Making the Most of What You're Wearing

So, you have your resume squared away, your interview responses at the very front of your mind and the appointment set from the business you had been hoping could call you for an interview. What could possibly go wrong?

Many job seekers will study up for a position, be able to use all the proper lingo, and spend hours perfecting their resume only to overlook one tiny-yet-huge part of the interview process; their appearance. At times, it’s not even that candidates look shabby, but that they just don’t look right for the job in the prospective employer’s eyes. Here are a few tips to help potential job seekers dress for success.

1    Think about what is appropriate. While it is typically always safe to go with a suit, sometimes it is best to look into the industry for which you’re trying to get a foot into. It is important to look nice, it is also important to fit in to an extent. Wearing a bow-tie to an interview for a job in a warehouse might send the message you wouldn’t like driving a fork-lift for very long. Dressing nice doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go overboard and not being taken seriously.

2     Make what you have look its best. Even if you’re wearing the nicest suit, if your tie is crooked with a shirt that is un-tucked and wrinkled, you may have actually been better off with wearing the ironed polo and khakis. While anyone can borrow a suit, employers will be looking at the big picture as well as the details. Your attention to detail, from the wrinkles in your shirt to how you fill out client contracts, will speak volumes to your employer about the kind of employee you have the potential to be.

3     You have the right to look crazy, but they have the right to say “no.” While we do live in country with the luxury of freedom of expression and have the ability to dye our hair unnatural colors, pierce sections of our faces, and have visible tattoos of whatever we want, we also have the freedom to not hire someone. Your employer has this freedom just as you have the freedom to look any way you’d like. Realize that not every company wants a mortgage broker with a mohawk and not every school is thrilled about hiring a school teacher with a lip piercing.

When applying and interviewing for any position, it’s always a good idea to stop and put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. It is also important to remember that when interviewing, you might have the same amount of experience as the next guy and the difference between who got the job and who is unemployed might very well come down to whose shirt tail was hanging out in the interview. 

For additional assistance in deciding your next career move, consult the employment experts at Barracuda Staffing. Your next job could be waiting for you right now.