What your clothes say…whether you like it or not
How much does the way you are dressed represent who you are? Before we discuss this question as it relates to business, let’s try it out first on the holiday that just passed…Halloween!! Before we start, think about what those closest to you wore and if you notice any patterns. An example might be a younger brother that was bullied and pushed around that never really got to have any authority through most of his life…that went as a police officer. No surprise there! There are often a lot of correlations between people’s thoughts/ feelings and what they dress up for during such a fantasy based holiday like Halloween.
I went to a costume party dressed as Chinese Take-out Food. This represents me very well since I love food! The party I was at had a guy dressed as a caveman. He could’ve saved himself some money and not dressed up because those that know him say he looked the same anyway. My girlfriend dressed up as a martini and she is classy but likes to have a good time! Perfect costume. My brother dressed as a fireman and ever since I can remember he’s always said he wouldn’t mind being a fireman. My male boss dressed up as a naughty female nurse, does that mean he wants to be one?!? Guess my theory doesn’t always apply! That part about my boss was made up…just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention. After hearing those samples from my Halloween, take a second and see if you noticed anything about your friend’s choice of Halloween costumes.
If you saw a girl dressed up as a princess you might think she’s A) high maintenance or B) looking for her prince charming (wishful thinking). In reality she didn’t have time to costume shop and borrowed one from a friend. Neither of your scenarios turned out to be true but assumptions were already made. What you dress up as for Halloween doesn’t always have a meaning to it, nor does what you wear to an interview. Upon a first meeting, your clothes are all an employer has to go on initially. If you’re interviewing for a role in an office dealing with people in person, or handling customers over the phone, or even working from home, always dress to impress. Just because you wear a suit does it mean you’re going to be a better employee? No, not necessarily. But at least you don’t leave the door open for assumptions to be made that you “don’t care enough” or “aren’t motivated”.
—
