SUBTEXTMen should avoid jewelry. A wedding ring is acceptable, as is
a wristwatch. Nothing more. If you wear an earring, take it out
for the interview! Shoes should be simple and well polished, socks
over the calf and not drooping. Hair should be neat and beard
and moustache trimmed.
Beards are pretty well accepted by now, their subtext likely to
be serious, even scholarly. Again, it's important to match the
subtext your appearance sends out against the job you're after.
Even today, there are some firms that frown on beards. A little
research should tell you if this is the case.
It hardly seems necessary to stress personal grooming, except
that a surprising number of men are not aware of the need for it.
Fingernails should be short and clean, hands clean. Remember
all those schoolboy lectures about cleanliness and grooming!THREE ELEMENTS AND THEIR SUBTEXTS
The first impression you make is extremely important. It is possible
for someone to like you at "first glance," and interviewers are
attracted to people who are well groomed. Aside from your clothes,
there are three elements that contribute to the subtext you send
out and the first impression you make: the way you look at the
interviewer, the way you shake the interviewer's hand, and the
way you carry yourself.
Starting with the last one, just walking into the office sends
out a quick subtext. Do you stand erect or do you slouch? Do
you come forward hesitantly or walk forward purposefully? Your
walk can reveal a great deal about you. A slouched posture sends
a very definite subtext of depression, of carrying a great weight