My Recruiter Hell

Related tags: General advice, Blog

One of the candidates for our graduate scheme turned up for her second interview wearing a lovely top: duck-egg blue silk, with sparkling embellishments and cream lace trim around the plunging neckline.

The spaghetti straps were, unusually, fashioned from a slightly darker fabric than the rest of the top. All in all, it was a lovely, chic confection, perfect for any occasion – apart from a job interview.

I’ve read various reports recently about interview dress codes. Most of these focus on extreme examples, such as candidates turning up in jeans and trainers, or even, apparently, fancy dress. Unfortunately – for it would be a great tale to dine out on – I have yet to encounter a candidate in a Superman costume; most of the wardrobe malfunctions I have seen have been fairly minor. That is not to say, however, that these small sartorial errors are unimportant. The devil, as they say, is in the detail.

Fabulous Blue Vest Girl may have been intelligent, interesting, eager, and well-prepared, but her top half said ‘ready to party’ rather than ‘will work late to get the job done’. Of course, there are, I am told, some creative career sectors in which employees are positively encouraged to express their personalities through their clothing. Yet if you choose to work in a more conventional company, such as ours, it’s crucial to follow the dress code. This is particularly true at interview, when we’re looking to see how well you’ll fit into the office culture. I’m not suggesting you leave your individuality at the door, rather that you find a way to express this verbally rather than visually. Dazzle the interviewer with your wit and intelligence, not with your ‘amusing’ tie or lace-bedecked cleavage.

In our company, money talks, but so do outfits – make sure yours says ‘hire me now’.

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