Interviewees fail to research
appropriate dress
28 March 2001 -
Almost three-quarters of U.S. workers agree that clothes and personal appearance
influence employers' attitudes about their professionalism but 80% still do not research
what is - and what isn't - appropriate attire for job interviews. This finding comes from
a national Casual Dress in the Workplace Survey from CareerBuilder Inc.
"In today's cautious economy, workers must maximize their chances of
success," said Diane Strahan, a career expert with CareerBuilder. "Your
resume needs to be sharp and polished and so do you. Researching and
selecting the appropriate type of attire for a job interview is a requirement
in today's perplexing casual work environment. What's tricky is that casual
means different things to different people."
78% of workers say they dress casually for work. But the definition of casual varies.
More than half use the term "business casual" - for example, khaki slacks, polo or golf
shirt and an optional jacket - and a quarter describe their clothing as "extreme casual"
(jeans, T-shirts, shorts). Business casual is the norm, with almost a third of the
employees polled saying that casual attire was only permitted on designated dress down days.
"Making assumptions about proper business dress can be disastrous,
especially for job seekers who are trying to fit into a new corporate
culture," Strahan said. "The first impression is critical. Even the most
glowing qualifications can't erase a bad first impression."
Most respondents in the survey consider poor grooming, halter-tops, tube tops, sweatshirts,
sweatpants and piercings to be unprofessional by survey respondents.
The highest rated professional attire are business suits, khaki pants, polo shirts and
golf shirts.
"If you have to ask whether something is appropriate or not, it's probably
not," Strahan said. "Remember that what you wear to work reflects your
professional style."