In this feature, Jackline shares useful information on personal style at work. We had planned to have this interview for a while but our schedules kept conflicting. We later did have a chat and I’m so excited to share it with you.

It’s a small world really because I later bumped into Jackline at a place I would never have imagined. Let’s just say I went somewhere I wouldn’t have normally visited and there was this inspiring woman!

If you recall, I’ve said that I’m not a fashionista. I admire those who place emphasis on their appearance and that was the primary objective for this interview.

Jackline is a Nurse Practitioner as well as a Personal Style Blogger. She works in a clinic where she interacts with patients and plans several community programs.

In her words:

“I enjoy the job a lot. I mean, it’s better than the other jobs I’ve had and it’s what I’ve trained for. I like it!”

Before this interview, I wasn’t aware that there was any difference between a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse until she pointed this out to me and explained further.

I did some more research and discovered that the major difference is the level of autonomy granted to Nurse Practitioners. They can see patients on their own or refer to a physician or specialist as a case requires. Unlike Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners can diagnose, treat acute illnesses, and can prescribe medications.

I was excited to learn something new and if you never knew about this difference, well, at least, now you do! We learn every day, don’t we?!

I haven’t really chatted with someone that works in the Health Care industry and I just wanted to know what challenges a person in this field may have to undergo.

The closest I’ve come was have a colleague who previously worked as a registered nurse but transitioned to human resources.

“It’s a busy role with lots of responsibilities and I have to interact with people constantly and talk about very vulnerable and sensitive stuff.”

Dressing up can be a struggle for me most times, but the good thing is that I pull out clothes for the week ahead of time. So that helps me save up some time.

I made a video where I share some personal time management tips, you can watch it here.

I was eager to know if she had tips on how to sort out everyday work wears and colors, as well as mixing and matching. She was kind enough to share some great suggestions.

“Basically, I like to incorporate splashes of colors into my daily work area. I work in a clinic so there isn’t a formal dress code, but it’s a business casual kind of environment. So the only restrictions we really have is in terms of reviewing clothing and things like that. Besides that, there is no color restriction.

I love to mix bright colors with neutrals and patterns. For example, one thing that everybody should have in their closets is the basics.

If you are in a business casual environment, everybody within that environment should have a black pair of pants, a navy pair of pants and a gray pair of pants and as a little extra, you can have a camo pair of pants.

Those are the four kinds of pants that are the basic things everyone needs if you are going to wear trousers. And if you are still comfortable, you can have one little black dress that’s appropriate for the outfit and a black skirt. A white blouse and a black blazer can go a long way. Those are the basic stuff.

From there, you take the basics and you find some patterns that you can mix with that. Because you are dealing with a black pant, you can really mix it with any pattern. It opens you up to be able to pair it up with many patterns, prints, and colors.”

When I asked if she could share some planning tips on how to sort clothes for the work week, this was what she had to say:

“When it comes to my work outfits, I kind of lay out my basics. I know I have this kind of colors and match the tops that I have. I don’t really wear very much variety of clothes in my job. I plan to have three clothes that I only wear to work and I repeat if I have to or change up. I have a capsule collection.

This is where you have a few pieces that you have picked out as the basic and then have a few pieces that you are adding to your capsule that are a little bit funky and then you change it up. So you have your basics plus your funky stuff and then each week, you kind of change it up.

So you end up not having like 25 different outfit choices.”

Just in case you are unsure, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don’t go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces.

I think this trick is superb as you won’t have to utter these dreaded words: “I don’t have enough outfits for work!”

Chatting with her, I could tell that she’s really passionate about personal style and that’s something that interests me about her. She’s great at mixing and matching and it’s a good thing that she was willing to share useful tips.

I know that asking for how people balance their schedules can be such a common question. But I also feel that sometimes there’s something new to learn from each person’s schedule planning tips. There’s always a different perspective and I seem to like that!

“Monday to Friday, I work 9-5 and I do extra stuff and make preparation for it. I’m new to this position and it takes me some time.

In terms of management, I try to prioritize what needs to be done and what can wait while trying to set goals for what I want to accomplish.

E.g. If I have to plan a program, then I’d say I’m going to have this done by Friday and say no matter what, I’m going to have this done by Friday and try to go with that target and see what happens.

It’s very hard, but I have a schedule of when I do my blog and when I take my pictures. Usually, I would take my pictures very very early on a Sunday before church and take a bunch of them. I’d have pictures there and release them all through the week.

But usually, I take bulk pictures. So I take more than one outfit pictures on Sundays. I have a designated day and I have the weekend to work on the blog stuff and Monday to Friday on the job.”

In the next 5 years, Jackline still sees herself working at the job she is currently in. She hopes to plan more programs in the community and be more involved in the community aspect and program planning.

“These programs involve quality improvement which is more of research and statistics. When you plan a program you have to see how many people attend and like it.

You set markers and goals and once you meet them, you have to come up with a quality improvement plan and it’s sent to the Government. You have to show that the money you are putting into this program is coming out with a benefit.”

I hope you enjoyed reading this interview with Jackline and I hope that in one way or another, she has been able to inspire you into making your personal style at work less stressful.

Please visit her blog: www.sincerelymissj.com, or follow her on Instagram: @smissjblog where she shares a lot of tips on personal style, travels and more. Read our previous feature on traveling and working full-time. Check out all other features in the Magazine Category.

Please share in the comment section how you sort out clothes for the work week. Any tips or other suggestions? Please leave a comment behind, I’ll be excited to hear back from you.

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by Zinny
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