Reply to: Do You Dress To Impress?

[MCC7]

For me this is a no-brainer and I'm new to the whole contracting game. Suit and shirt everyday, tie if meeting clients. Current clientco have quite a relaxed 'business casual' policy but as I work for myself effectively, I want to maintain the "I'm a professionl and mean business" image. Which can often be confused with the "Apprentice wannabe" look.

[shaunbhoy]

Suit and tie for interviews for sure, but I think it's best to keep it 'understated'.

You tell 'em TM!!

[doodab]

Suit and tie for interviews for sure, but I think it's best to keep it 'understated'.

If you go in to an interview wearing cufflinks worth more than the permie hiring manager's car, it tends to get you off on the wrong foot

But you have to have cufflinks. And proper brass collar bones, not the little plastic ones that came with the shirt.

The secret is to have something tasteful but not too expensive, i.e. silver & enamel rather than jewel encrusted gold.

[TestMangler]

Suit and tie for interviews for sure, but I think it's best to keep it 'understated'.

If you go in to an interview wearing cufflinks worth more than the permie hiring manager's car, it tends to get you off on the wrong foot

[doodab]

Suited and booted for an interview, and the first day unless told otherwise. I have been asked "not to dress like that because it scares the customers staff" before.

When in contract I gravitate to minimum smartness, that might be full garb, suit trousers & a shirt with no tie, jeans and a t shirt or my preferred attire of shorts & in the winter months sometimes a bathrobe.

[2BIT]

not sure a tie is essential but otherwise def suited and booted, in fact cant help but see the kind of perms who were jeans or trainers with a suit or anything too funky as a bit feckless. they are most likely good at what they do but the impression they give off is 'clock watcher'

[shaunbhoy]

Cheeky!!

Isn't that the bird from Wurzel Gummidge?

Aunt Sally you mean? Yup.....got it in one!

[cailin maith]

Indeed!

Cheeky!!

Isn't that the bird from Wurzel Gummidge?

[shaunbhoy]

I do try to be subtle...

Indeed!

[cailin maith]

Are you sure it wasn't the string vest & hairy hands?

And the parking of the 32 tonner in the car park might have been a bit of a giveaway.

I do try to be subtle...

[cailin maith]

I think this reinforces my view that it is worth cultivating relationships with agents. In this case, the agent could have confirmed that you ain't no lady.

True enough!

[Old Greg]

Many moons ago - I was turned down for a job for wearing a trouser suit instead of a skirt suit.

The old bint who interviewed me actually told the agency that was the reason... it wasn't appropriate for ladies to wear trousers

I think this reinforces my view that it is worth cultivating relationships with agents. In this case, the agent could have confirmed that you ain't no lady.

[shaunbhoy]

Sitting beside some candidates throughout my years, I cant believe what some people wear .... First impressions count ...

Indeed. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

[cailin maith]

It's in a few UK newspapers.

Unfortunately both these are comment pieces.

A shop assistant who worked in HMV in Harrods is taking them to a tribunal for sex discrimination.

Since she started working there she has refused to wear make up and the management basically ignored her for about 4 years as she was fine selling to customers. However recently they insisted that she conforms to their make-up dress code of being heavily made up and then made it uncomfortable for her to work there so she resigned.

The Mail article is accusing her of being a slob for not wearing make-up there as The Guardian article is laughing at the dress code because expecting women to wear lipstick, lip liner and lip gloss at the same time is OTT.

Hmmmnnn - I never wear makeup to work.

I could understand the need to have a made up face if working on the beauty counters but otherwise, it's only done for the benefit of men, other women don't give a tulip, I'd imagine.

[ChrisPackit]

I always I thought I looked smart at work, until a colleague said that if I smartened myself up, I'd make a nice tramp