Two women
who are over 50 years old recently vied to be a senior vice president
of a health-care company. One contender's powdered face, bouffant
hairdo and expensive dress made her appear matronly. Her rival
wore light makeup and a tailored pantsuit, conveying youthful
enthusiasm.
Guess
who got picked: The woman dressed "like she was 40,"
recalls executive recruiter Patricia Cook. Appearance
counts.
How
you look when you show up for a job interview can hurt -- or enhance
-- your prospects. This hidden source of hiring bias affects older
people the most. Attire, hairstyle, shoes and posture tell an
employer whether "you're on your way up," says Ms. Cook,
the owner of a Bronxville, N.Y., search boutique. "It has
nothing to do with chronological age."
To uncover
job hunters' worst appearance blunders, I canvassed recruiters,
career coaches, business owners and image consultants. They cited
many ways that your appearance can sabotage you even before your
first handshake with a hiring manager. Among them:
Out-of-date
styles. Your favorite "dress for success" suit fails
to impress because you've worn it since the last century.
RitaSue Siegel,
founder of RitaSue Siegel Resources, a New York firm that recruits
senior design managers, sometimes asks an unfashionably dressed
candidate, "When did you buy that suit?" If the answer
is more than two years ago, she recommends donning "something
a little fresher."
Your spectacles
may hark back to an earlier era, too. "Huge glasses frames
represent a style that's out of date," drawing undue attention
to someone past 40, says Fred Whelan, a partner at recruiters
Whelan Stone in San Francisco.
Slovenly
appearance. Dirty fingernails, stained armpits, frayed cuffs,
messy hair, unkempt beards and scuffed shoes broadcast carelessness
and poor judgment."
Sometimes,
we get someone in front of us who doesn't dress the part,"
appearing disheveled on multiple fronts, says Anne Lim O'Brien,
leader of the consumer-products global practice for recruiters
Heidrick & Struggles International. "They don't go any
further."
A few years
ago, an overweight man sought a marketing position at CEO Perspective
Group, a New York executive-advisory firm. He turned up wearing
a shirt so snug that he couldn't close his middle button. "It
was a very brief interview," remembers Dee Soder, the firm's
managing partner, adding: "The things that shouldn't count
often do."
A too-casual
look. A Stanford University student slipped on backless sandals
when she interviewed last spring for a summer job as a hospital-laboratory
research assistant. Her would-be supervisor told a reference that
she feared the applicant wouldn't take her work seriously enough,
citing her informal "flip-flops."
"I didn't
know they weren't appropriate," the student admits. Because
the reference touted her professionalism, she got the job. She
wore plain black heels to the lab every day.
Last year,
Gary Goldstein, president of financial-services recruiter Whitney
Group, was flabbergasted when an investment banker showed up sporting
a Mickey Mouse tie. Mr. Goldstein urged the man to switch ties
for job interviews, then decided against recommending him to the
firm's clients.
Don't
despair. A critical self-assessment can correct or prevent
such gaffes. Scrutinize yourself in front of a mirror. "Put
on a crisp white shirt and smile," urges Elena Castaneda,
a New York image consultant. "If your teeth are yellowed,
have your teeth whitened."
About 35%
of Ms. Castaneda's customers ask her to revamp their hair, makeup,
wardrobe and accessories because they're keen to change employers.
But the consultant doesn't come cheap.
A 34-year-old
program director at a Hartford, Conn., insurer paid Ms. Castaneda
$1,200 for an image makeover just before she began job hunting
this spring. "You have more confidence when you think you
look good," the insurance manager explains. Among other things,
the consultant critiqued her clothes as too baggy and helped her
find well-fitted suits that make her seem taller.
The young
woman, dressed in her new outfits, went on three interviews --
and landed three offers. She will soon become senior director
of business development for an information-technology concern.
There are
less expensive ways to spiff up your appearance. Enlist help from
a major retailer's personal shopper, a stylish colleague or an
acquaintance who already works for a targeted employer.
You should
also reach out to recruiters. Many are eager to advise you about
how to package yourself and the proper interview attire for different
corporate clients.
The
executive rejected by the health-care concern never quizzed Ms.
Cook about how to dress for her interview there. If she had, the
recruiter would have suggested wearing something casual to fit
in with the company's fairly informal culture. Ms. Cook believes
the woman's lack of curiosity about suitable attire made it easier
for company officials "to pick someone who looked like them."
