Dress for Success: Why Personal Presentation Matters

I was asked to lead a panel of experts on “the employers perspective”  when it comes to selecting candidates to interview, and the answers we expected to receive as part of those interviews. We had about 50 RSVP for the event, which was free to anyone who wanted to take advantage of the knowledge we were about to share. Of those 50, approximately 30 turned up, which says a lot about the motivation of some people to find work.  Of those who did attend, and this was telling – only 4 people (not counting myself and my colleagues) would I have considered to have passed the first “test” of taking the time to present themselves in a manner that said – I am taking this seriously.

Bear in mind that myself and my colleagues represented 4 very large employers in the state, we all have the power to hire – and only 4 of the 30 attendees took the time to dress to impress. What was also interesting though, no-one had taken the time to bring an up to date CV to hand to myself or my colleagues either which seems a little silly.

Handing in your application personally:

Say you were going to hand deliver your job application because you wanted to find out where the organisation was based, what the people looked like and whether you liked the building. Do you go in whatever you are currently wearing, regardless of what it is, or do you take the time to make a bit of an effort?

Hint – if you are taking the trouble of hand delivering your application, then make sure you are dressed the part. Never assume the person on the reception desk is the receptionist as some people may be covering for the role, and don’t ever think the receptionist is only JUST a receptionist. I know of several organisations who specifically ask the person on reception about the candidates who were sitting waiting for their appointment. And of course there are the people you will meet on the way into the building, or standing in reception at the time you walk in. How embarrassing would it be for you to be called in for an interview only to discover the person you were rude to was actually the person doing the hiring, and had looked down at your torn jeans and daggy jumper. Would you do well in the interview? Probably not – given their “memory” of you will always be tainted by that first meeting.

So – dress to impress.

Go for classic:

If you are planning on working in the corporate world – go for the classic look. Ladies – knee length skirts, jackets and a clean, pressed blouse are always a good choice. Even better if it’s a suit, or a dress with a jacket over the top. Wear stockings and a nice pair of shoes that you can walk in....or put another way – don’t wear heels if you only wear them to interviews – believe me they take practice to walk in and look confident enough to do so. Gents, always go for the suit, shirt and tie. Yes it may sound boring, but it’s expected, and make sure your shoes are clean and polished.

A simple question - What do you look like?

Make sure you haven’t missed bits when you were shaving. Chipped nail polish is a no no, and if you dye your hair, make sure the roots don’t need touching up. It may sound petty – but remember this one thing – it’s a game, and if you want to win, then you do need to play it effectively.

So what do you look like?

Put on your outfit of choice and get ready as if you were going to attend the interview. Now, go and stand in front of the mirror and assess yourself. Ask yourself the tell all question – would you hire the person standing in front of you?

If the answer is no - what do you need to do to make that all important good first impression?