Personal Appearance at Interviews

An article in The Dallas Morning News in the July 10, 2011, issue on page 1J, “Personal Appearance and Attribute Could be Hurting Your Chances for a Promotion” by Amy Winter, Creators Syndicate provides some suggestions about job applicants’ appearance  at interviews.  Here are some no-no’s:

1.    No bad breath 

2.    No exposed tattoos

3.    No wrinkled clothing

4.    No messy hair

5.    No casual clothing

6.    No excess perfume

7.    No excess make-up

With respect to clothing, when I joined IBM, we were instructed to always wear a suit, white, and tie.  Mr. Thomas J. Watson, founder of IBM, wore a starched white shirt, tie, and suit when he was selling meat scales to merchants in upstate New York. He said that a salesman’s attire should not detract from his/her message.  During my first days at IBM I noticed someone wearing a blue shirt.  I inquired as to why he was allowed to wear a blue shirt.  I was told that the individual was 300 percent of his sales quota!

Please share with readers of this blog your suggestions for job seekers’ personal appearance at a job interview.

Thanks!

Glyn