What to wear to an interview!?

helen21_2

Oh pete, don't feel lonely we are always here for ya
It's nice to find someone on here who likes my sense of humour
You will find the right job soon, and until then you've got me

helen21

Savvy_Sue

petedp wrote:

Maybe i'm just aiming too low-as i really need to get on the job ladder sharpish. Its tricky to find a happy medium- applying for jobs which are 'ok...ish' or waiting for the jobs you are specifically qualified in to apply for.

This job hunting can be a lonely place…

Oh isn't it!

I'd keep going with a mixture of 'ok...ish' and keep looking for the jobs you are qualified for - and maybe 'outside the box', ie things you're not specifically qualified for but look better than 'ok...ish' if you see what I mean.

I've gone from university admin to archive and journal production to church and charity admin to Housing Association and now back to charity admin. So all NFP rather than 'let's see how much money we can make here', but along the way I've applied for positions in 'commercial' organisations. Somehow I've never been sorry not to get those jobs, even the ones I thought I could do standing on my head. So if I needed to change jobs again, that's where I'd start looking.

But not everyone's like me.

Meanwhile if you're desperate to work, can you temp? If you can find a good agency, that can be a way to earn money and maybe find yourself a permanent job - I know I've always been happy to persuade a good temp to join us permanently, you know what you're getting! Can be hard at this time of year, but worth starting to look now, as the students will disappear soon! Adds to your experience, makes you look keen, gets you contacts. Worked with some great male office temps in my time! And you can be a bit of a novelty, so you get remembered! I'd phone up and give names of 'temps I have loved', easy with the few chaps I'd had. Then I'd say "If none of them are available, give me one like them!"

I'll be in trouble if I don't go to bed now ... best of luck!

Savvy_Sue

I've just added something to Lying on a CV/Interview (post 48) about asking for an informal look round in a small company. Don't know if that might be helpful for next time, Pete?

Mrs_Thrift

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Didn't add my 5p worth on what to wear earlier, but I'd say that it's worth being remembered. After I interviewed 3 people with 2 colleagues (all female as it happened) and we were ALL wearing black jackets, I went out and bought a bright pinky-red jacket (similar to Virgin trains as I found when I travelled on one not long after!) before I started job-hunting. Now that happens to be an OK colour for me to wear, and I sometimes wore a blue jacket instead, but I made sure that if I wore the black jacket to interview I didn't also wear black trousers! Trust me, people remembered my jacket! And I got two jobs wearing it.

For chaps, I agree generally a suit, although check dress code first, but if you can make sure your tie is not too boring - not novelty, but please not boring - that should help.

Things NOT to be remembered for, in general, are your facial piercings, or ladies your belly button. Even if you'll be OK with it once you start work, I'm sure it goes without saying that a flash of midriff will only get you anywhere with a very few interviewers, and absolutely nowhere with the vast majority! I guess you can't do a lot about facial tattoos in a hurry ... but if you have others, keep 'em out of sight for now!

Good luck all!

Sorry to butt in Pete, but thanks for this Sue. I'm starting to job search for the first time in many years and people keep telling me to wear a plain suit, but that's really not my style. I know I need to be smarter than I usually am at my current work (jeans and smartish top most days) but wondered if I could get away with say a smart dress or skirt and jacket combo with a bit of colour rather than a black suit and white shirt type thing.

I think you've given me the confidence now though, to be myself (but a smarter version of myself!) and hopefully be remembered in a positive way. I don't have any tattoos or piercings (not even ears!) so that's one less thing to worry about anyway!

Good luck to Pete and everyone else job-searching.

pandas66

petedp wrote:

I know this may sound a bit egotistical but it isn’t really meant that way- but sometimes in small offices (not for profit) do you think they may shy away from appointing someone who could possibly offer a ‘threat’ to their position in time to come? Just a thought and It would be interesting to read peoples views on this-so if you have any do share them!

Pete, you spot on with your thinking about recruiting 'over qualified'. The trouble is they may think some people may want to advance to far for their organisation and not be there for some considerable time. If you enthuse too much or be ambitous then you may not be considered for this reason. If the top bod thinks this guy would be after my position in the short term rather than the long term and the boundaries to the job have changed it may not be the position your seeking. They probably advertised the job but may have cherry picked certain parts of the job, distributed this and gave all the more mundane parts of office jobs to new post. If you get my meaning.

petedp

pandas66 wrote:

If you get my meaning.

Yup i get ya meaning Panda.

Well, i am who i am i guess and although ill do my best to market myself for the position- i cant change my ambition or enthusiasm.
But i understand it's about a compromise.

pandas66

I know how you feel, but hopefully on the positive side you haven't ended up in a job that is limiting. The job for you is still out there.