重要求职面试的完美着装
Open-toed Adidas sandals with socks, short-fitting khaki trousers, more like capri-pants, and a skin-tight checked shirt unbuttoned far enough to reveal lots of chest hair.
脚蹬运动休闲凉鞋,还穿着一双袜子;下身是一条近似于七分裤的卡其色短裤,上身则穿着一件紧身衬衣,还有好几颗扣子没有扣好,露出很多胸毛。
It’s certainly a ‘look’ and Reed Ellis, a staffing specialist with recruiter Professional Staffing Group, remembers this candidate well. His handshake and communication skills were good and so was his eye contact. But then there was the outfit.
在面试场合,这种穿着肯定很扎眼,而身为Professional Staffing Group的招聘官,里德·爱丽斯(Reed Ellis)的确对这位应聘者印象深刻。此人的握手和沟通技巧都很不错,眼神交流也很到位。可是衣着方式的确令人不敢恭维。
“First impressions are everything but that can only get you so far in an interview,” said Ellis. “What you wear is just as pertinent.”
“第一印象的确很重要,但那毕竟只是第一印象。”爱丽斯说,“穿着打扮同样很重要。”
The dreaded job interview sends shivers down even the most confident job seeker’s spine. But worse, the associated dilemma: what to wear, and, more importantly, what not to wear.
面对令人恐惧的求职面试,就连最自信的求职者也难免胆怯。但更糟糕的是着装方面也要面临两难境地:面试时究竟应该穿什么?更重要的是,面试时不应该穿什么?
Picking the perfect interview outfit used to be easy: a conservative suit in a dark colour would almost always cover it. But in today’s corporate landscape, the rules have changed. Jeans and T-Shirts are often the everyday norm for employees — and some CEOs. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg is famous for wearing the same style grey T-shirt (he buys them in bulk) to work everyday. Even at FTSE 100 or Fortune 500 firms arriving suited and booted to an interview could create the wrong impression about you as the ideal candidate. So, what’s a confused job seeker to do? We ask five interview experts for the sartorial lowdown.
选择完美的面试服装原本是件很容易的事情:只要挑一套保守的深色西装就万事大吉了。但如今的规则却发生了变化。牛仔裤和T恤衫已经成为很多员工的日常穿着——甚至还包括一些首席执行官。众所周知,Facebook首席执行官马克·扎克伯格(Mark Zuckerberg)每天都会穿相同款式的灰色T恤(他买了很多件相同的衣服)。就算是参加金融时报100强和财富500强公司的面试,西装革履的着装也会给人留下错误的印象,导致你无法成为理想的候选人。那么,困惑的求职者究竟应该如何是好呢?我们采访了5位面试专家,来听听他们给出的专业建议吧。
Steve Brown, London-based director of global IT recruitment firm Empiric
史蒂夫·布朗(Steve Brown),英国伦敦,全球IT招聘公司Empiric总监
Do your research. If you are working with a recruiting firm, someone there should help you work out what approach will work best at a particular firm. If not, ask around. Do you know anyone that works there who could provide insight? Or, Brown suggests calling and asking the interviewer or hiring manager in advance of your interview. “You won’t be penalised for being considerate and prepared,” he said.
主动展开研究。如果你与一家招聘公司合作,他们会有专人告诉面试某家公司时最好采用什么方法。如果没有,那就应该四处打听一下。你是否认识在那里工作而且能够提供内情的人?或者,布朗还建议提前给面试官或招聘主管打电话,询问面试的有关事宜。“你不会因为精心准备面试而遭到惩罚。”他说。
Either way, follow Brown’s rule of thumb for guys: “Take the approach that you should be dressed one level smarter than expected. So if, for example, it’s a jeans and T-shirt atmosphere, wear chinos and a shirt. If it’s a chinos and shirt job, wear a suit. And remember, it’s always better to be overdressed, than underdressed during interviews, no matter what sector you’re working in.”
无论如何,都应该遵守布朗的经验法则:“你所采用的穿衣方式应该比对方预想的更加正式一些。例如,如果这家公司流行穿牛仔裤和T恤,那你就穿卡其裤和衬衫。如果他们平时都穿卡其裤和衬衫,那你就穿西装。总之要记住,无论你从事哪个领域的工作,面试时穿着过于正式总好过不够正式。”
John Lees, Exeter, UK-based author of How to Get a Job You Love
约翰·里斯(John Lees),英国埃塞特,《如何得到自己喜爱的工作》(How to Get a Job You Love)一书的作者
What image do you want to present? It’s not enough to just ask yourself, ‘Do I look good?’ You want to try to look as if you already work there but that you are still taking care of your appearance, said Lees. “This means wearing clothes that are just slightly smarter than those worn in the workplace,” he said. And, in order to avoid being uncomfortable, make sure to break in any new clothes and shoes beforehand. “When you arrive, de-clutter – leave your coat and bag in reception. Just take in a slim folder containing the documents you need, and you will look like an employee rather than a visitor.”
你想给对方留下什么印象?光是问自己“我看上去还好吗?”这样的问题还不够。里斯表示,你应该努力让自己看上去像是已经在那里工作,但仍然很在乎自己的穿着。“这意味着应该在穿着上比已经入职的员工略微正式一些。”他说。而为了避免出现不舒服的情况,一定要提前把新衣服和新鞋穿习惯。“当你到达公司时,把衣服和包放在接待处。只要带一个不大的文件夹即可,里面装上你需要的文件。这样一来,你看上去会更像一名员工,而不是访客。”
Boston-based Gwendolen Andre, group manager, Professional Staffing Group
格温德伦·安德烈(Gwendolen Andre),美国波士顿,Professional Staffing Group集团经理
Step it up. One of recruiter PSG’s biggest clients is a technology firm, where everyone dresses very casually: anything from leggings and sweatshirts to jeans and T-shirts. “There's no dress code, which can make it tough for people meeting them for the first time,” said Andre. In the case of this client — and others like them — she advises candidates to wear smart business-casual clothing to the interview. She recommends a jacket or a sweater for both men and women. If it’s not an executive-level position, it doesn't have to be a full matching suit. Of course, there is always “the opportunity to have a little more fun with accessories, such as a statement necklace or bowtie,” she said.
略高一档。Professional Staffing Group有一个大客户是一家高科技公司,他们的员工穿着都很随意,从打底裤和汗衫到牛仔裤和T恤,几乎各种休闲服装都能在这里见到。“这家公司没有着装规定,所以第一次与他们见面会很棘手。”安德烈说。面对这种客户——以及与之类似的其他公司——她建议求职者穿着正式的商务休闲服去面试。他推荐男性和女性都穿夹克和毛衣。如果不是高管级别的职位,就不必穿全套西装。当然,肯定“有机会借助一些配饰来提升一点趣味性,比如漂亮的项链或领结。”她说。
Northern California-based Gabrielle Rossi, design coordinator, Whole Foods Market
加布里埃尔·罗西(Gabrielle Rossi),美国北卡罗来纳州,全食超市设计协调员
Don’t even think about denim. At Rossi’s office, the dress code is casual. If anyone dresses up, people start asking if you’ve got a job interview. However, Rossi still expects interview candidates not to wear trainers (sneakers), jeans, T-shirts, and definitely not shorts.
千万不要穿牛仔裤。在罗西的办公室里,人们的着装风格都很随意。如果有人盛装出席,别人就会问他是否要去面试。然而,罗西仍然希望求职者不要穿运动鞋、牛仔裤、T恤,当然也不要穿短裤。
Having interviewed at least 20 people last year, she has seen it all. Her biggest faux-pas: jeans, chewing gum, too much cleavage, excessive jewellery, no undershirt under a white dress shirt, and clothes that are too tight. An easy approach: “I always think: ‘If I was going out to a nice dinner, what would I wear?’” she said.
她去年至少面试过20个人,各种各样的穿着都见过。最令他感到有失检点的一个人穿着牛仔裤,嚼着口香糖,露着“事业线”,满身都是珠光宝气,白色的衬衣里面甚至没有穿内衣,衣服也很紧身。她提供了一个很简单的方法:“我总会这样想:‘如果要出去参加一场丰盛的晚宴,我应该穿什么衣服?’”她说。
Jennifer Medeiros, talent acquisition manager with San Francisco-based Rodan + Fields
珍妮佛·麦蒂罗斯(Jennifer Medeiros),美国旧金山,Rodan + Fields人才招聘经理
Take it up a notch. A number of departments at Medeiros’ company are very relaxed when it comes to what you wear to work, and people have come in jeans to interview and have still gotten the job, she said. But that doesn’t mean she would recommend it. And she’d rather see someone overdressed than underdressed. “I have seen [people] come dressed in a suit and tie for the interview, and honestly this has always left a strong impression with the teams that the person was willing to go to an extra effort,” she said. “It has never left a negative impact. I would not discourage someone who wanted to dress more formally for an interview. Quite the opposite, I would discourage the more casual attire because there is always room for wrong judgement calls or errors there.”
正装出席。麦蒂罗斯表示,她的公司里有很多部门的穿着都很随意,有人穿牛仔裤来面试照样能被录取。但这并不意味着她推荐这种做法。他宁肯看到求职者穿着过于正式,也不希望看到他们太过随意。“我见过有人穿着西装、打着领带来面试。说实话,这总能给团队成员留下强烈的印象,让人们认为此人愿意付出额外的努力。”她说,“这肯定不会留下负面印象。我不会劝阻那些想在面试中穿着比较正式的人。但相反的是,我会劝阻那些穿休闲装面试的人,因为这样做总会存在一些误判或错误。”