I went to meet my wife at her job today for lunch. She works at a pretty professional (coughuppitycough) place. Type of place you gotta be buzzed in by the front desk and all that. So part of the reason I go there is to embarrass her, show’em that ain’t how she act at home and expose the ratchetness. Besides all that it’s a well known/respected employer here in Ohio is the point I’m trying to make. So as I approach the front door, there’s someone else also walking in. We’re about 15 steps away from the door coming from opposite sides of the parking lot. The whole way he’s kind of hesitant, glancing at his phone, slowing down trying to keep my pace so we can arrive at the door at the same time. We get in there, I go straight to the sign in desk, get my visitors pass and sit down. Now let me back up. This gentleman is wearing khakis, a button down shirt not tucked in and a hoody unzipped. Cool. So I’m thinking he’s a delivery guy who can’t find his way to the back entrance and stopped in THIS way to ask for directions. Wrong. Fast forward, I get my visitors pass and the desk lady asks him if there for his test screening and he says yes! So she proceeds to give him directions to the test center, which I knew was down the hall first door to the left because I had taken the same test years before with no success, obviously. BUT, I was at least dressed the part. As I tried to explain earlier, this doesn’t seem to be the type of place you’d want to risk it all because of your wardrobe during the test/interview process. They’re rather, proper. It’s not even really about this particular employer, or being proper or not. My issue is what he and a lot of other people feel is appropriate interview attire, period.
If I was a gambling man I would have lost it all on the wager of him of him being there to get a job or not . I thought he was lost. He didn’t look confident, he looked real timid in fact. I’ve been nervous before a job test too so I get that part, to a degree. And this can be the type of place to kinda shake you. He wasn’t even that sloppy, but he definitely didn’t look like the people that actually worked there. All I saw were ties, blazers polos, and TUCKED IN shirts for the majority. I wasn’t even mad at him, I was actually impressed that he could get it that wrong. And that takes a lot because I’m pretty casual when I want to be, but this wasn’t the time or the place. Is it just me or is it too much to ask in requesting that a tie be worn to all interviews, no matter the job? Pretty reasonable right? I’m trying to look better than everybody in there if I get a shot at it. Lesson number 1, first impressions reign supreme folks. I’ve seen it in action before. I’ve seen what employers do to a resume’ if after they meet you face to face they’re not impressed. You may walk out thinking you killed it but your application was in the trash before the door swung back closed upon your exit. It happens. Now for the record, I hope the previously mentioned gentlemen gets and keeps the job, I really do. It’s hard out here. But it can be even harder if you show up to potential employers with not a shred anywhere on your person of a fresh demeanor.
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