First impressions last – dress to impress for an interview

Vol 27, Issue 09, 15 November 2024

The year is 1982, I’m recently graduated from the sixth form, It’s a hot sunny day, and I’m lying on the beach, and swimming in the Atlantic at the caravan park near my home town in South Wales. Someone I know from the park office comes up to me and says there was a phone call from my sister (no mobile phones in those days) telling me to call this number – as he hands me a piece of paper with a telephone number and the name Barry Ward – as it is about a job I had applied for. As I had applied for several jobs that summer, I had no idea who the person I was supposed to call worked for.

So, I left the beach and went up to the office to call the number and when it was answered I then knew what company it was – the Kodak photographic laboratory near my home. The person I spoke with was the assistant manager who said they were interviewing for a photographic darkroom technician that day and wanted me to come straight away. I explained that it would take me about 1.5 hours to drive home, get dressed for the interview and meet him at the laboratory. He replied that I needed to come immediately and that there was no need to “dress up” for the interview and to “come as you are”. Well, I looked down at what I was wearing for a day at the beach, an old T-shirt that I had ripped the sleeves off, an old pair of shorts, flip-flops, and a beach towel. I said that I really needed to get home to get some clothes but again he stated to just come as I was.

Therefore, I simply just jumped in my car and drove to the laboratory, where a secretary looked at me very sceptically when I explained what I was there for, and showed me into a room with several other people all of whom were “dressed to impress”, wearing a variety of suitable business attire. I noticed some surprised looks as I entered the room and heard a few sniggers, perhaps they thought I had wandered in off the street and was in the wrong place.

Anyway, shortly after I arrived, the assistant manager opened the door and called my name. He was just as surprised by my appearance as the others and gave me a questioning look. I replied with “you did say come as you are” and he then laughed and said it was ok. We went together into the manager’s office and he explained who I was and a little explanation as to how come I was dressed as I was. The manager gave a short snort of laughter but smiled and said “well, it is a beautiful day and I would be at the beach if I didn’t have to be at work”. This really broke the ice and we proceeded with the interview which went very well.

Normally we are all told that it is important to dress well for an interview and that we need to make a good first impression for a prospective employer. You should also be well groomed and present yourself well. In my case, I was dressed for the beach, and as I had also been swimming, my long hair was a mess, and I was leaving a small trail of sand along his carpet – at least I had managed to have a quick wash before I got there.

Of course, you should go all out and make the effort in how you look for an interview, the first impression you give is usually what will be left behind when you leave the interview. You need to present yourself with confidence not arrogance, so if you are a little different from other applicants it will stand out, then use it to your advantage.

So, did I get the job..? A few days later a call came (this time I was home, not at the beach) and I was asked if I could start the following Monday. I was a little surprised but of course I accepted the job, and it was a long-running joke at the lab for many years how I came dressed for the interview.

I am not suggesting anyone who is going for an interview thinks about using my dress code from that day (albeit I was successful), but I certainly suggest you stand out from everyone else that is being interviewed so that you leave a lasting, and hopefully good, impression.

Images created with Microsoft Copilot.