Your Personal Career Hygiene Tips

When it comes to making a good first impression no matter what the situation a few pointers come to mind.  Even if you’ve had a rough night before your meeting or interview, showing up and cleaning up is a good way to start off on the right foot.  It’s interesting to see folks whether you’ve worked before or are just starting out, to have absolutely no sense of how they may come across to the next person.  It’s not that they are so self-absorbed as to ignore the obvious, but having a sense of self and appropriateness is apparently an education that has been lost either at home or in school.

Knowing who you are and what you stand for is one thing, but make sure your outward appearance mirrors your internal self.  You may have the best resume on earth, a compelling portfolio or knock out references, but if you show up to an interview like you’ve slept under a tree you are definitely not going to land that job.  It’s not so much what you put on top of your body as much as you put into it.  Keeping in mind if you’ve been out all night drinking you will smell of alcohol from your pores-and yes, the recruiter will definitely take notice no matter how many breath mints you pop.  If you go and try new Korean BBQ restaurant you’ve been dying for keep in mind that garlic dish you sampled may be playing a repeat performance the next day.  Making sure you take care of the obvious in your personal hygiene is as important as showing up to the interview on time.

Couples of things to keep in mind the next time you are in the company of more than one:

  1. Take a bath-even if you “feel” clean.  You don’t want to walk around with the last day’s activities on your person.
  2. Wear something new to an interview.  Even if you can’t afford something new, make it look like you just took it off the hanger from the store.
  3. Brush your teeth and rinse with mouthwash.  Trust me, you may think you are “minty fresh” but the person on the down draft may not think so.
  4. Brush or comb your hair.  Tangled webs around your face are not going to make you look put together no matter which fashion trend you are channeling.
  5. Clean your finger nails and hands.  No one wants to shake a dirty, sticky or wet hand during a first meeting.

Even though you may feel like you will nail the interview, there may be some subtle clues that have nothing to do with your age, experience, or resume that may not land you your next job.  Keep in mind everyone is judging you whether you believe they are or not. First impressions do count no matter what so make that a priority next time you show up for the casting call.

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Copyright © 2024 Lisa Kaye - HR & Business Consulting - The Career Rebel

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