Here are some useful grooming tips that can help you improve your professional presence:

Hair

Your hairstyle reflects your personality and unkempt hair certainly won’t impress employers. For men, it should be neat and clean, so make sure it is combed and brushed away from your face. It’s ideal to get a haircut a few days before the interview, and for women, a blow dry can contribute to the professional look. Adding accessories can also add a nice effect, but keep it simple to avoid distracting the interviewer. You can tie you hair if you like, although if you prefer it loose, make sure it doesn’t cover your face. With regards to hair color, keep it natural; red or blue may look appropriate for parties, but less so for professional job interviews.

Attire

Since you will be interviewing, it is important to be formally dressed. For men, shirts and trousers should be crisp and well-ironed. Subtly colored long-sleeve shirts are ideal, but if you prefer prints make sure that they aren’t too ostentatious. For women, a simple shirt or blouse will do and can be enhanced with a scarf. If you prefer to wear skirts, make sure they are knee-length to avoid revealing too much skin. For shoes, the number one rule is that they need to be formal. Give them a nice polish and wipe out any stains before you enter the room.

Jewelry

Wearing jewelry is not an issue, but less is better. If you have multiple piercings, it is advisable to wear only one earring on each ear. If you plan on wearing a watch, it’s best that it have a leather or steel belt and not be too clunky. If you want to wear a necklace or a bracelet, keep it very simple and avoid those with little chimes that create a lot of distracting noise. Last but not least, if you’re used to wearing rings, try to wear only one on each hand.

Perfume

Wearing perfume gives you a fresh scent and a boost of confidence. However, keep in mind that not all scents are created equal. They can often be too potent and distracting to others.

Make-up

Makeup can positively impact your appearance when applied correctly. Even men can wear light makeup to cover small imperfections and brighten their appearance.

Hygiene

Poor personal hygiene reflects personal carelessness and is unappealing to potential recruiters. The most important of all are the nails; they should always be clean and well-trimmed. For women that wear nail polish, the lacquer should not be chipped. A clean-shaven male applicant certainly has a higher chance of getting hired than someone who looks as though they just rolled out of bed. If you really want to maintain a beard, make sure it’s well groomed and trimmed.

Once you’ve gone through these grooming tips, put on a bright smile. This will exude confidence and project a glowing presence.

Photo by Annie Spratt

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Interview Mistake # 1 – Saying You Hate Your Current Job

While you might think you are just being honest, a job interview is not the place to bring up the negatives. If you are asked why you are applying, keep things positive and explain what you like about the new position. This is especially important if you’re applying for a similar job – hating it when working for one business won’t make the interviewer very sure of your fit with a new one.

Interview Mistake # 2 – Complimenting the Interviewer

During a job interview, avoid complementing the interviewer – not only can this be misconstrued as flirtatiousness, it can also make him or her uncomfortable. Additionally, you might come across as if you are sucking up, and that will trash the interview very quickly. Just keep these thoughts to yourself.

Interview Mistake # 3 – Not Asking Questions

Job interviews may seem as if they are all about you, but interviewers want to know you’ve done your homework and been paying attention during the interview. It is rare that you will spend an hour with someone and not have any questions about the information they’ve shared. While you don’t want to ask about vacation time or other benefits, you need to ask something – even if it’s why the interviewer enjoys working with the company.

Interview Mistake # 4 – Asking About Pay

You should never be the first to bring up pay during a job interview. This makes it seem like all you care about is the paycheck, rather than the job itself. Every interviewer knows that pay is important, and many will bring it up at some point. Your best bet is to wait until you’ve received an offer of employment.

Interview Mistake # 5 – Trashing a Former Boss

While you may think your previous boss is a lazy idiot, never say this during a job interview! This is one of those trick questions that interviewers use to see how you handle difficult and sticky questions. If you are asked about giving advice, make sure to keep it professional – bringing up specific situations will only lead to the interviewer thinking you might be difficult to deal with as an employee.

These five mistakes can have a significant impact on a job interview. Most potential employers have to spend hours interviewing potential new hires, and committing one of these blunders is a surefire way to make sure you are passed over for a candidate that doesn’t annoy them during the interview process.

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