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Dressing for successWhen you've been used to wearing whatever you like as a student it can often come as a shock to the system to have to decide what to wear for your first proper job interview, or once you start your new job full-time.What we wear sends non-verbal signals to others about our competence and trustworthiness and how well we fit into a group. So, whatever you wear now is important if you want to get your first job and then make real progress in your career. Most of the big graduate recruiters will tell you what the dress code is both for interviews and day to day. Many others will leave it up to you and will judge you on your choices and the common sense you display. It's pretty hard to give advice on appearance without appearing stuffy or patronising but it really can be the making or breaking of a candidate. Common sense job interview dressing - looking the part What kind of job are interviewing for and what kind of company is it? When people talk about 'looking the part' what do they really mean? Every organisation, and every job group, has it's own dress code even if many of the elements seem similar. Most graduate recruiters don't expect you to dress expensively or particularly stylishly, but they do expect you to dress appropriately. So, traditional jobs with conservative cultures like banks, the Civil Service, accountancy firms, legal firms, management consultancies, IT companies and the like will expect you to look smart and well groomed. When prospective employers meet you, first impressions count for a lot. You want them to concentrate on you, what you have to say and what you can do for them not focus unduly on your appearance. All deviations from their corporate norm such as piercings, inappropriate shows of bare flesh or underwear, distracting jewellery, over-generous amounts of fragrance, make-up, hair product and facial hair, chipped or lurid nail polish, scruffy hair and so on will get you noticed, but not in a good way. So, for men it's pretty straightforward. A dark coloured, well fitting suit with black leather shoes, dark socks, a white and well pressed shirt with a sober tie is generally a reasonably safe bet. If a smart casual look is stipulated (especially if you're going to an assessment centre where the atmosphere might be rather more relaxed), suit-quality trousers, smart shoes, a shirt with a collar, a fine knit sweater and no tie will probably do just fine. Even if you are going for a job in a media or 'arty' kind of organisation, they will still expect you to have made an effort and it's hard to think of any graduate scheme type job interview where jeans and a T-Shirt would be considered acceptable. For women, a suit isn't obligatory but a smart dress and jacket or a well chosen skirt, blouse and jacket combination will be perfectly acceptable. Dark colours suit most people and project authority; stay away from anything highly patterned or frilly, wear shoes that you can walk in confidently, wear tights without ladders and leave anything clubby or edgy at home for a more suitable occasion. Wear make-up but keep it natural, wear jewellery but keep it simple, and make sure that your handbag is a fairly plain and professional looking one. Common sense workwear Once you've started your new job you can relax a bit because you're on the inside now. Take a look around. What do your peers wear? What does your boss wear? What do the people whose jobs you aspire to do in a few years time wear? What do the powerful and successful people in your organisation or industry sector wear? Find your own style and be comfortable with your identity but take your cues from your environment and adapt it to fit in with your lifestyle. Plenty of people with absolutely no taste or style in clothes get promoted to positions of great seniority and authority, so it isn't necessary to obsess about it. However, allowing your appearance to become a barrier to your career success doesn't make a lot of sense. If you have a responsible job, you'll probably be putting in quite a lot of hours; a working wardrobe that isn't high maintenance or take too much time to co-ordinate every morning is a good thing to aim for. The busier and more senior you get, the more you will begin to appreciate the value of well cut classic wardrobe staples that will stand up to the rigours of commuting, air travel, the vagaries of the climate and parenthood! |
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