She went off to college, got a degree in finance management and returned to the company she enjoyed as an assistant to the owner.

Now the 26-year-old Tacoma resident is ready to start working up the corporate ladder. She started a master’s in business administration at the University of Washington Tacoma in the fall and wants to take on a management role in her company.

But more education isn’t the only thing that will help her get ahead. It’s time to trade in the cotton pants and knit shirts for wool slacks and cashmere sweaters.

Young people looking to be taken seriously in the workplace need to dress professionally, said Ellen York, a Seattle image consultant and author of “Dressing the Petite Woman.”

Stevens is looking to upgrade her wardrobe and image from college student to young professional – something that will help her co-workers and her boss pay more attention to her ideas.

Stevens met with York to talk about ways to improve her image.

“I’ve been thinking about the level of professionalism that I want to exhibit in my clothes,” Stevens said.

York reviewed a collection of Stevens’ work wardrobe to figure out her current tastes and offer some direction. A good rule to remember: Dress for the job you want.

Stevens likes to wear a lot of black. She prefers boots with high heels. She frequently wears a shiny gold belt, and she picks lower-priced items to allow for a lot of variety and still stay within her budget.

“You are loving to wear black, but I am going to love it better if you start wearing brown,” York said. “But you aren’t going to stop wearing black for about 10 more years, so I am not going to fight you on it.”

York suggested adding more color into her wardrobe to accent all of the black.

To find out what those options might be, she held swatches of colored fabric next to Stevens’ face.

“Turquoise. It looks hot baby, hot,” she said. “Olive. Watch this. Look at your eyes. Whew. Oh, it’s gorgeous.

“Burgundy. This is a gorgeous color.”

Stay away from pale yellows and light pinks, York suggested.

If Stevens – or any young worker looking to upgrade their image – had $150 to invest, she should buy a good pair of black pants and some pricier knit shirts that will last for several years, York said. Stay away from a lot of low-priced 100 percent cotton because it can wear quickly and fade.

Make sure you have a professional interview outfit with a jacket. If you can’t afford a suit, consider versions in the junior departments of Macy’s or Nordstrom. They are less expensive but still classy.

Check out Macy’s at the end of a season to pick up high quality basics on sale. Ann Taylor also has great sales. Sometimes the chain has cashmere sweaters for half price, York said.

Stevens plans to start adding better clothes to her wardrobe as her paycheck permits.

Clothing is just one part of creating an image that exudes success, York said. Three more points:

 • Carry yourself with confidence.

 • Show respect for yourself.

 • Remember that ultimately your success comes from your brain, not the way you look.

“She had some excellent points,” Stevens said. “The best one was investing in yourself.”

Six tips for Cell phone etiquette

Cell phones are useful, but they can be so disruptive.

When it comes to using your cell phone at work, you have to be mindful of your co-workers and your boss, not to mention your own ability to get your job done.

Six rules to live by:

1. Turn your cell phone ringer off. If you don’t want to turn off your phone completely, at least set it to vibrate. The sound of different ring tones going off all the time can be annoying to others.

2. Use your cell phone only for important calls. The school nurse calling to say your child is ill. Your children calling to say they’ve arrived home from school safely. However, your friend calling to chat, your child phoning to say the dog had an accident in the house or your mom calling to tell you your cousin is getting married should not be considered important.

3. Let your cell phone calls go to voice mail. If you are in doubt about whether an incoming call is important, let voice mail pick up. It will take much less time to check your messages than it will to answer the call and then say you can’t talk.

4. Find a private place to use your cell phone. While it’s OK to use your cell phone for private calls during lunch breaks, don’t stay at your desk. Find somewhere else to talk. Your co-workers still have a job to do.

5. Do not bring your cell phone into the restroom … ever. Why? Well, if you must ask – you never know who’s in there. The person on the other end of the line will hear bathroom sounds. And it’s an invasion of your co-workers’ privacy.

6. Don’t bring your cell phone to meetings. Even if you have your cell phone set to vibrate, if you receive a call you will be tempted to see who it’s from. It’s a clear signal to your boss that your mind isn’t 100 percent on your job. All calls can wait until your meeting is over or until there is a break. Making the Grapevine Work for You

Sometimes the juiciest information about your co-workers or bosses comes through conversations around the watercooler. But it’s not always a good idea to pass that stuff on.

Here are some tips on how to deal with office gossip:

Take everything you hear with a grain of salt: Before you act on something you hear, confirm that it’s true.

A lot of what comes down the pike is downright false.

And then there’s the “telephone effect.” Remember the children’s game, telephone? You whisper something to the person next to you and then he or she whispers what he or she thinks you said to the next person, and so on. Then the last person in the chain says it aloud.

The first person in the chain then repeats the original sentence – which of course is quite different.

Contribute at your own risk: Keep in mind the previous point that your words may get mangled.

Also, be careful about telling even a trusted co-worker anything that you wouldn’t want everyone to know. You might be great at keeping a secret but not everyone is so virtuous.

Use the grapevine to your advantage: If you had a great success at work or worked hard on a project, this is information you want to share. You never know who it will reach. And if someone has done something to disturb you, you might consider mentioning this to someone who’s likely to share it.

Of course, it’s important to be straightforward – you shouldn’t be underhanded when it comes to letting someone know how you feel. However, being direct isn’t always the best approach.