Five Ways to Sabotage Your Career on Halloween

It happens every year. Your company is throwing a Halloween party or dresses up that Friday, and you spend time trying to decide on the perfect Halloween costume. Should you stick to traditional looks  or go outrageous to stun and shock your colleagues? You know me — normally, I’d say be outrageous dudes. But, work? Let me put it this way: You work hard 365 days a year projecting and perfecting your image. Around the office, you’ve finally earned a spot as a “respected employee” and represent total professionalism on the job. So, why let a Halloween costume forever burn  a riduculous or offensive image into your manager or peers’ heads? When picking a costume for the office Halloween party, your image and future income potential is at stake and a tasteless costume can definitely put a damper on both. Here are some costumes that are sure to blow your career and change people’s opinion of you all in one day:

Religiously offensive costume: You never know how religious your colleagues are or what they do or don’t believe. So you may want to keep the  pregnant nun costume in the closet on dress up day.

Pregnant Nun Costume

French Maid

Sexually explicit costume: Less is not more around the office, so keep yourself covered at the company Halloween party. You don’t want your peers or boss to go home thinking you’re better suited for the adult industry. Keep away from costumes that involve lingerie, expose too much leg or show cleavage. No-no’s include going as a French maid or a school girl. See our top 10 sexiest Halloween costumes blog entry for other bad office costume ideas.

Sexually suggestive costumes: It’s not always about skin or curves, just implying sex with your costume could get you a ticket on the unemployment train. Stay away from costumes like this Genie in a lamp, and definitely don’t wear this wet t-shirt costume.

Genie in a lamp

Obama Mask

Political Statements: The company Halloween party is not a time to state your political leaning and discontent with the current administration. For example, if you wear an Obama mask and carry a sign that says “Obama Care Sucks,” be prepared to face annoyed colleagues or have people who thought they were on the same page with you, suddenly treat you more cooly.

Employer Impersonations: I don’t know what your boss is like, but no matter how cool or laid back he seems, it’s a bad idea to dress up like him for the office party. If you like your job and want to keep it, don’t do the boss parody.

The Office Boss picture provided by therecruiterslounge.com

The best way to handle wearing a costume on ’dress up day’ at work is to play ignorant and not wear a costume at all. Give them the old excuse “Oops, I forgot” and have a good time in your own clothes.