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When
Job-Hunting: Dress for Success
It's probably one of the most overused phrases in job-hunting,
but also one of the most underutilized by job-seekers:
dress for success. In job-hunting, first impressions are
critical. Remember, you are marketing a product -- yourself
-- to a potential employer, and the first thing the employer
sees when greeting you is your attire; thus, you must
make every effort to have the proper dress for the type
of job you are seeking. Will dressing properly get you
the job? Of course not, but it will give you a competitive
edge and a positive first impression.
Should you be judged by what you wear? Perhaps not, but
the reality is, of course, that you are judged. Throughout
the entire job-seeking process employers use short-cuts
-- heuristics or rules of thumb -- to save time. With
cover letters, it's the opening paragraph and a quick
scan of your qualifications. With resumes, it is a quick
scan of your accomplish-ments. With the job interview,
it's how you're dressed that sets the tone of the interview.
How should you dress? Dressing conservatively is always
the safest route, but you should also try and do a little
investigating of your prospective employer so that what
you wear to the interview makes you look as though you
fit in with the organization. If you overdress (which
is rare but can happen) or underdress (the more likely
scenario), the potential employer may feel that you don't
care enough about the job.
How do you find out what is the proper dress for a given
job/company/industry? You can call the Human Resources
office where you are interviewing and simply ask. Or,
you could visit the company's office to retrieve an application
or other company information and observe the attire current
employees are wearing -- though make sure you are not
there on a "casual day" and misinterpret the
dress code.
Finally, do you need to run out and spend a lot of money
on clothes for interviewing? No, but you should make sure
you have at least two professional sets of attire. You'll
need more than that, but depending on your current financial
condition, two is enough to get started and you can buy
more once you have the job or have more financial resources.
Hints for Dress for Success: for
Men and Women |
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| Attention to details
is crucial, so here are some tips for both men and women.
Make sure you have: |
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Clean
and polished conservative dress shoes |
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Well-groomed
hairstyle |
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Cleaned
and trimmed fingernails |
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Minimal
cologne or perfume |
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No
visible body piercing beyond conservative ear piercings
for women |
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Well-brushed
teeth and fresh breath |
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No
gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth |
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Minimal
jewelry |
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No
body odor |
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| Finally, check your attire in the rest
room just before your interview for a final check of your
appearance -- to make sure your tie is straight, your
hair is combed, etc. |
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by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Dr. Randall Hansen is currently
Webmaster of Quintessential Careers,
as well as publisher of its electronic
newsletter, QuintZine. |
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