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Planning for the Global Job Market

by Annette Clemens, Assistant Director

In response to the well-known expression “clothes make the man”, Mark Twain, the famous American novelist and satirist once replied, “Clothes make the man.  Naked people have little or no influence on society.”  Aside from being humorous, Twain’s comment illuminates a basic truth about human nature—people make many assumptions about others strictly based on their appearance.  Regardless of how incredibly flawed or short-sighted assumptions may be, they are an unavoidable fact.

Imagine what you might think when you see someone on the train ride home who has green hair, holes in his clothes, and a spiked dog collar around his neck.  Now be honest—you make assumptions based on what you see.  Now imagine you see a man in a tailored, pinstripe business suit with creased pants and a white button-down shirt.  There would be a whole list of other assumptions.  You might make guesses about each person’s age, economic status, and possibly even upbringing without knowing anything about them.

Now imagine what effect you have on a person when you arrive to interview for a professional position at a corporate firm.  Does your appearance have anything to do with swaying a hiring authority that you’re the one for the job?  Does the sun set in the west?

You might be thinking that as long as you dress good enough, the resume will do the rest of the talking.  Granted, your resume does have a lot to do with getting you in the door and will, obviously, be a focal point of conversation during the interview.  But there is no second chance to make a first impression.  When the employer first lays eyes on you, she will be making many assumptions (whether accurate or not) about you as a person.

Let me give you a few examples.  If you come to an interview with clothes that may not be completely pressed giving you a rumpled look, the employer may assume that you are too lazy to iron your clothes or get your suit pressed.  Therefore, you may be lazy on the job.  If your shoes are old, worn, and beat up, the employer may assume that you wouldn’t take care to do a good job.  If you let your appearance slip, the employer may assume you’d let your performance slip as well.  Is all of this necessarily true about you?  I hope not!  Does this mean the employer may be jumping to conclusions in an unfair way?  Yes, absolutely it could mean that.  But your job isn’t to worry about what’s fair.  Your only job is to land the job.

I tell students all the time to “play the game” on the interview, and dress as conservatively and as professionally as possible.  Skirt suits for women and suits for men.  What will it hurt to look your most professional on an interview?  The truth is it can actually do wonders for how the employer perceives you and views your candidacy as a “complete package.”  So do yourself a favor—invest in one or two professional business suits.  Once you land a job somewhere, you can find out exactly what is the dress code.  But up front, make a good first impression by dressing professionally.  Give others the chance to think the best of you!