I make no apology for concentrating on your physical appearance as part of your interview preparation. It can have a highly significant effect on your chances of getting a job. My aim is to get you to spend at least as much time on this aspect of your presentation as you do rehearsing your interview answers. In the same way as the costume and stage makeup are pivotal to the impression of the actor on the stage, you are also going to be performing. You will have a short space of time, in competition with others, to make your mark. It makes sense to use everything at your disposal. Many more jobs have been lost by conveying a too casual attitude to the vacancy through appearance and body language than through providing one less-good answer. Our aim here is not to win a beauty contest but to ensure that our appearance is just right, that it provides no distractions and allows the interviewer to concentrate on our skills, aptitudes and personality in relation to the job.
Your appearance is the most important aspect of the first impression you create. This cannot be stressed too much, and if it is the only thing you learn from reading this book, it will be valuable. The advice in this section applies equally to men and women. A smart appearance shows that you have taken trouble over the way you want to come across. A plain neutral look indicates a serious, professional outlook. Your choice of clothes indicates your attitude to yourself and other people.
It is worth thinking about the kind of appearance that is expected in the kind of job you are applying for. In creative industries the look is generally much more individualistic and casual. Men often do not wear suits to the office. In more traditional sectors such as banking or the legal profession, the work clothing is also more traditional and suits are more prevalent, even for women staff, with more of a uniform appearance for all.
In the middle range comes employment such as teaching, local authority work and personal services that tend to exhibit more formality of appearance at the senior levels and a more casual look for junior staff. Once you have decided what the normal ‘dress code’ is for the kind of work you are applying for, you can choose your interview clothes by pitching your look one step up from the norm. For instance, you may decide to attend a job interview for a lecturing position in a suit whereas you would only wear a matching jacket and trousers or skirt for a clerical position in a museum.
Women will be more familiar with the points made here because they tend to be exposed to more advice and information about appearance than men, but this generally leads merely to lack of confidence. Being bombarded with messages about fashion and advertisements from the clothing and cosmetics industries only serves to worry women. It is similar to being spoilt for choice in a larger supermarket compared to the relatively simple choices of a corner shop – the shopping experience in the supermarket can lead to confusion. Interviews are difficult enough without adding the burden of concern about our appearance. The aim here is to eradicate this particular anxiety.
You do not want to appear showy or quirky in your choice of clothes but you should look clean and smart. I am often asked whether it is possible to be overdressed for an interview. I do not think so (with the possible exception of a dinner jacket or ball gown!). Even if the job would normally require you to wear overalls or a uniform, dressing with care for your interview shows you have taken time over your appearance and indicates an awareness of being, to some extent, on show. For instance, a candidate for a motor mechanic traineeship may well want to wear a suit or jacket, tie and shirt to the interview at least, even if overalls would be worn once doing the job.
Men should wear a dark suit, or at least a smart jacket and tie for a job where less formal clothing is the norm. Women should dress smartly (a jacket is a good idea), and not be cluttered with accessories. Whatever the job, it is helpful when you are feeling nervous to add authority to the impression you create.