Dress for Success; Label Larry; Messy Marvin; Slacker Steve

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Wed Mar 23, 2005 3:54 am

Wardrobe Tips From Recruiters Help Grads Go From Slob to Success in Job Interviews

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Mar 23, 2005--In today`s tough job market, college graduates are competing for employment not just with their peers, but also with more seasoned, unemployed professionals desperate to reenter the workforce. In recruiters` eyes, dressing for success matters.

A recent poll conducted with members of San Francisco (SF) Recruiters, the largest online network of recruiters in the SF Bay Area, found that every year, young men commit major wardrobe faux pas while trying to make a good first impression during interviews.

Not every guy is as careless as the candidate in Georgia who drove to his interview on a motorcycle, and then proceeded to change his clothes in the parking lot – in full view of the human resource vice president`s office. However, no one wants to be the guy remembered most for committing one of the following fashion fiascos, as reported by members of SF Recruiters:

- Label Larry: forgetting to remove the label sewn onto the sleeve of a suit jacket or the price tag on a brand-new interview suit

- Slacker Steve: wearing pants without a belt or allowing pants to fall below the waist

- Messy Marvin: donning shirts, neckties and trousers with noticeable spills or stains

- Foot Fault Freddy: wearing flip flops, gym socks with dress shoes, gym shoes, or no socks at all with dress pants

- Over Dressed Owen: showing up in a three-piece suit in an informal work environment

Wed Mar 23, 2005 3:55 am

Not every guy is as careless as the candidate in Georgia who drove to his interview on a motorcycle, and then proceeded to change his clothes in the parking lot – in full view of the human resource vice president`s office

LOL!!

Hey, if they were a motorcycle dealership or motorcycle factory, this might of just got him the job as everyone else drove their car! I guess the HR person wasn't into motorcycles...

Mike.

scan · #3 Unread post by **scan** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 5:03 am

totalmotorcycle wrote:
Not every guy is as careless as the candidate in Georgia who drove to his interview on a motorcycle, and then proceeded to change his clothes in the parking lot – in full view of the human resource vice president`s office
LOL!!

Hey, if they were a motorcycle dealership or motorcycle factory, this might of just got him the job as everyone else drove their car! I guess the HR person wasn't into motorcycles...

Mike.

This is crazy. I wonder if he was just taking his safety gear off and packing it on his bike. I can imagine doing this and it seems better than going in the place with gear still on and asking for a place to change before your interview. At least he was prepared to change into the right clothes before the interview. The only thing that makes sense about he HR reaction was they don't like motorcycles. Otherwise they would have respected them.

I wonder what the etiquette people would say you should do if you have an interview and you are taking a motorcycle. Don't wear safety gear? Never ride a MC to an interview? Change somewhere withing walking distance, but don't let any see you were wearing MC safety gear.

Man, this is really getting my goat for some reason.

oldnslo · #4 Unread post by **oldnslo** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:53 pm

Things sure have changed. Away back in the old days in the sixties, and up to the end of the eighties, much more formal dress was in vogue. I called on company executives who wore suits, sportcoats, slacks, and ties, and was expected to do likewise. My job changed a bit over the years, but the suits were still "in" for sales engineer types like me. Then in about 1994 or so, suits were out, cotton pants and sportshirts were in, and all those nice Hart, Schaffner & Marx and Hickey Freeman clothes got put in bags, eventually going to charity.
Somehow, I always felt smarter, better at my job, and just better in general when I dressed like a real professional person instead of somebody who worked in the mailroom.
Most people who never lived and worked through the change never understand this.

liablemtl · Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:15 pm

oldnslo wrote:Things sure have changed. Away back in the old days in the sixties, and up to the end of the eighties, much more formal dress was in vogue. I called on company executives who wore suits, sportcoats, slacks, and ties, and was expected to do likewise. My job changed a bit over the years, but the suits were still "in" for sales engineer types like me. Then in about 1994 or so, suits were out, cotton pants and sportshirts were in, and all those nice Hart, Schaffner & Marx and Hickey Freeman clothes got put in bags, eventually going to charity.
Somehow, I always felt smarter, better at my job, and just better in general when I dressed like a real professional person instead of somebody who worked in the mailroom.
Most people who never lived and worked through the change never understand this.

Funny thing you should talk about that... Our CEO expects everyone, from VP level down to the lowliest test floor employee to wear a tie. He's one of the old guys from the early days of the semiconductor. Every employee at our two California sites wears a tie... minimum. We're the red headed step child up here in Oregon... and our CEO hates comin' up here because of the way people dress and act. Jeans and polo shirts is not uncommon... hell, even our resident directors wear business casual: khakis and tieless dress shirts. It's not business oriented to dress taht way, according to our CEO... that and we're a bunch of tree hugging communists.

scan · #6 Unread post by **scan** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:11 am

oldnslo wrote:Things sure have changed.

Yes, and I see what you are saying about the degenerated attitude towards dressing respectfully for work and selling your best self and all that. And I can understand that make a first impression is critical if you want the job. Sometimes, you might find a modern boss that thinks you have over-dressed these days. Hard to decide the right thing to do.

But as a side issue - What do you think about riding a bike to a job interview? How would a person handle the problem of changing when they got there? Or should you not ride you? bike (get a ride, take a cab, ride your cage if you have one). Seems you should be able to get a job even if you only rode a bike.

oldnslo · #7 Unread post by **oldnslo** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:24 am

The object is to present yourself in the best possible way. A prospective employer will not be interested in anything else. It is incumbent on the applicant to see that this happens. If you know taking the bike will mess you up, don't do it. You are, after all, applying for a job, not trying to make excuses for looking unkempt while applying. Why sabotage yourself?

rdeviney · #8 Unread post by **rdeviney** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:02 pm

Scoping out the company history and culture is part of the preparation for a job interview. It's been 15 years since we officially had a dress code; it was killed by malicious compliance. No jacket or tie are required now, unless making a formal presentation at a public meeting. There are a few people that seem to go out of their way to look weird, which is why their "career" won't advance beyond the mailroom.

#9 Unread post by **zarakand** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:25 pm

The object is to present yourself in the best possible way. A prospective employer will not be interested in anything else. It is incumbent on the applicant to see that this happens. If you know taking the bike will mess you up, don't do it. You are, after all, applying for a job, not trying to make excuses for looking unkempt while applying. Why sabotage yourself?

I agree the majority of people tend to associate negative sterotypes with motorcyclists. Once you have the job in hand however...