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DRESSED TO SUCCEED
We don’t want to change you; our only purpose is to provide you with information in order for you to improve your personal marketing.
When we began preparing this book, I thought about the main worries a person has before attending an interview.
Fredrick, 20 years old, who faces his first interview, answered the following when I asked him: What worries you the most about an interview?
- If I am well dressed.
- My general aspect; how to sit down.
- Not to have sweaty hands, so I won’t show nervousness.
- What to do with my hands.
- Trying to make the other person feel that I am paying attention.
- Looking at them in the eyes, but not all the time in a direct way.
- The way I speak.
- There are questions I don’t know how to answer:
- Salary expectation
- The expectations I have about the job.
- The expectations I have about the company.
- The reason why I studied… (Law, in this case).
- I get stressed when I am arriving, in the elevator, for example, then I calm down. It soothes me when I see the person who is going to interview me.
- I am alert to the people that approach me –while I am waiting- so I won’t look distracted when I am finally called.
- In the first interviews I used to have a lot of expectations about the meeting, in other words, I was hoping for the job offer to come out in that moment, the first interview.
I thought that what Fredrick did was very good. In the 15 chapters of this book, we will try to clarify your doubts and other young people’s (and not so young).
We will dedicate this first chapter to Fredrick’s first worry: the presentation, the general aspect.
The clothes you wear will talk about the way you are. Many people don’t share this criterion and I respect it; these comments aim only to help you. We’ll talk about the importance of clothing.
If you are not sure, dress formal
You are free to dress as you like. But consider that dressing appropriately for the different interviews you may have will be convenient for you. One time, we were in the middle of a complicated search of an assistant for a high executive. The finalist –after a long interview process- attended two interviews with the same suit and one of the people noticed. It didn’t seem relevant to me, but the people responsible for the selection thought that, if for a previous interview, the person didn’t put special care in their appearance; it wasn’t a good sign of her behavior.
Therefore, keep this in mind when you choose your wardrobe. Buy formal suits, not flashy, of neutral colors and that stay in vogue for a while. Other important information, for men as well as for women: businesses offer clothing that are not only for “winter” or “summer”. These suits are usable during more months of the year and give you more flexibility in your dressing.
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