What to wear for interviews and at work
We make no secret of the fact that we're big fans of those TV make-over programmes because the positive transformations they make to their subject's appearance and confidence is undeniable. Those who are prepared to pooh-pooh the importance of looking good and personal grooming as a shallow conceit should reconsider carefully their position when it comes to surviving in the job market. You are always being watched and judged by someone, whether you like it or not.Do clothes really matter?
Yes, clothes do matter. What you are wearing sends non-verbal signals to others about our competence and trustworthiness and how well we fit into a group. Imagine visiting a hospital to find that your surgeon was dressed like a teenager in a skateboarding park or had a personal hygiene problem? We may not consider that we wear a uniform for work if we are not members of the armed forces, the police or an AA patrolman but actually we do. Our suits, our jeans and jacket combos, they are all uniforms of a sort.
So, appearance is important when it comes to keeping your job and getting a new one. If you are highly competent but look frayed and worn out, you might not compare well with a person who is better turned out but not necessarily as experienced as you, nor as good at the job. So, if one of you has to be chosen for redundancy, promotion or a new job, which one of you has the edge? Of course, it isn’t quite as simple as that but we're trying to illustrate the point that you need to use all the tools at your disposal in the survival game. This isn’t about beauty parades; it’s about the communication of reliability, intelligence, trustworthiness, competence, leadership, teamwork and consideration of others. You might need to create a smart impression at an interview to get the job or a promotion even if you don’t need to wear smart attire once you start the job. Bank managers and customers usually require us to pay attention to our appearance too if we seriously want them to lend us money or buy our products or services.
Dressing for success
Personal grooming matters
- Hair: a good, well-cut, flattering hair cut takes years off. A good hairdresser or barber is worth their weight in gold. Avoid bad home perms or colours or untouched roots. Better grey than the odd ginger hue that poorly applied dyes can create in artificial light. Clean, healthy looking hair with no dandruff, not too much gel or styling product is the best solution. No extreme styles either if the work environment doesn’t warrant it.
- Eyebrows frame the face: for women they must be naturally shaped, for men - trimmed and tidy.
- Hands: clean, well-trimmed nails, no vivid polish for women, keep artificial nails natural looking and not so long that you can’t do your job. Avoid nicotine stains on fingers.
- Makeup: less is more for most women. We read somewhere way back that women who wear well-applied, subtle make-up earn more. Who knows? However, the 'nightclub look' definitely doesn’t do for women who aspire to be taken seriously. Many beauty salons offer make up lessons that are well worth the money and you can get a free makeover at most of the top department store beauty counters.
- Fragrance: light colognes on either sex are fine, overpowering, cheap ones can seriously offend. Wear fragrance-free anti-perspirant or deodorant – it’s better for your clothes anyway. Avoid reeking of alcohol or cigarette smoke.
What to wear at interviews and at work
- For women: moderation in all things, not too much cleavage or leg or anything else for that matter on show. The more skin you show, the less professional you appear.
- For men: no workman’s butt cleavage or beer gut on show or peeping through a shirt. A good, classic, well-cut suit in a serviceable fabric really makes a man look the part at work or at an interview. Better to have a few well-cut suits in basic navy and charcoal and ring the changes with shirts and ties than lots of cheap items. Keep suits well pressed and once the trousers are shiny, discard them. Better still, you could buy one jacket with two pairs of trousers. If formal suits aren’t part of the dress culture of the firm you work for or aspire to work for a jacketed outfit may be suitable. Make sure the weights of the fabrics and colours tone properly. No character ties or socks if you want to be taken seriously. No fancy coloured socks, stick to black and navy. Black shoes, classic styles, well polished.
- Be appropriate: if you have or want an edgy or cool job in a fashion store, hairdressing salon or an advertising agency by all means wear what your employer considers appropriate. Just make sure it doesn’t scare the customers.
- Be confident: women don’t have to wear butch, mannish suits to carry off an air of confidence or authority at work.
- Buy quality: good quality fabric, well-cut items that flatter, good shoes and bags are available in most high street stores these days. Buy the best quality items you can afford and look after them properly.
- De-clutter your wardrobe regularly. If you haven’t worn something for three years or more give it to a charity shop. If something can clearly be identified as a 1980s power suit complete with shoulder pads, save it for fancy dress!
- Stay well groomed: keep buttons sewn on properly, zips repaired, hems up, shoes polished and heeled, sweaters de-bobbled and suits free of lint and pet hair.
- Colours: black can appear very austere so unless you’re applying for a job in a funeral home or it’s the company uniform men should stick to dark classics like navy and charcoal. Women can wear these colours and other dark shades such as plum, teal and dark brown.
Get a professional makeover
Consider having a full colour, wardrobe and style consultation with an image consultant. Prices start from £100 and most people who have had this done report that it was well worth the time and the money. It made them feel and look more confident and saved them a lot of money in the long run because they stopped buying styles and colours that didn’t do anything for them. The two companies listed below are the most well known and have many large corporations as clients as well as private individuals. They have local consultants all over the UK. Many large department stores offer personal shopping services so once you have your rules they can make it even easier for you to keep up to date with each season. It’s excellent for busy people, or those who don’t really like shopping.
Is it just how you look that creates a positive first impression?
Personal impact is about other things apart from your looks of course. Improving your posture, knowing how to shake hands properly, having good manners, not fidgeting and controlling your nerves in meetings, looking friendly and confident, are all equally important to that vital first impression if you are applying for a new job or a loan to start your new business. Try out this simple test to guage your personal impact here.
You'll find a more detailed section on image and personal impact in our best selling book 'Rebuilding your life after redundancy' .
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