In about three weeks my son Noah will earn his bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin. About five days later he will fly to NYC for his first 'job' interview. He's excited. I'm excited.
And of all the things he needs to think about, there is one issue that is taking up a lot of oxygen. Noah's got suits on his mind.
Time was that fretting over your wardrobe choices for a job interview was strictly the domain of women. Men didn't have to think about their wardrobe because it was a uniform - dark suit, light shirt, conservative tie.
But that business uniform is no longer a given. And, as my daughter Berit pointed out, " If you wear a suit and the office dress is casual, they may think you're trying too hard." Then she said, "But if you don't wear a suit they may think you're not mature enough to do the job."
The Career experts are divided on the issue. Yahoo! Recommends Checking with the job recruiter ( Noah didn't get his interview via a recruiter)
"A business suit is appropriate attire for most job interviews.
If you're not certain whether you should wear a suit, ask the recruiter about the company's dress code.
But, remember, an interview isn't just another day on the job. You need to dress to impress more than ever.
If the company attire is business casual, or even simply casual, you still should consider wearing a suit to the interview. You should also think about what other candidates might wear. You don't want to be remembered for being the only candidate who didn't dress up for the interview.
A good rule of thumb: If in doubt, wear a suit. It's generally better to be dressed too formally than too casually."
The folks at Careerbuilders.com remind readers that first impressions are made within the first 27 seconds of the interview. Their advice was eerily similar to the opinions of my 17 year old daughter.
"If you are too formal in your appearance, you might give the impression of being rigid and stuffy. If you are too casual, you may send the signal that you do not take the interview or the job very seriously.
Begin by talking to employees of your potential new employer and find out what the dress code is and how seriously management takes it. If you can't find out this information, you should choose clothing that is professional in the impression it gives.
- "Wear a suit or sport jacket with color coordinated trousers
- The color should be neutral or dark - blue, black or gray is best
- Wear a tie - even if you will never wear one after you get the job
- Shoes should be leather - clean and polished - black is best
- Make sure your nails are trimmed and that they are clean."
This being 2006, the Careerbuilders.com article had this other piece of advice. Actually this advice preceded the advice on wardrobe selection-- so if you are going to look for a job this summer, just remember....
"The following ideas can never be neglected:
- Look clean and neat. Make sure that your hair is done appropriately. Women - do not wear wild hairdo's Men - get a trim of head and facial hair.
- Do not wear a perfume or cologne as many people are allergic. Bathing with a good quality bath soap will leave a light scent. You will be nervous and a gentle scent can mask the perspiring you may be doing. An unscented antiperspirant can be used.
- Cover any tattoos and avoid gaudy jewelry. Definitely limit pierced jewelry to ears only. Do not wear nose or tongue jewelry
Just a couple of thoughts. They recommend that women shouldn't wear an wild hairdoos. First, I have no idea what is and isn't a "wild" hairdoo. But, why just that advice to women? Shouldn't guys be concerned about their hair as well?
What does it say about our society that the career advisor feels compelled to remind people to bathe before the interview? Oh, and given that Americans spend about $2 billion a year on deoderant, was that really necessary to add that in addition to using soap, they could use an anti-perspirant?
As to covering up the tatoos, given the number of people who now have hand, wrist and neck tattoos, perhaps,white gloves and ascots may become part of the job interview fashion wardrobe.
Image Credit: Image from Flickr member Fabian17
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