Dressed to Fill

“We liked the candidate but they just wouldn’t fit in around here” says one recruiting client, a CA firm that I have known for a number of years. “Why not?” I ask. “Their dress sense just gave us an uneasy feeling.” Replied the client, a Partner in a downtown CA firm of some substance.

That was the opening gambit of a recent conversation I had with one client about a technically brilliant candidate who had let themselves down in interview by how they dressed.

It turns out that they went to the first interview extremely casually dressed. The client didn’t make a big deal of it because it was their first interview and the candidate may have simply assumed that the dress code at this firm was similar to that of their present employer.

However, when they turned up for the second interview, dressed in a similar manner to their first meeting, a red flag went up.

Despite our own counsel on how to dress suitably for the firm, the candidate made no adjustments to their wardrobe for the second interview, and the client, quite rightly, felt that they had not been paying attention to their surroundings, and how other people at the firm were dressed, first time around.

Although highly suitable for the open position, the candidate was dropped by the client simply because the way they dressed gave the impression that they had a casual attitude to their work.

Even though that may not be the case in reality, the client’s perception was somewhat different, and that’s the end of the story.

In order to be dressed to fill an open position, candidates always need to put their best foot forward.

That means

· Arriving early
· Checking their personal grooming in the washroom mirror before entering the firm’s office
· Doing some research on the firm they are interviewing at
· Preparing some good questions for the interviewer, and, yes,
· Dressing appropriately for the firm in question

‘You never get a second chance to create a first impression’ may be something of a cliché, but it has become one simply because it is the truth!

Even if you have all the right skills and experience, the right qualifications and technical abilities, if the potential employer thinks that you will not fit in at the firm, then your chances have disappeared – just like last year’s fashions.

So what is the correct dress code for a candidate going to interview at a prospective employer?

Good question.

In past years we saw a swing away from business suits to golf shirts and slacks. I think we are slowly seeing a return to the business suit again.

Even if the firm you are interviewing at still has the golf shirt dress code, it never hurts to be a little over dressed.

Men can always remove their jacket and tie and undo their top button once in the meeting, to try to blend in better with the person interviewing them.

It can be a little more difficult for Ladies but let’s just say if you wear a business suit or jacket and pants or skirt, you wont go far wrong.

Also, be careful to make sure there are no stains or rips in the clothes you intend to wear for interviews. A quick check and, if necessary, a trip to the dry cleaners, would be good advice a few days before an interview.

Generally speaking, it is always best to be a little on the conservative side when dressing for an interview.

For guys, as I said earlier, a suit and tie would be the order of the day. Failing that, a sports jacket, slacks and tie would suffice. These can be adjusted to better fit in when you are at the firm, and mirror the dress code exhibited by the person interviewing you.

Ladies should avoid skirts that are too short, blouses that are too tight and heels that are too high. These are things that detract from what most consider to be a ‘professional demeanour’. I am not saying it’s right, it’s just the way it is.

“But what if my firm has a very casual dress code and nobody wears a suit – wouldn’t it be a dead giveaway if I turn up in a suit the day I leave early – someone is bound to put two and two together and guess that I am going on an interview?”

Well maybe so. In which case, take the whole day off so as not to arouse suspicion, or take a change of clothes and change in a washroom before going to the interview.

After all, we are dealing with your future career here, so a day’s vacation or a small inconvenience in having to change clothes are a small price to pay for appearing as good as you possibly can at an interview, aren’t they?

© MFA Group 2006