Dress for Success
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In job-hunting,
first impressions are critical.
Remember, you are marketing a product --
yourself -- to a potential employer, and the
first thing the employer sees when greeting you
is your attire; thus, you must make every effort
to have the proper dress for the type of job you
are seeking. Will dressing properly get you the
job? Of course not, but it will give you a
competitive edge and a positive first
impression.
● Should you be
judged by what you wear? Perhaps not, but
the reality is, of course, that you are judged.
Throughout the entire job-seeking process
employers use short-cuts -- heuristics or rules
of thumb -- to save time. With cover letters,
it's the opening paragraph and a quick scan of
your qualifications. With resumes, it is a quick
scan of your accomplishments. With the job
interview, it's how you're dressed that sets the
tone of the interview.
● How should you
dress? Dressing conservatively is always the
safest route, but you should also try and do a
little investigating of your prospective
employer so that what you wear to the interview
makes you look as though you fit in with the
organization. If you overdress (which is rare
but can happen) or under dress (the more likely
scenario), the potential employer may feel that
you don't care enough about the job.
● How do you find
out what is the proper dress for a given
job/company/industry? You can call the Human
Resources office where you are interviewing and
simply ask. Or, you could visit the company's
office to retrieve an application or other
company information and observe the attire
current employees are wearing -- though make
sure you are not there on a "casual day" and
misinterpret the dress code.
● Finally, do you
need to run out and spend a lot of money on
clothes for interviewing? No, but you should
make sure you have at least two professional
sets of attire. You'll need more than that, but
depending on your current financial condition,
two is enough to get started and you can buy
more once you have the job or have more
financial resources.
● Hints for Dress
for Success for Men and Women
Attention to details is crucial, so here are
some tips for both men and women. Make sure you
have:
-clean and polished conservative dress shoes
-well-groomed hairstyle
-cleaned and trimmed fingernails
-minimal cologne or perfume
-no visible body piercing beyond conservative
ear piercings for women
-well-brushed teeth and fresh breath
-no gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth
-minimal jewelry
-no body odor
-Finally, check your attire in the rest room
just before your interview for a final check of
your appearance -- to make sure your tie is
straight, your hair is combed, etc.
● Go to
Dress for Success for Women for specific
tips for women.
● Go to
Dress for Success for Men for specific tips
for men. |
