Part of the interview process is for an interviewer to get to know you, check out your skills and try to determine if you might be a good fit for the company. Simple enough, but don’t kid yourself – they’re also being paid to make essentially a snap judgment about you, and to pick up on your more subtle clues – such as personal presentation, judgment and sense of appropriateness, etc.So, as they’re the ones holding the keys to your future, you might as well dress for them – and save your more creative ensembles for those heady days after you’ve landed the job. Also, keep the following in mind:
Leave your sexy, back at home: Show no extra skin beyond your hands, neck and head. Shirts open at the neck and tight pants may kill ‘em at the club, but in the light of day, they can quickly turn off an interviewer. Your best bet? Unless you’re going for a job at ad agency or fashion magazine, err on the conservative side, at least for that initial meeting. By conservative we mean a suit, collared shirt and tie, with leather shoes (not your kicks).
Be fresh pressed:
…And well groomed. Well-tended facial hair is OK; a five o’clock shadow at 10 am is not. Brush your teeth and carry some mints along for a last minute touch up. And wrinkles, ah, wrinkles – you simply cannot walk into an interview in a wrinkled suit or shirt – you have got to look well-tended. Put it this way, wrinkles tell the interviewer you couldn’t be bothered and so why should they bother with you?
Clear the air: As in, don’t knock the interviewer out with the scent of coffee, cigarettes or cologne. Skip all three on the day of your interview to guarantee you won’t leave a trail they’ll remember for all the wrong reasons.
Shut it down: Turn off every electronic device in your bag – that means the Iphone, the Blackberry, the Nintendo – and whatever else can make noise or go off and disrupt the interview. Also, now we’re begging here, take the sunglasses off your head, pull the headphones out of your ears and power down the Bluetooth – none of them should be visible during an interview, no exceptions.
Go stealth: Carry a briefcase or high-end messenger bag, and have everything organized neatly inside so you look pulled together and in control, not scattered. Also, don’t carry extra stuff like newspapers, shopping bags, coffee cups, etc – again, the clutter you carry into the room with you will effect their opinion of you – and not in a good way.
