One of the blogs I frequent is the Charlotte Recruiting blog. During my weekly cruise through the blogs I like the most I happened on Charlotte Recruiting’s post about what to wear to an interview – and I was a bit surprised by the comment:
I’ve thought about it for years, and finally realized it wasn’t the clothes that made the difference, it was the shoes. It is my contention that the kind of shoes we wear has a direct effect on the manner in which we compose ourselves in an interview, or in business in general.
So… in thinking about this for a bit, I only partially agree. The part I agree with? Everything below the ankles. Having conducted hundreds (if not thousands) of interviews in my time I can tell you that I’ve seen any combination of apparel you can think of (and some you’d never imagine, I assure you.) And for the record – it doesn’t matter how nice your shoes are, if the rest of your appearance is a trainwreck you’re really going to have to wow me in your interview.
The spirit in which CR’s post is made isn’t missed, however. There is something that helps with our confidence level when being interviewed. For some it may be a new haircut, new suit, great watch, etc. But the bottom line is that it’s only to help your own confidence. If you’re lucky enough to land an interview with someone that knows how to conduct an interview, your shoes won’t break the deal.
As to asking what you should wear to an interview? I wouldn’t advise it unless you know you’re working with a 3rd party recruiter that wants you hired as badly as you want the job. Do your homework – I’ve never had anyone lose points for being ‘overdressed’ when interviewing.
Oh – and don’t miss your chance to see this crazy shoe fan at his upcoming event where he’s got three webinars covering Talent Scouting and Social Networking: The New Employee Referral program – It’s kicking off on Feb 19th. Hit the link to register – as a side note, he’s also got hot dates on March 6th and 7th, where he’s presenting with Shally Steckerl and Margaret Graziano.
