By Matthew Khan
Campus News
You may have heard the old adage before: “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Does this mean that a well put together outfit, on the day of a job interview, guarantees that you will be hired? Not by any means, but it does help to relieve the stress that a job interview can cause. While teaching Introduction to Business, I hope to give my students skills that they can use long after they have received their grades. A skill that is discussed is the art of communication. It is stressed that we can, and do communicate with others even when we are not speaking.
Non-verbal communication is a very powerful tool in both the academic and business worlds. I will focus only on non-verbal communication for the rest of this article. How can we communicate without saying anything? Dressing for success is arguably one of the single-most powerful non-verbal skills that you have at your disposal. But what exactly does it mean to dress for success? Very simply it means to pay attention to the details. You have invested a lot of time custom-tailoring your resume, preparing cover letters and you have landed the interview! What now? A looming job interview in the near future may cause anxiety and confusion. So much seems to be riding on those few critical minutes. It seems like the prospective candidates are at someone else’s mercy. Have no fear! Take control the second you walk into the room.
Your job interview attire will be one of the first things your interviewer notices. A conservative dark colored suit is a staple. Stick with black, navy blue or dark gray. A white or light blue dress shirt is an excellent choice. Gentleman, a conservative cool color tie is a great pairing (blue or gray). Avoid excessive fabric, fragrances, jewelry and patterns. Manicured nails and neat hair are a must. Simple accessories such as a tie clip, ring or wrist watch will help you add a personal touch. If wearing a pants suit, make sure that hosiery extends at least ten inches above your ankle.
While I served on a panel conducting job interviews at a previous place of employment, a candidate walked into the interview hall. His attire matched everything described above. He portrayed a sense of confidence and seemed to have “dressed for success.” When he sat down in front of the dais his pant legs naturally raised revealing black ankle length gym socks and about six inches worth of exposed skin! Quite frankly it was extremely difficult to focus on anything that he was saying. A seemingly innocuous detail distracted fellow panel members as they frequently gazed at the young man’s socks!
In today’s age of automation there is a proclivity to overlook details. Paying attention to the details mentioned above will non-verbally communicate to your interviewer a lot of wonderful things. Your interviewer will feel appreciated. You will transmit that you value yourself. How can someone logically deduce that you will care about their firm if you are communicating that you don’t value yourself? All of these powerful messages are conveyed even before you say a word! Sending the correct message to your interviewer before the interview begins will alleviate some tension. You will always have the opportunity to set the tone for a productive and positive interview. Be punctual and be prepared. Send them the right message, your message, by dressing for success! Good luck!
Matthew Khan is an Adjunct Professor in the Accounting and Business Administration Department at Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y.
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