Re: Dress for Success - Conclusion
I have never paid enough attention to matters of dress, and
couldn't tell a Rolex from a Timex, let alone what kind of name is on the
label of a suit. Do others really care that much?
I don't think that the majority care. Nor do I think that it's simply a matter of choosing the right brand name. However, on an unconscious level, I think people do notice whether someone is wearing a tailored suit made out of quality materials, or a dress whose cut and color suits them.
Furthermore, I think that good quality clothes that suit you help with the first impression. Despite all the subsequent questions and writing tests, many people suggest that hiring decisions are made largely on the result of that first impression. The rest is often just rationale, and perhaps the interviewers' efforts to be cautious and to justify their own position by keeping busy.
I can't tell you if I have ever lost work because of my inattention (I
subscribe to the "try to dress one notch above the people you'll be
interviewing with"). If you ever get a chance to find out if dress matttered
in your case, I would be interested in knowing.
In one case, how I dressed cost me a job. However, the reason was that I was too well-dressed - which can be another problem in tech jobs.
It was in the dot-com era, with a company where dressing down was the norm. I showed up in a suit, and I could practically hear the mental doors slamming shut. I later heard through the grapevine that my sense of the impression I made was accurate, too.
The ironic thing is that I'm really a casual dresser by preference. When I put on a suit, I'm very conscious that I'm acting a part that has very little to do with me. But, in this case, apparently I learned the part too well.
--
Bruce Byfield 604-421-7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield
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References:
RE: Dress for Success - Conclusion: From: Barbara Philbrick
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