How important are first impressions in a job interview?
“If someone comes in poorly dressed,” said Susan Reyman, an executive recruiter based in Chicago, “I don’t even advise them. If my first impression is poor, it’s not a good sign.”
Michelle Sterling agreed. “The minute you walk in the door, people start making assumptions about you — and your clothes play an important role in those judgments,” said Sterling, president of Global Image Group, a personal image-consulting firm based in San Francisco.
Whew. And that’s before you even get around to your resume, your personality and whether or not you can work weekends.
In the current economic environment, the pool of qualified candidates for a given position is larger than ever. What this means is that employers can afford to pick and choose based on personal qualities.
“You should control anything you can control,” said Andrea Linett, creative director of Lucky magazine and co-author of the just released “Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style,” (Gotham, 2008). “You definitely don’t want an interviewer to be fixated on your earrings while you’re trying to explain your qualifications.”
All of this means that, when it comes to clothing, job aspirants need to proceed with caution.
“You’ve got to be careful, because you don’t know who you’re going to be talking to,” Reyman said. “It might be someone young and hip but then again it might be someone fairly conservative. Companies are generally very proud of their culture and they want to know that you’ll fit into that culture.”
That doesn’t mean you need to be totally anonymous, however. In the end, it’s a question of balance.
“You want to fit in but you also need to wear something that puts a little spring in your step,” Linett said. “It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Maybe it’s the shape of your jacket or a cool bracelet. But you need to stand out in some way.”
For women, clothes for a job interview start with a well-tailored jacket in a fairly subdued fabric, such as silk or wool bouclé.
“It’s a must,” Sterling said. “A jacket polishes your look and makes you seem more serious and professional.”
After that, the main question is skirts or pants? Both are acceptable, with skirts generally considered the most conservative choice. Still, “Hillary Clinton went pretty far in a pantsuit,” Linett said.
A deciding factor may be your body. “To some degree, you have to dress for your figure,” Linett said. “If your legs are not your best feature, wear trousers.”
Blouses should be simple without distracting ruffles or flounces. “Nothing too flowing or billowing,” Linett said.
“A pop of color isn’t a bad thing,” Sterling added. “Instead of a white button down shirt, maybe a silk blouse with polka dots.”
If you’re wearing a skirt, opaque or black stockings are best. As for shoes, sandals and other open-toe styles are verboten, as are excessively high – anything more than 3-inch – heels. Lastly, wear something comfortable.
“You have to be comfortable in what you’re wearing or you’re not going to come across the way you want to in an interview,” Linett said.
Another concern is jewelry. The rule here is less is more. Pearls are fine, but Reyman warned against “five bracelets, three rings and large earrings.”
All that glitter diverts attention, she said. “You want an interviewer to pay attention to your personality, not look at your accessories.” (It goes without saying that any exotic piercing jewelry need to be removed.)
A related question has to do with tattoos. Many people – especially young people – have them today. Unfortunately, corporate America isn’t listening.
“Cover them up,” Linett said. “I know someone who interviewed at a fashion house – which you would expect to be a little more liberal about these things – and she didn’t get the job because they didn’t like her tattoo.”
Finally, there’s grooming, meaning hair and make-up. Many women assume, especially if they have curly hair, that pulling it back is the way to go. Linett, however, disagrees.
“As long as your hair is clean and fresh and not like you just rolled out of bed, it’s fine,” she said. “If you pull it back in a bun and wear a skirt, you just look like you’re frozen in time. You have to be yourself.”
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