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Tips on having a positive job interview

Posted on 24. Jun, 2008 posted by Bill in Employment News

Tips on having a positive job interview

You’ve just graduated. You’ve just lost your job. You’re sick of your current job and just need a change.

The next move for you is the job interview. And if you haven’t done one in a while or ever you’ll need an interview makeover.

Your interview “style” includes everything from the way your wear your hair and your cell phone ring tone to whether you smell like cigarette smoke and your attitude.

And, please, be nice to the receptionist.

“When you go to an interview, your appearance makes the first impression. But I’d say that’s only good for 10 seconds until you open your mouth,” says Meg Montford, a Kansas City executive career coach. “Then, it’s all about attitude. Appearance gets you through the door, but the attitude determines how long you sit in the chair.”

The face-off

The interviewer expects a certain level of polish in your appearance.

“I think that ‘professional looking’ includes the hair, the makeup, the accessories. They all work together to create the professional image,” says Carolina Coleman, master stylist and owner of Eclektica Salon in Briarcliff Village.

Start with your hair.

“The person’s face is one of the first things that someone notices. The right hair can make you look desirable for the job,” Coleman says. “The hair not only frames the face, it transforms it.”

Women with long hair should pull it back into a chignon or low ponytail, she says. Avoid the prom up-do or any style that looks too childish.

For women getting an entirely new style, do it at least two weeks before the interview, Coleman says. That will give you enough time to get comfortable styling it and re-creating it the way the stylist did in the salon.

Coleman’s hair advice for men: “It should be neat and tidy unless you are working in the film industry in California. When men’s hair is neat and tidy it denotes confidence and cleanliness.”

Unless you’re interviewing for a job in a highly creative, artistic arena, keep hair color on the conservative side as well.

“It’s the same as your makeup,” Coleman says. “Too much looks harsh, and no makeup looks like you’re lazy or too tired.”

If you’re going to have your eyebrows waxed or plucked not a bad idea to banish the unibrow before a big interview do it at least a week before to avoid unsightly redness, she says.

What not to wear

Every human-resources director and career counselor will tell you the same thing: Dress for the job one level above the one you’re interviewing for.

In other words, dress up, even if you’re the only one in the room who is.

No need to spend a lot of money. Think Target and TJ Maxx. What you wear on your own time is your business, but…

“If you’re looking for a job where those things are very important maybe in a bank or a large insurance office or law office where everyone is dressing more conservatively that’s the way you need to dress. That’s the way you need to act,” says Melanie Bowman, student employment services coordinator for Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley. “I may wear jeans and shorts in the summer, but I wouldn’t wear that to work. So, if you’re looking for a job in the adult job world, then you have to play the game.

“If those are areas you don’t think you can negotiate on, then you probably need to look at the types of jobs that are more appropriate for you.”

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Tags: Employment News, Interviewing