Job interview advice: the plain look is in
Got the job, but labeled 'goth.'
When it comes to job-hunting, we’re constantly told to sell ourselves. Not literally, of course – you won’t find me sporting a PVC miniskirt and flashing my bits to passing cars on a street corner near you. But it’s all down to how we present ourselves to potential employers, right? Like ever-punctual little gifts, wrapped up with a glossy ribbon.
On the other hand, I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve been told to ‘just be yourself!’ when rigid with fear over an impending job interview, clutching my CV with shaking hands and praying to God, or whatever it is up there, not to have a laugh at my expense today and let me get through without a fail moment.
Being yourself can be rather difficult. Because despite being told to let your personality, however quirky, shine through, there’s that constant niggling voice in ones head that says, over and over, ‘Be professional. You heard me. PROFESSIONAL.’ So all hail yours truly, sat in the uncomfortable interview chair, face hurting from all that faux smiling, and reeling off a list of my achievements and hoping I don’t sound too desperate. Displaying the usual characteristics of the many, many hopefuls waiting to be snapped up with their talents memorised, ‘hire me’ monologue rehearsed, decked in interview chic attire.
So here’s the dilemma. You can either be yourself – or be who you think they want you to be. Jeez, what’s a girl to do?
Just don’t pull a fashion faux-pas, a la yours truly.
Cue me, a few months back, heading off to an interview for a temporary admin job at a college. I wore my usual: smart black trousers and black sweater with lace arms. Smart of course, but this time I’d decided to step away from formal ensemble and try something a little more me. After being interviewed and meeting fellow staff, I later recieved the phone call. ‘You’ve got the job!’ my agent told me. Whoop! ‘But there’s something I have to mention, and I really don’t mean to offend you or anything, so I hope you don’t mind me saying this but…’
“OUT WITH IT!” I yelled. Well, mentally. In reality, I managed a muffled, ‘Oh…?’
‘Yes. You were brilliant and they want you to start right away. But some of the staff commented that you looked a bit too…”
Oh God. How do I look? I thought I’d looked rather nice. True, I don’t exactly have a cute button nose and my hair can be a bit flyaway sometimes but really, what on earth – ?
‘…too, well…goth.’
Goth? I had to laugh at this. (Okay, so maybe I am, but it’s the PRINCIPAL of the matter.) ‘What were you wearing?’ the agent asked. I promptly told her. Granted, I wear black constantly. And then there’s the eyeliner.
I’m sure it was the eyeliner. Okay, so mine hasn’t reached the morbid heights of Amy Winehouse scariness, but I wear it. A little. This has never been an issue before.
‘I’m shocked,’ she carried on. ‘By the way they were talking, I expected you to have piercings and chains hanging off you. I was expecting a kind of Siouxsie and the Banshees look.’
Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Really.
I was branded a raging goth by my future co-workers before I even started my job. Fantastic. Lesson learnt, and added to the list of job interview commandments. ‘Thou shalt not slack off on the professional front. Thou shalt remove any indication whatsoever of ‘outside work’ persona and stick to the usual. Eye makeup included.’
Time to let the CV speak for itself, right?
I’m not just talking looks here. I’m talking the other aspects of what makes you you. A sarcastic nature may go down well with one employer, but not the next. I’m forced to bite my tongue, leaving out some little piece of info that would normally make a friend or acquaintance smile. Pretending that my hobbies are way better than mine actually are so that I sound way more exciting than I am in reality.
And now, looking for jobs again, it’s time to be much, much more careful.
The plain look is ‘in.’
I try to morph into the same personality as the interviewer.
Speaking from experience, I firmly believe that “be yourself” is about the worst bit of advice anyone can give a job seeker.
The reason is simple – I don’t think anyone here needs me to tell them that, at a job interview, your whole purpose is to put your best foot forward and do the absolutely best job of presenting yourself. Even if you’re normally not that good, this is how you have to perform at an interview. And that, in my opinion, runs contrary to the notion of being yourself.
Interviews are a bit like public performances – no one cares what the performer is like off the stage; the audience comes there to be entertained by a delightful performance. Should the performer be himself and let all the negatives and quirks shine through, the audience will not enjoy the show as much. Similarly, a candidate shouldn’t be himself either – because it’s all about delivering a winning performance.
I understand that the plain look is in. But sometimes I think they go a little overboard. For instance I was hired and had a visible tatoo. Nothing was said. Now the policy has changed and I have to cover it. Problem is…i am allergic to the few things that i have tried. No to mention the place is overly heated and long sleeves are out of the question unless they want me to pass out. So what is the big deal. If its not offensive and only one…give me a break.
Be someone your not to get paid little/sell your soul, and be someone’s boy. Then they can lay you off for no reason, or fire you for no reason. but at least you are performing good at those interviews. Be a teacher; they work half day, half year, pensions, benies, med.dent, everything, and you do not have to work very hard–same thing month after month, year after year. many make b/w 50-80K. not bad for a teacher.
I was told midway through an interview that my top was distracting the interveiwer. I was wearing a sleeveless silk blouse and in hindsight that was a very poor decision on my part. I was new to the job world and had no contacts to discuss my wardrobe with. I still got the job but was mortified for days after the interview!
Again, this is the BS corporate american work addicted mentality honned by those deranged baby boomers. clothing has NOTHING to do with substance, honor, or merit in a “job.” They will lay off/fire people regardless of wearing a suit or a tee shirt without any concern over loyalty or “hard work.” That is america work place–a total dump.
Great article. I am torn on the topic. It does kind of disgust me how there seems to be only one standard for interviewing, we all must encompass pretty much the same attitude —> eager-beaver, enthusiastic, confident, bla bla bla. At the same time, after you get to know the person hired, they will probably be nothing like the person sitting in the interview. They may have a personality that rubs the rest of the company the wrong way. If sarcasm is your main MO, and you hide it in the interview, but cannot manage to curb it in the workplace, you are in a way, doing yourself a dis-service … because you may be laid off for it later, or at least … it may contribute to your ousting. So not being “honest” and not acting yourself may pay a quick dividend, but only if that “impostor” persona is maintained. Some people really don’t like my, “enough with the floral words, stop beating around the bush and lets get it done” attitude, but I don’t care. Other employers need people like me, with less BS and more nitty-gritty. I say, you should at least let SOME of your personality out. Everyone appreciates honesty. Just maybe not in the wardrobe department …. *laughing* Remember fellow females, no open-toed shoes! One of my mistakes.