Dress for Success

One interview tip that prospective employees are given is to dress for the job you want. This is one of those tips that can carry over into everything you do, as the way you dress reflects how other people view you. I know there are many people out there already saying, "But I don't care what other people think!"  Well, that's all fine and dandy, but if you walk into your bank hoping to get some help with an erroneous fee and you are dressed like a local streetwalker, there is a better than good chance that the level of assistance that you receive will be directly related to your appearance.

The same holds true for how you speak. For the same naysayers that are getting ready to argue that how you speak does not reflect who you are and/or how qualified you are for something, I just want to say... BS.

Outrage Alert! The following fictional pieces of dialogue are based on stereotypes, for better or worse. Their point is to make a point, not make a subjective observation about groups of people and their potential grammar skills. If you are outraged by my dialogue examples, I encourage you to remember that this is a HUMOR writing tips site and that these are FICTIONAL characters and dialogues nippets. End Alert.

Doctor #1: "Hi, I'm Dr. Smith, your anesthesiologist. I'll be taking good care of you today, Sky. I like to repeat my patient's names to help me remember them. -wink-  Here is how your surgery will play out. First, you will get an IV to give you fluids. I will inject the IV line with a drug that will make you drowsy. After that, you won't remember a thing until you wake up with me by your side in the recovery area. Did you have any questions?"

Doctor #2: "Howdy, I'm Doc Bill, and I'll be puttin' ya'll to sleep today. I done forgot your name. Sky? Oh, okay. I've wroten it down here so I remember. Ok... Sky... here's how today's gonna go for ya. I writ a perscripshen fer a little bit of happy medicine. You get the happy medicine, you sleep, you wake up. All done! Any questions, sweetie?"

We can go so far as to have our fictional doctors being at the top of their classes in med school with a stellar track record, but which doctor sounds more professional?  I'll give you a hint: It's not Doctor #2.

Of course, I hear the whispering, "But I LIKE doctor #2. He's more real. More down-to-earth and approachable!"

Ok, a new #2 for you:

Doctor #2a: "Yo, I'm Doc MC and I got the fishizzle for yo grizzle. Now, I don't make all deese Bejamins fo' nuttin', yo. Trust yo Daddy. You'll wake up, girl, and it'll all be good. Straight?"

Or how about Doctor #2b? -The doctor enters and sets your cell on the bed next to you and then picks up his cell. He texts you.- "hihi lololo im ur doc 2day i has teh drugs dis wil b soooo fun! yay!"

All right, ignore the fact that you should not have your cell phone in the OR, okay? Look at the bigger picture and point I am trying to make.

The problem is that many people just don't care what they sound like, what they look like, or how they write. Yet like how you dress, how you present yourself in the written or spoken word is important. There are grammar rules for a reason, and they are not to make the speaker sound pretentious. Proper grammar is like proper grooming--it shows that you care about yourself.  And if you don't care about yourself, how can you expect others to?