Once you have landed an interview, the next step is to prepare for it. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to rehearse your answers to possible questions the interviewer may ask, and also give yourself enough time to get your wardrobe in order for the big day. It may seem trivial, but many interviewers give a lot of weight to your personal appearance, dress and grooming for the interview.
If you dress in a manner that commands respect, you will tend to get more respect from a job interviewer. Indeed, being well dressed is a good idea for pretty much any environment you find yourself in. It may be true that what is inside that counts, but most people you will encounter in your life will not have the time to get to know what is inside you.
All people however will have an opportunity to see how you present yourself in your dress, grooming and manner. First impressions count for a lot with most people, and the first impression you make on someone is almost always largely determined by your personal appearance.
There are some regional and other differences when determining the appropriate dress. In a large, cosmopolitan city, where trendy and fashionable clothes are the norm, you might be able to carry off an outfit that in the Midwest or rural areas would make you look gaudy and tacky. And a suit or dress that is perfectly appropriate for a small-town setting might make you look like a hick if your interview is in the big city.
Still, there are lots of do’s and don’ts that apply to pretty much any interview. Here are 12 of them:
1. Women, avoid extra-long nails and gaudy nail polish. A basic red is acceptable in most circumstances, as is clear. Regardless of color, make sure your nails are trimmed and neat.
2. Go easy on jewelry, especially anything that jingles or rattles when you move. You want the interviewer to be listening to you, not to be distracted by extraneous sounds. Do not wear more than one ring, or pair of earrings (and the interview is not the time to be showing off any piercings other than your ears).
3. Hair is important. It is worth the money to pay for a professional haircut or styling shortly before the interview.
4. Women should wear closed shoes, no matter how attractive your toes may be. Heels are OK, and probably desirable for looking dressed up.
5. Women should wear stockings, regardless of the temperature, but use neutral colors (flesh tones, not white, red, purple, etc.) and make sure that they do not clash with your shoes.
6. A dress or skirt is appropriate for women (pants probably not), but make sure it is not too short.
7. A blazer is acceptable, as long as it is a classic color and cut that does not appear dated. Leather is a no-no.
8. Men should wear a suit and tie. Never mind that you had college professors who wore turtlenecks with sport coats. If you are not wearing a tie, it creates the impression that you are trying to avoid wearing one, and your prospective employer does not want to think of you as someone who avoids things he does not like.
9. You want the interviewer to see and hear you, not smell you. Be fresh and clean, but stay away from aftershave, perfume or other scents that can be distracting.
10. Women’s handbags should be conservative in style and color, and should match (or at least not clash with) your dress.
11. If you bring a briefcase, make sure it is like new. You might think a brand-new briefcase makes you look inexperienced, but the reality is that an obviously worn one looks sloppy.
12. Keep in mind the geographical area that you are applying in (rural, urban, suburban, climate conditions, and what part of the country it is in), and try to fit in with the surroundings. A heavy wool suit that knocks them out in Boston might get you some weird looks in Los Angeles or Miami, and a skirt that is right at home in Cleveland might appear a bit drab in San Francisco or New York City.
You may have the best education, experience and other qualifications for the job, but if you do not make a first impression that strikes the interviewer as favorable upon meeting you, and memorable after the fact, you still might lose the job to someone who does a better job presenting him-/herself. That may not seem fair, but it is a fact of life.
By John M. Glover
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