Then just a couple of weeks ago, a professional colleague of mine who is an adjunct professor at a major university asked if I would help her out by conducting mock interviews with students in her 300 level marketing class. Mind you, these are students getting ready to graduate from college who have been given the unique opportunity to meet with several business executives (there were three of us conducting the interviews) to hone their interviewing skills. And out of 30 or more students in the class, only three of them wore business suits. THREE!!
Needless to say, I pointed out this personal brand failure to every student I interviewed who was not in a suit.
While I understand that the purpose of mock interviews is to try and help the students improve their interviewing skills, I was amazed at how many of them actually believed that their business casual, or in several cases, overly casual attire, was appropriate for an interview, even if only a mock interview. Based on the interviews I had conducted several months earlier, this was not an isolated incident and appeared to be a trend.
According to JobMagician.com, one of the top three ways to turn off an executive recruiter is to dress unprofessionally.
I was taught at a very young age that you dress for the part. If you want a job as a manager, you need to dress as a manager. If you want to be viewed as a professional, you need to dress like a professional. I remember wearing a suit to my first interview at a fast food chain when I was 15 years old.
If the corporate policy at the company where an applicant wishes to work is casual attire, then the applicant can change his or her clothing once s/he gets the job. But to assume that this type of presentation is acceptable during the interviewing process, when first impressions are critical, is simply ignorant. The candidates and students I interviewed were not poor 15 year old kids or uneducated adults.
Were they taught this by their parents, by the schools? Did they make this flawed decision on their own?
Many of the students and job candidates I met had excellent credentials. However, those who took the time to dress appropriately for their interviews were given stronger consideration. Wearing a suit displays professionalism, respect and proper etiquette.
All things being equal, the candidate who dresses professionally for an interview will always win the job over the candidate who doesn't.
* The opinions shared on this blog are solely those of its author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Goodwill of Greater Washington or its affiliates.
