While it may seem like I am stating the obvious here, it still seems that many job seekers aren't getting the message, so it bears repeating. When you are preparing for a job interview, dress for success. When you are in the job market, first impression can make or break your opportunities. And while I would agree that looks aren't everything and what really counts are you qualifications and your ability to do the job, you still can't escape the hard truth that we are all being judge by our appearances.
When you look at it from an employer's point of view, it is easy to see how looking at a candidate who is wearing shorts and a tank top to their interview can make them think that the job seeker is not serious about finding a new job. If they aren't able to understand how they should present themselves at the interview, they what reason would the employer have to think that they would behave any differently if they were to be hired. Employer want confident, self-motivated employee who possess a strong work-ethic and who pay attention to details. Missing something as obvious as dressing appropriately for an interview demonstrates a complete disregard for the details and shows that they are a poor judge of what appropriate professional behavior looks like, and so, of course they don't want them on their team.
More often than not, people who arrive at interviews dressed inappropriately aren't guilty of such obvious mistakes as the shorts and tank top example. Rather, either focused too much on the “casual” part of business casual or they have confused “looking nice” with dressing for an evening at a night club. It all comes down to taste. So, how should you dress for an interview. Whether the company dress code is business or business casual, here are some surefire ways to be sure that you show up ready to impress an interviewer:
- Wear clean and polished dress shoes – Take a few moments the night before your interview to look at your dress shoes. If they are looking run down, give them a bit of polish. Show the potential employer that you pay attention to the little things.
- Neat hairstyle – Always show up with clean, tidy hair. There are many products on the market to help keep your hair out of your face and looking nice.
- Clean fingernails – Men should take extra time to be sure that their fingernails are well scrubbed. You can get a nice nail brush at almost any dollar store, and it only takes a few minutes to get your nails looking clean. For women, be sure that your nail polish is conservative and not chipped. If you don't have time to give them a fresh coat of nail polish, then remove the chipped stuff and make sure they look clean.
- Don't wear a lot of cologne – Many people have allergies or sensitivity to strong fragrances, so do your interviewer a favor and go lightly or just skip it.
- No visible body piercing (depending on the corporate culture) – Although body piercings might be a plus for companies like Hot Topic, on the whole, most businesses don't consider body jewelry to be professional.
- Brush your teeth and come with fresh breath – You may want to skip the onions or garlic before your interview.
- Conservative, solid color business clothes – Dark colors seem to look more serious and professional. Your interview isn't the time to attempt to pull of bright colors, patterns or designs. Whether you chose to wear a dress shirt and slacks, a business suit or a shirt and tie, stick with solid colors and make sure that your clothes fit properly and aren't wrinkled or stained.
- Minimize the jewelry – Keep the bling to a minimum. Flashy jewelry is distracting, especially on men. Earrings, a necklace, wedding rings and a wristwatch (for men) is all the most you should wear.
Before you your interview begins, you should take a few moments to check out how you look in the rest room. This means be sure that you look clean and well put-together. Check to be sure that there is nothing in your teeth and you don't have anything hanging from your nose. Make sure your tie is straight and your hair looks presentable. Then you will be your most confident self when you walk into your interview.
If you are having trouble being able to dress appropriately for interviews because you don't have the money to buy even the basics of a professional interview outfit, you can check out local thrift stores that are bound to have some inexpensive work clothes that still have a lot of wear left in them. If even that is out of your budget, there are place that can help. For men, there is CareerGear, and for women, there is Dress For Success. Both of these are non-profit organizations that help people with little to no incomes find work clothes for interviews. (by the way, both sites accept donations of suits and work clothes, so if you have items that you can't use anymore, consider donating them so that they can be a blessing for someone else)
Are you looking for a job in Administration? Be sure to visit AdministrativeJobs.com.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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