. I look like a young professional ready to network. So I don't think other people's first impressions of me are going to be disbelief, or accusations that I'm an imposter. Not that I seriously thought I'd get those, but I was definitely worried about not seeming like I belonged.

Because this isn't a job that I would ever have considered doing a few months ago, and I still feel a little (very) out of my depth. It's a Real Job, dare I even say - career, which most of my friends still don't have.

I definitely understand the idea of dressing for success now though. And I suppose it is a part of faking it until you make it - look the part, even if you don't feel the part. It does make me feel better.

Now all I need to do is worry about the actual networking part of the event. Last time I ever "networked", I was 17 and at an event with three people I already knew. I'm going in solo for this, plus it's actually important.

Wish me luck!