10 Oct 2021
Image consulting is one of those professions that is difficult to form an opinion about. It is one of the most prevalent careers but there is still a lot of skepticism surrounding it. Most people think of image consulting as a teenager's dreamt-up job that requires one to know how to wear good clothes. Worse yet, some people see image consulting as a fad job that has no long-term assurance.
The truth is that image consulting is one of the most lucrative and advantageous professions, especially in modern society where everyone is getting incredibly conscious of how they appear to the world.
6 Things Most People Get Wrong About Image ConsultingImage consulting is not just about dressing others up. It encapsulates a range of other factors that are essential to improving one's persona. Image consulting can include guiding, mentoring, educating, and training people to manage and improve their stature, appearance, clothing, grooming, and body language.
There are a lot of myths going on about image consulting, which leads to most people disregarding this special profession as a fuss. Let's take a look at some of these myths and why they are wrong:
This myth couldn't be farther from the truth. Image consulting has been around for decades. Since the inception of reason, mankind has been obsessed with improving its appearance and projecting a positive and comfortable image on society.
Kings and emperors used to have a personal assistant around them to help them dress for special occasions. These personal assistants were also responsible for consulting with the emperors before they head on an endeavor or had a meeting with another emperor.
So, image consulting is in no way a new profession. It is one of the oldest professions known to mankind. The only thing new about image consulting is that it has evolved to take a new form.
The modern image consulting practices are sophisticated and adaptable to the unique needs of the individual.
Everyone can access image consulting. It is not something reserved for the rich. Whether you are a CEO at your company or someone looking to land an interview with an MNC, image consulting can help you improve your chances of making an impact and taking you to the new levels of your career.
Image consulting is not even as expensive as it is believed to be. Most image consultants offer their services in bundles and these bundles are designed according to the needs of a person. If you need someone to help you choose better clothes, your image consultant bill is not going to be as much as when you need an overhaul. The price you pay for image consulting depends on your requirement out of the service.
Image Consulting is Only for the Affluent Part of SocietyAs a career too, image consulting caters to people from all walks of life. One does not have to drown in designer clothes to understand how image consulting works. Fashion is only a small part of image consulting. If you have a sharp eye, an aesthetic for dressing and style, great interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate effectively, you can be an image consultant. All you need to have is dedication and a passion for improving other peoples' lives.
It is imperative to understand that no profession is a prerogative of one gender. Notions that a profession is best served by a particular section of society is something we all should do away with by now.
Image consulting is seen as a women-oriented profession because of the prevalent belief in society that only women care about their appearance.
The society we are living in today requires both men and women to pay special care to their appearance.
Image Consulting is for WomenIn terms of becoming an image consultant, both men and women can practice this profession. The only condition is that one has to have a sense of style to not only dress but also know and understand what kind of clothes goes best with others.
While it is a given that all professions require a certain amount of experience on your side for people to take you seriously, everyone has to start somewhere. And who better to start a career so full of opportunities than someone young and full of life.
If anything, younger people have a better chance of becoming image consultants. Youngsters are zealous and full of creative potential that they can explore while working in the image consulting industry. Youngsters nowadays are more aware of the trends and are well-versed in fashion to help anyone improve their outlook and project a better image on society.
As we have mentioned earlier, fashion is only a small part of image consulting. Finding great clothes to wear and finding clothes that best suit one's body are two very different things. An image consultant works to improve their client's overall look including their body language, the way they speak, the way they interact with others, and the way they carry themselves.
They make sure that each component of a person's personality is in sync with their overall appearance. Moreover, image consultants are also focused on helping their clients project the image that they want to project. Appearance, behavior, and communication are three essential aspects of any personality. An image consultant has to master all three of these aspects to be effective in their approach.
Image Consulting Revolves Around FashionMany of the image consultants wish for this myth to be true. After all, what's better than working part-time to explore your passion and using the rest of your time to master the necessary skills to help further your career. But unfortunately, it is not true and most image consultants have to work full-time for their clients, sometimes even more than full time.
Several agencies offer full-time jobs to image consultants. Industries like cosmetics, airlines, media and entertainment, hospitality, retail, sales among others require image consulting for customer-facing personnel.
Moreover, companies are also seeing the need for image management for their back-end personnel. Many of these companies even have an entire department and training programs to train their employees in ways of better presenting themselves.