I work for a very, very flip-flop friendly company, and believe me when I say we all take full advantage of the dress code. Jeans, t-shirts and casual button-up shirts are more common than slacks, polos and blazers. Plus, we live in California where you can wear sandals and flip-flops all year round! I absolutely love it, especially having previously worked in an environment where the word “casual” was only uttered on Fridays.

However.

I am obsessed with TV shows about fashion like TLC’s What Not to Wear and Bravo’s Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style so I tend to think about what my clothes say about me. I wear denim religiously to work but I try to break up the monotony by wearing a cute jacket over a t-shirt or, if I’m really ambitious, a pretty sweater or blouse instead. Nothing fancy.

By no means am I a fashionista but what you wear affects how you present yourself. The proof is in every episode in both of those shows: when a person puts on clothes that fit and flatter their body type, and has their hair done and face polished, they exude a completely different level of confidence. It’s amazing. And of course, how you present yourself – especially in the professional world or as an adult — plays a huge role in how other people perceive and interact with you.

So I ask: When you’re working in an uber-casual environment, how casual is too casual? Do you agree with the stylists on the shows who say that what you wear at work has a direct affect on your success?

Is it bad to wear sweats or go to work with your hair wet? How about no makeup or wearing flip-flops without a pedicure? What about wearing sneakers, old jeans and a faded t-shirt? (And by faded, I don’t mean that trendy vintage, “distressed” look…)

Welcome to Ask Jen, a weekly Q&A with the “career doctor” herself Jennifer Kushell! Every Wednesday, Jen will answer one of your burning career questions so start sending them in!

Message from Jen: Hey guys! Today I’m heading off to Graceland University in Iowa so once again, we turn to YSN’s Chief Career Guru Bob Cohen to answer this week’s question!

YSN member tiffany_niver asks: What do you look for in a mentor and how do you mentor others?

Bob Cohen responds: Chemistry is a big factor to the relationship… generally I’ve been more inclined to mentor people who I find some connection with. Much like interviews, you can “manage” the chemistry a bit by doing some advance work on the mentor you’ve targeted. It’s likely that the person you’d like to learn from has a broader experiential footprint and may be fairly easy to track down using some of the conventional methods. I’m not suggesting a complete personality transformation (you do have to live with yourself), but I would guess that some of interests or activities this person pursues might actually be fun for you as well. Whatever you do, but polite and grateful. There’s nothing that turns people off is to feel like they have been taken for granted.

Every week we post a question for anyone and everyone to answer. Leave your answer as a comment, or post an entry on your own blog and leave us the link!

A survey taken in Australia found that 45% of the Gen Y members polled said they were unhappy with their jobs but that 79% would stay if they were offered more money.This week’s question is: How important is money in making your career decisions?

Growing up I was always amazed that my parents could get up, go to work and follow the same routine day after day. I remember telling myself there is no way I could imagine myself following their mundane routine. I suppose on one hand it brought stability and structure to their life and our family. On the other hand, they had to find some way to stay inspired day after day. My parents weren’t big TV watchers, nor did they listen to the music or read the newspaper. Recently I asked my Mom what keeps her going and her answer was fairly simple: you kids. Ok, a fair response, albeit a bit boring, but certainly understandable. I have 4 siblings, so I suppose her response was justifiable. I guess as kids we take for granted our parents responsibility to clothe us, feed us and put a roof over our heads.

Fast forward to today, and I find myself in my parents’ shoes. Coincidence, I don’t know, but it definitely feels fishy. I wake up day after day and go to the same job just like they did when I was a kid. Realizing this, I made an interesting observation about my daily routine that shed light on how I get inspired every day. I wish I had as noble intentions as my parents, but without a family to support or a mortgage to pay I am left searching for more unconventional ways to motivate myself each day.

Some people go to the gym in the morning and some read the newspaper. I find my inspiration by watching movies. I don’t watch the entire movie before work and chances are I’ve seen the movie more than 20 times. I know watching movies before work isn’t that interesting, but it’s the kind of movies that motivate me. So, here are the three movies that have been in my DVD player every morning the last month or so and a brief explanation as to why they inspire me.

#1 – Tommy Boy
Besides being one of my all time favorite movies, there is inspiration to be found in the way Tommy goes from being a screw up to being President and CEO of Callahan Auto. I like to think my career will somehow mirror that of Tommy’s. At least I hope I am that lucky.

#2 – Invincible
I know I have chronicled a lot of the challenges in working for an emerging company. This movie parallels the things I am going through in my life. Small town kid, over comes adversity to experience success on the big stage. Always puts a smile on my face and gets my adrenaline pumping.

#3 – Anchorman
What better example of workplace harmony than the TV station in San Diego where Ron Burgundy works. For those who have read my past blogs about women in the workplace will understand. For those who haven’t, read this and my choice will be infinitely more clear.

So now that I have shared my inspiration with you, I encourage you to respond and share your daily inspirations!

Get your minds out of the gutter, I’m talking business here!

I recently started mentoring a journalism student at USC, my alma mater. She’s smart, very ambitious and has an extremely hands-on internship with a regional newspaper in Los Angeles. From almost her first day on the job, my mentee was out interviewing high-profiled celebs and getting 1,000+ word articles published. But during our first meeting, she told me that a prospective internship/employer recommended she get a “bigger name” on her resume, meaning experience at a well-known company, which I found disheartening.

When I was a student majoring in broadcast journalism, I interned at the local CBS station in Los Angeles and for CBS Network in New York City. Very big names and extremely impressive on my resume but I did absolutely nothing. Sure, I got to see how an actual newsroom works but for the most part, for eight hours a day, two days a week, I filed press releases, pulled video and answered phones. Whoopee. Oh, except for the last day of my internship at the local station when I got to go out in a news van with a cameraman who took pity on me. He let me knock on the door of a family who’s mother was arrested in a fatal hit-and-run and I also had an exciting interview with a stripper about the new “no touching during lap dances” law that passed. That day pretty much ended any and all of my aspirations to pursue local news in Los Angeles. But I digress.

Maybe times have changed in the eight years since I was an intern, but phones, filing and minor projects seem to be the norm, especially at big-name companies where rules and politics dictate who can do what and how. Of course, if you’re a corporate climber, I’m sure the bigger the company you intern for, the greater your chances are at getting a job. But I think it’s a complete disservice to discourage students from exploring opportunities at smaller or lesser-known companies where they might walk away with a more robust learning experience and actual skills.

As we come to learn when we’re out in the Real World, it’s the knowledge, skills and overall experience that matters, not the size that counts… in all parts of life.