Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (30 page)
Authors: Ellen Gordon Reeves
Tags: #Non-Fiction, #Self Help
Pay attention to your body language, too—you want to look as active and energetic as possible to counter unconscious stereotypes linking excess weight and inactivity.
Q. I sweat a lot, especially when I get nervous. Anything I can do about it?
A.
Carry your jacket or sweater on the way to the interview and put it on at the last minute. Wear dark colors: They’re less likely to reveal sweat stains. While we’re on the subject: Make sure your antiperspirant hasn’t left any white streaks on your clothing. Double-check your back and sides.
Q. It’s okay to wear nail polish to an interview, right?
A.
Yes, but I don’t recommend a bold color. It’s distracting and could be read as overly vampy. Keep it conservative—clear or natural.
For both men and women, nails should be clean and well groomed. People notice, especially when it’s time for the handshake, and chewed-up cuticles send the message that you’re insecure or anxiety-prone. (And you definitely want to make sure you don’t bite your nails during the interview—keeping them neat should help.)
A note to women:
Some people say you should never wear open-toed shoes to an interview. A little bit of toe is okay, but strappy sandals are not—your heel should be covered. Toenails should be well-groomed, with natural or classic polish.
A note to men:
If your fingernails are a mess, consider getting your first-ever manicure (but no polish, not even clear!).
Q. Do I really have to wear a suit to the interview?
A.
For guys, the answer is yes. A good, matching suit is the way to go, even if the job itself won’t require one. For some interviews, a matching blazer and pants would be appropriate, but it’s probably not worth the risk of appearing too casual or mismatched. At this stage in life, you should own a suit, even a decent secondhand one if that’s what you can afford right now. You can always wear it to weddings and funerals. You might as well make the investment.
Women have more options. You don’t have to go out and buy a suit unless you think it fits the corporate culture (i.e., you’d wear it again once you got the job). You could also wear, say, black or neutral pants or a skirt with a complementary jacket, or an appropriate, professional-looking dress. Even the jacket is negotiable: Depending on the weather, you may be able to get away with a cardigan or just a nonfrilly, pressed blouse.
There’s a lot more leeway in women’s clothes than there is in men’s—and that means there’s also more room for error. A rule of thumb: Lead with your competence, accomplishments, and personality, not with your outfit. Avoid dressing provocatively or eclectically. Again, in certain domains (theater, fashion, design, and so on), you may be judged on your expressiveness and creativity—but unless that’s the case, I’d recommend erring on the conservative side. You don’t want to be known as “the one with the miniskirt” (or the stilettos, green hair, Mohawk, or thigh-highs). Keep your accessories subtle too. No big bows or buckles, or other bells and whistles.
Even though you may be able to dress up your jeans and wear them to the office in certain industries, they’re not appropriate for any job interview, anywhere, ever. Same goes for halter or tank tops; cover your shoulders. If you’re going with a dress or skirt, hemlines should be modest, no shorter than just above the knee—no miniskirts or dresses with slits up the thigh. And if you are showing some leg—unless you’re applying for a job in a casual industry—wear nylons. It may seem old-fashioned, but to my mind it’s professional. (Bring an extra pair along with you on the day of the interview, as Murphy’s Law dictates that yours
will
run.) Last, make sure your undergarments fit correctly and aren’t visible. I don’t want to remember you by your bra straps or visible panty lines.
Q. Is wearing a red dress a good way to project confidence?
A.
I don’t recommend wearing anything too bright. While you will certainly be remembered, it may not be in the way you had hoped. The same goes for leather or any evening or “holiday” materials (shimmer, sequins, lace, velvet), busy patterns, or color combinations.
TAKING NOTES AT THE INTERVIEW
To take notes or not to take notes? That is the question. The answer? It depends. You pack your notepad and pen (see page 153), but you don’t want to pull them out and start scribbling like a student on the first day of class. A successful interview is one that feels like a conversation. Good conversations require eye contact.
But there’s nothing wrong with taking notes. You can’t be expected to remember everything, especially when you’re applying for several jobs at a time. (And the interviewer can’t remember all the applicants, which is why he may be taking notes on you.) To me, a candidate who’s taking notes is taking the interview seriously. I figure that’s a person who’s likely to write things down and follow through on the job.
Just make sure you don’t make note-taking your main focus. Don’t sit down and pull out your pad right away; wait until something seems significant, then ask—“Do you mind if I jot down a few notes?” Make your writing discreet and small; you don’t want the interviewer spending more time trying to see what you’ve written than listening to what you have to say. If you’re a doodler, restrain yourself! Only write things down if they seem essential: job descriptions, any assignments you’re given, books or articles you’re told to look up.
Q. People don’t take me seriously in interviews; I’m petite, blonde, and blue-eyed. How can I convey that I’m a serious candidate?
A.
One of my students was frequently stereotyped as a “dumb blonde” because of her looks, and she knew it. We agreed that it might help her to wear some chic but unobtrusive glasses. Her eyesight was just fine; this was about image-projection. Sometimes that’s what it takes to overcome circumstances you can’t control.
Another cosmetic reason to buy and wear glasses: if you have dark under-eye circles or puffiness. You won’t be hired if you look unwell or sleep-deprived—it begs the question of whether you’ve been up all night partying. Concealer can only go so far. If you’ve tried the home remedies—tea bags, cucumber slices—to no avail, think about using glasses as camouflage.
Now that we’ve covered what to wear and how to prepare for the interview, it’s time to turn to the heart of the matter: the questions you will be asked and the questions you will ask. Remember this: If you don’t understand the interviewer’s question, ask a question about the question! Do not attempt to stumble through a question you don’t really get. It’s fine to say, “I’m sorry, could you rephrase that? I’m not sure I understand.”
Though there’s no preparing for every possible question, you can prepare in a global sense. When it comes down to it, interviewers only want to find out one thing: Are you qualified and willing to do the job—and will you do it better than anyone else? Every question asked is just a variation on this theme.
Your theme is simple: I am qualified to do this job, I want to do this job, and I am the best person for this job.
Your answers should be variations on a theme as well. Your theme is simple: I am qualified to do this job, I want to do this job, and I am the best person for this job.
One caveat: Some questions are designed not to elicit information but to see how you handle tricky situations. In other words, can you remain diplomatic under stress? How you answer difficult questions reveals how you may interact with clients and colleagues.
Essentially, employers want to know:
What skills you have
Whether you’ll fit in as a colleague in their company and office culture
Whether you’re professional and presentable enough to represent the company to clients and outsiders
Whether you know about and truly have an interest in the company
What your career goals are