Job seekers should wear professional attire, self confidence to interviews

Most students don't realize the importance of their appearanceat interviews, said Karen Hayes, director of U of M Career andEmployment Services.

"The biggest mistake students make is that they don't give whatthey wear enough consideration," Hayes said. "What you wear setsthe tone for the interview."

The U of M will host the annual Corporate and Government CareerFair tomorrow and the Graduate School Fair Thursday, whereprofessional attire is expected. Recruiters expect candidates foremployment to be dressed in standard business attire, event flyersaround campus tell students.

The do's and don'ts of professional dress vary between men andwomen, but they do share some rules, Hayes said.

In general, men and women should wear suits in neutral colors,for example blue, black, gray or thin pinstripes, and if possible,the suit should be made of 100 percent wool, Hayes said.

All students should remove any visible piercings other thanearrings on women, which should be studs or pearls. Students shouldalso avoid wearing loud cologne or perfume, Hayes said.

Men should wear long-sleeve white or light blue shirts withtrendy ties that fall slightly above their beltlines, avoidingshort sleeve shirts, Hayes said. They should also avoid long hair,mustaches and beards. Being neat and clean-cut is a must, Hayessaid.

Women should avoid anything distracting, like flashy makeup, bigearrings, mini-skirts or tank tops. They should wear closed-toe,low-heeled shoes in neutral colors, and skirts should fall slightlyabove the knee. Pants suits are not advised, Hayes said.

Cheri Mead, human resources generalist for Amsouth Bank, willattend the career fair in search of future employees. She shared aslightly different opinion from Hayes on women's dress.

"I think pant suits are fine on women, maybe with a pair ofcotton trouser socks," she said. "But when a woman wears a skirt itlooks so unprofessional if they don't wear (panty) hose."

The most important thing students should wear isself-confidence, Hayes added.

"Show passion and enthusiasm," she said. "When you look yourbest, you feel good and it shows."

Clay Woemmel, assistant director of Career and EmploymentServices agreed with Hayes on points of dress.

"When a person comes in dressed professionally and clean, theystand out," Woemmel said, "Have your resume in a nice, neat folder.Be prepared."

Many employers look at the way you are dressed as an indicatorof your decision-making and organizational skills, Woemmelsaid.

"Their judgment is first made based upon your appearance - whichmay not be fair -- but you don't want to eliminate possibilitiesbefore they get to know you," he said.

In one instance, a student wore a sweat suit to the career fair,and they were neither hired nor received positive feedback, Woemmeladded.

Mead shared some advice from a corporate point of view.

"Always dress in your best outfit, even if you are only puttingin an application. People don't realize that we are looking atthem, and first impressions are huge," Mead said.

Like many corporations, Mead said Amsouth is a company whosedress policy includes business attire Monday through Thursday andbusiness casual dress Fridays.

"We are a conservative company, and I see a lot of people whointerview in business casual, which is not a good idea," Meadsaid.

Business casual should be a pair of khaki pants and a golf shirtfor men, and for women, it could be a sweater set with flat shoesor loafers, Mead said. Flip-flops, tennis shoes, tank tops andjeans are not alternatives on casual Fridays, she added.

Employers decide whether or not to return to The U of M basedupon the quality of employees selected and hired from TheUniversity.

"You are not only representing yourself, but you are alsorepresenting The University of Memphis as well," Woemmel said.