DRESS FOR SUCCESS

It is a commonly held belief that when you meet someone for the first time, it takes only six seconds for that person to decide whether or not they like you. First impressions really do last, so it is important to make a good one. Especially, if it is at an important meeting or job interview.

Our clothes reflect our attitude to ourselves and to others, so making the effort to look smart and dress appropriately says a great deal about your willingness to succeed.

Whether you are starting on the career ladder, moving up at work, or hoping to make a new start, there are some common sense things that you should consider to get the best from any opportunity.

"Clothes can communicate a lot about your personality, but it’s important to show that you have respect for your workplace and a professional attitude to your career. So when you dress for business, pay attention to everything from top to toe and then you can relax and concentrate on showing why you are the right person. You can make the best impression even before you say a word - from the second you meet. Good luck."

Please note Duncan's royalties are being donated to the Bannatyne Charitable Trust to support soldiers returning from conflict.

Job Interview Tips:

What follows are Duncan's tips to help you make your next interview a success...

Preparation is vital:

Whatever the situation, it’s essential to know about the company you are meeting. This is partly the purpose of the interview, but you should arrive for the meeting, knowing as much as possible in advance. That way you’ll be able to demonstrate that you understand what the organisation wants and have already considered how you can play a part.

Use the internet to search for information about the company and even find out something about its competitors. Maybe you can make an observation about how employing you will benefit the business.

Find out as much as possible about the job, in advance. This will help you to prepare some answers and some questions for the interview.

Check the time and location of the meeting and ensure that you get there in plenty of time.

Decide what to wear and make sure your clothes are clean and pressed, they fit correctly and you feel comfortable wearing them. During the interview be focussed on what you say.

Take along a folder with copies of your CV, a notepad and a pen for taking notes.

Arrive in plenty of time:

Give yourself enough time, to get to the meeting, relax and prepare to be called. Remember, once you get to a building it can take quite a long time to sign in, so don’t cut it too fine, or you won’t look your best and be ready to begin with confidence.

Talk about the job and you:

When asking or answering questions, try to link the information you give to how it might be relevant to the job you are being interviewed for. This is not always easy to do, but the more you have prepared, the more natural it will feel. Ask yourself WHY an employer should choose you for the job and then show those qualities in your interview.

Finally, prepare some questions for the end of the meeting and adapt them to what you have been discussing so that you can show how you have taken in the discussion and are keen to know more.

Your CV and covering letter:

Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) should be concise. Summarise your qualifications and experience so far. In addition you can add a brief description about yourself and your interests. Employers see many applications for jobs and the quicker they can find the information about you, the less likely they are to grow tired of reading the CV.

Always send a covering letter to accompany your CV. In this summarise your CV and show why you are an appropriate candidate. It is also an opportunity to express a little more personality than your CV, but be careful not to be over familiar. Don’t rely on a spell checker alone to correct your document.

Dress For Success:

Your outfit for an interview is the first thing that will be seen, when you enter the meeting. It’s important to look well presented so that the first impression is a good platform for the meeting.

A suit is a way to show that you’ve considered the importance of the meeting and is also a means of showing respect for the organisation you are applying to. The impression that you want to make is that your choice of clothes is smart and appropriate.

Avoid wearing a suit that is a strong style statement or colour. Black, navy or grey are always acceptable and will reflect your serious approach to the meeting.

Striped or plain doesn’t really matter, but avoid mixing a strong striped suit with a bold striped shirt and tie etc. It is better to keep things simple with a plain white or blue shirt and a subtle tie that matches.

Get a shirt that fits you around the collar when it is fastened up. It doesn’t need to be an expensive choice, but it does need to be clean, fresh looking and well pressed. Don’t wear a short sleeve shirt to an interview. It’s good to show a little of the cuff below the jacket sleeve. If you want a little extra embellishment you could choose a ‘double cuff’ shirt. This type of shirt has a cuff that folds back and has no buttons, so that you can use a cufflink. It’s a nice touch, if you want to look as though you’ve taken extra time to prepare.

Tip: Always have an extra shirt ready on the day, just in case there’s an accident with a drink, or the iron etc.

How to tie your tie:

There are a few different ways to tie a necktie, but the advice is to keep it simple and regular. A tiny knot with a normal collar shirt looks odd and a huge knot draws the eye away from everything else. Not good.

The simplest knot is the “Four In Hand”, which will give you a standard size knot with a straight edge at one side and a slope at the other.

Four in Hand:

If you like a more balanced shape, then the ‘Half Winsor’ knot is the best choice and will go with most collar shapes. It has a good match of size and symmetry. It also uses the right amount of the tie, so that you don’t have lots of tail left to hide away.

Half Winsor:

Either of these knots looks good. Try them out….Practice makes perfect!

Shoes and accessories:

Just like every other piece of clothing your shoes should look smart but not flash. Choose a black or a brown shoe or smart boot. Choose the colour as follows:

• Black suit – Black shoes
• Grey suit – Black or brown shoes
• Navy suit – Black or brown shoes.

Clean your shoes. Use a brush to get polish into this space and also the edge of the sole and heel, so that when you brush off and polish them, there is no trace of dirt and your shoes will look like new.

Wear a belt that matches your shoes – black with black shoe and brown with brown shoes.

Don’t wear lots of accessories and jewellery. Just like the rest of your outfit, you need people to listen you what you have to say, so don’t wear anything that will distract them.

"Success in business is down to a lot of things, but if you take a positive attitude to how you dress at work, you will give the message that you expect to succeed. Good luck"