Arrange By dearJulius.com Editorial Team
The job market may have grown by bits and pieces in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean it’s a slam dunk to get hired for any given opening. It’s still difficult to get noticed even if if you’ve got the necessary skills and experience. Even an eye-popping resume filled to the brim with supporting evidence no longer gets as much mileage, as a Ladders study notes that the average corporate recruiter spends all of just a few seconds reading them. If you’re lucky enough to get scheduled for an interview, how can you project enough capability, professionalism and confidence to land the job?
Dress The Part
Our first impressions of a person can be heavily influenced by the clothing on their backs. It’s part of the human psyche to respond favorably to well-dressed individuals, as people naturally believe a person wearing a tailored suit has more job responsibility, makes more money and is more trustworthy than a person wearing non-tailored pants, a frumpy jacket or wrinkled shirt. If you cannot afford a tailored suit, ensure your clothing fits you well without any shortness in length or tightness across your body.
Eyes On The Prize
Anyone who has ever worn glasses can tell you that you appear smarter just by slapping on a pair of bifocals. Intelligence represents a valuable employee trait and no hiring department in the world wants to hire incompetent workers. That said, your ability to project intelligence in a job interview may not land you a job if the interviewer simply doesn’t like your personality. Take your glasses off and you’ll be more likely to project your attractive, charming personality, as glasses-less faces have been found to be perceived as friendlier and better looking than their bespectacled counterparts. An employer who likes you will be more likely to give you the job than an employer who only thinks you are intelligent. If you wear glasses, look for contact lens options at sites like Vision Direct to determine what lenses are best for you. Soft lenses provide more comfortable, short-term vision help, while harder lenses can be used for longer duration.
Hair Do’s and Don’ts
Some people spend half their lives thinking about the follicles on their heads, others only give it attention once a day and the rest shave it all off and just move on with it. Whatever your opinion on your locks, getting a haircut prior to an interview not only helps you look well-groomed but also can boost your confidence. Nearly 40 percent of women say they change their hairstyle in order to become more confident, a higher percentage than those who want to re-invent themselves. If you decide to get a haircut, do it several days ahead of time to ensure that you can change it in the event it looks less than professional. While you can get a haircut the same day as your interview, make sure you shower afterwards or else you may be tempted to scratch at the irritated skin or flecks of hair itching at your scalp and neck.
