Don’t Sabotage Your Image
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression, so be prepared and ask for help.
by Rita Gworek

The statement “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression” is so true. At the time of your interview, you do not want to leave anything to chance. You must make sure you have covered all the bases in presenting yourself. You may lose the opportunity to make a good impression if you look inept.

Let’s investigate the many ways you can sabotage yourself. Men and women have different issues. First let’s address the men. Accessorizing becomes a pitfall for a lot of men, because most men do not ask for help. They do not want others to know what they don’t know. So how are men going to know what to do if they don’t ask? They are going to learn from their mistakes. But this is no time to sabotage yourself!

Ties
Here are some suggestions for using your accessories correctly. Ties are one accessory that can cause major problems with your image. It is the main focus of your suit. Your military tie is nothing like a business tie. Select a tie that is made out of 100% silk, not polyester! There is a small label on the bottom of the tie that tells the type of fabric. There are so many different patterns in ties. What is the right choice? Choose a tie that is solid, striped, or has a small pattern in it such as dots. The pattern should be small, consistent and evenly spaced. The colors should be basic, not too bright and not unusual like purple or orange. The focus should be on your face and not on your tie. There are several different knots you can use. The three basic ones are a Windsor, Half-Windsor and a Four-in-Hand. Select one that fits proportionally within the collar opening. The Four-in-Hand works well with most shirt collar types.

The focus should be on you and not on what you are wearing. This can be achieved by keeping everything in balance and proportion, so that your accessories work with what you are wearing. Make sure your tie ends somewhere in the area of your belt buckle. Do not have it end above or below that area. If it ends well above the belt, you will look like you have a spare tire around you. If it ends below your belt, you will look sloppy. Check to make sure that your shirt collar covers over your tie at the back of your neck. Do not use a tie tack or tie clip. You will date yourself. Do a comparison to see that the widest part of your tie, which is at the front bottom, equals the widest part of your notched lapel on your suit jacket. You may have noticed that lapels on jackets get wider or narrower as fashion changes. Ties get wider or narrower, at the same time. This is the correlation between the two. Think about this in relationship to the placement of the ribbons on your uniform. Did they have to be placed exactly and in a certain order? This is the same for the tie and lapel being equal. There are precise details to be followed.

You must make sure you have covered all the bases in presenting yourself. You may lose the opportunity to make a good impression if you look inept. I want to stress how important it is to pick out your clothing the night before the interview, which allows you time to correct any problems. Never wear a tie that is stained or wrinkled. If your tie needs pressing, don’t press it flat. It should have rounded sides. Did I mention no clip-on ties? Unless, of course, you are going into law enforcement, where clip-on ties are required for safety purposes.

Belts, Shoes and Suspenders
Your belt and shoes should be the same color leather. Do not wear a belt and suspenders at the same time, as they serve the same purpose. Wear over-the-calf socks that match the color of your shoes or your pants. If you wear mid-calf socks, you may expose a hairy leg when you cross your legs. Not a pretty sight!

Women
What can sabotage a woman’s image? Anything that is overdone, whether it is too much jewelry, too many bright colors, too short and/or tight clothing, or long fingernails with art on them. Keep in mind the focus should be on you and not on what you are wearing. This can be achieved by keeping everything in balance and proportion, so that your accessories work with what you are wearing. The best way to describe this is to say that you would not wear long dangling rhinestone earrings and white tennis shoes with a business suit. They would not be compatible.

Neatness counts a great deal. Dress for the job for which you are applying. Remember that what you see on the television does not portray appropriate dress in a work environment. It is meant to entertain us. So things tend to be exaggerated. Simple, subtle, polished and professional are the best words to describe your image.

Good luck and don’t forget to ask!