Dress for the job you want… not the job you have.
In this episode of The Dorms to Daybeds Podcast, Tony and I discuss how to dress for a job interview. We also discuss the importance of body language and how to conduct yourself like a professional.
Tony has a great sense of fashion when it comes to this stuff so you guys should definitely pay attention to what he has to say.
Enjoy!
Click play or go to iTunes to download.
In the podcast, we go through everything concerning how you want to look when you actually show up to interview for your job.
– when to wear business casual versus a suit and tie
– the importance of having everything “sequencing” together
– being clean shaven vs. having some facial hair
– polished shoes
– the importance of body language and being mindful of your posture
When in doubt, the look you want to go for the Conservative look.
The only exceptions are when you are interviewing for companies that specifically try to avoid old-fashioned. In that case, you might want to add a little bit of flair.
A lot of the newer startup companies encourage this “dare to be different” concept. Zappos is an interesting case.
I was really happy with this discussion because a lot of interesting points came up.
1. You should avoid wearing red ties for job interviews.
Red signifies power which is great in most instances. However, you want to avoid this for job interviews.
You do not want to convey power during a job interview (or at more power than the interviewer).
Remember, they are hiring you. They have the power. So you cannot do anything or try to portray yourself in a way that might upset this power dynamic. Other experts confirm this.
2) Black suits are in. Navy suits are classic. Be careful with grey suits.
During my graduate program, one of my instructors talked about wearing black suits during interviews and it always stuck with me.
Tony is a big fan of navy suits. I’ve been a fan of rocking a navy suit, white shirt, and a yellow tie since my Wake days.
Tony warns everyone to be careful with grey suits and not to wear them if you are on the heavier side.
Naturally, I like the pinstripe grey suit look because it’s a powerful look. This definitely did not help my case when I was interviewing for jobs after school.
3) Look good. Feel good. Perform good.
Make sure every detail is on point. Remember, it’s all about precision.
When you walk in to that interview, you want to look and feel like a boss.
The way you do that is by making sure everything is on point.
The day (or night) before the interview you should do the following.
– get a fresh haircut
– get a clean shave (or trim your facial hair)
– make sure clothes are picked out and ironed
– make sure your shoes are polished
4. Know your brand. Adjust your look (and demeanor) accordingly for the job interview.
My look and build puts me at a disadvantage in job interviews. Hiring managers see me and they I just a dumb meat head who probably just squeaked by in college.
They probably think I’m only capable of working some sort of hourly security job.
Back in 2013, my dad sat me down and explained this to me.
He basically said I had to work on not being so intimidating. So that’s what I did.
Lo and behold, I was finally able to get a job because I seemed really friendly and willing to take orders. Once I got the job, I grew my facial hair back and went back to acting normal.
5. Jobs can be earned or lost based solely off of body language… Trust me I know.
Tony made a lot of great points concerning body language during job interviews.
Here are the main ones:
– You want to be comfortable but not too comfortable.
– Smile.
– Make eye contact.
– Give strong handshakes.
– Upright posture.
– Do not put your hands on the interviewer’s desk.
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