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wow-how unfair is some of the things you mention??
I think the cover letter is a bit much, but that's just MHO. The resume should suffice. But people that live too far?? Give me a friggen break. Who are you to decide that? That is discrimination. Perhaps they intended to move closer. Maybe they would leave for work earlier in order to get there on time. Maybe they NEED a job!
Sure people should bring a pen and a resume.....I'll give you that one. The lady in the red suit with red lipstick- again discrimination. How does the color of her lips or clothes disqualify her? You HR people are ruthless and discriminate and should hope you don't lose your job and run into other HR personnel like you while you're job hunting.
I used to be a recruiter. It is not discrimination to not consider people who live far away - I'd throw people like that on temp jobs and they would inevitably have transportation issues and be chronically late.
A cover letter shows you have interest in the job and are not just blasting your resume to as many emails/fax numbers as you can find. A cover letter shows your writing skills and personality.
A bright red suit with bright red lipstick is unprofessional. That would not fly in the past 3 corporations I worked at. The red lipstick is the icing on the cake.
When you have 100 people vying for a job, you are going to pick the person best for the COMPANY. If 5 people are equally as qualified for a job, you'll look towards location, personality, and professionalism to see who has the edge.
You can hire or fire someone because you don't like the color of their shoes. Discrimination is only when you do not hire based on protected classes: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age.
I'm in Corporate HR and I have to tell you- Attire counts for me. I am overwhelmed with resumes right now. To weed out, I delete all emails that do not include a cover letter, that have spelling errors, and that live too far. Then on the interview, I dismiss all those that do not show up dressed polished and professional. If they do not bring a pen, or extra fresh copy of their resume- that's another strike against them.I prefer suits, however, I realize very few people even own them these days ... Sad. I had one girl show up in a RED suit with bright RED lipstick ... Unbelievable. I wanted to tell her "Leave now" but I gave her the respect of the interview and was glad after she left. Go light on make-up and on perfumes.
Good luck.
I'd like to add my thoughts on this. Not everyone can afford a well tailored suit. If a person only wears a suit for interviewing but it isn't the standard attire for their field, many will bypass purchasing one. Others may have difficulty finding one that fits correctly.
I love an attractive, well-cut suit but find I am unable to wear the jacket. My DNA "blessed" me with more muscular arms & back than I would like. I can buy a size larger to accomodate my upper arms but it will look baggy on me overall. After adding in tailoring costs, it just isn't worth it to me.
I think a pair of tailored slacks with a classic blouse or sweater can look very professional if you stick with neutral colors. Although a suit looks very nice, it is much more important for someone to be neat, clean and wear something that is pressed. Frankly, I would hope to be hired for my credentials, attitude and personality than my taste in fashion.
Clean, pressed, classic clothing with minimal make-up and jewelry is best for an interview. Ditto on "NO Perfume."
You always put a cover letter with a resume. It shows extra effort ,focus and a person touch to get a hint of the personality of the applicant.
Far away = transpo issue
Red dress = big personality, may lack self control, may not play well with others
Red Lips = LOL...Well don't worry about that if you interviewer is a man. I always dressed based on if a man or woman was the person looking at my resume. Funny thing is chicks hate it if you look to good. so make sure you look uglier than they do. Especially if they are over 30 and under 50. I always wear red lipstick..but its not "hooker red"
I'd choose outfit colors with care--choose flattering colors for your complexion and hair color. For example, while black is chic on many women, I wear warm colors better and with black near my face, I look tired, old, and washed out! Would stay clear of really bright colors like red because some people find them distracting or off-putting for an interview at least. Complimentary neutrals with maybe a colored blouse might be a good bet because the interviewer focuses more on you than what you're wearing--just an opinion. Even if your outfit isn't brand new or expensive--double check to be sure it fits well, is clean and well-pressed, and there are no sagging hems, threads, or pet hairs. Good luck!
Well, I've always been very neutral and simple at interviews. I try to put together a classic outfit (usually a pair of nicely tailored slacks or knee length pencil skirt with a nice button up blouse) and then wear one accessory that stands out a bit. A nice watch, a shiny necklace, a pretty ring or anklet etc. When I was in HR I noticed that I started remembering people by little things that stuck out, and if you didn't stick out you didn't get hired. When I was going through my stacks of resumes, I'd recognize a name then remember 'oh, the tall girl with the really nice red necklace'. Don't go overboard, but being completely washed out and neutral may not get you the little added attention you need.
Always dress a little nicer than you think you need to for the job. My mother taught me this lesson, she learned it the hard way. When she was a young adult back in the 60s she had applied for a job as an office worker/receptionist at a local "head shop" (hippie shop that sold Grateful Dead-type stuff). Since it was a sort of wild shop with wild-looking customers, she went to the interview in her normal hippie regalia, patched bellbottoms, a ton of necklaces, fringe coat, etc. etc. The manager took one look at her and said "No Thanks!" They may have been a crazy head shop, but they wanted someone who would at least show up for the interview looking decent, even if they dressed more casual when working with customers.
That story always stuck with me! Better to be more dressed up rather than less, and just because the other workers interpret Casual Friday to mean sandals and shorts are okay doesn't mean you should.
One more note, I wish places would describe their dress code in the job ad. Once to a job interview I wore a very nice wool dress, below knee length, cap sleeves, belt, with a matching suit jacket, heels, etc. They were having AC problems and during a portion of the interview I was asked if I wanted to take off my jacket, so I did, and got very funny looks. Turns out their company had a policy against sleeveless/cap sleeved outfits! Obviously I wouldn't wear spaghetti straps, but I though a sleeveless suitdress would be fine, especially since there was no client interaction! Also, shoes had to be closed toe (which I understand) and closed heel, so no mules... try finding shoes like that in Chicago in the summer!
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Obviously I wouldn't wear spaghetti straps, but I though a sleeveless suitdress would be fine, especially since there was no client interaction! Also, shoes had to be closed toe (which I understand) and closed heel, so no mules... try finding shoes like that in Chicago in the summer!
