Dressing for Success

Appropriate dress is often the last thing on a person's mind when a recruiter calls to arrange a job interview. However, in today's job market, where all health professionals' value has come under intense scrutiny by insurers, patients and the public at large, it never hurts to put forth a professional, well-dressed public image.

The Traditional Standards According to Image Dynamics, a company that teaches organizations how to project and market their image through employees, 55 percent of another person's perception of you is based on how that you look (www.idimage.com). Considering this, the role attire plays in interviews cannot be overlooked, and nearly every career development center and Web site dedicated to interviewing techniques offer consistent advice on what applicants should wear: For Men A color coordinated, conservative suit that is navy, gray, black or any other "non-loud" color A white or cream colored shirt, and conservative tie Professional dress shoes with dark socks Limited jewelry, and no earrings For Women A color-coordinated business suit, also in conservative colors. Most sources recommend not wearing slacks A light (white, cream, pastel) blouse Neutral or skin-tone hosiery Moderate matching shoes with a medium heel Sparse jewelry, and understated makeup For Both Men and Women No visible tattoos or pierced body parts, with the exception of earrings for women A neat and professional hairstyle. Men should be clean shaven or have trimmed facial hair. Additionally, the old saying that applicants should "dress for a job that's two positions higher than the one you're applying for" generally holds true. Even if you'll never need to wear a suit on the job again, wearing one to the job interview signifies one important thing to interviewers: how seriously you'll take the job if you are hired. Health care providers need to interact with caregivers, insurers and the public to a much greater extent than in the past, and you can rest assured that interviewers have this fact in mind when they're checking out your threads. Mike Le Postollec is on staff at ADVANCE and can be reached at mlepostollec@merion.com.