‘Interview in style’: Tips and tricks of dressing to impress for interviews and the workplace
Posted: May 29, 2015 Filed under: Career sectors, Careers advice, Employability skills, Graduate careers, Graduate employers, Interviews, Job applications and CVs, Job hunting, Job interviews and assessment centres Leave a commentLaura Jordan of Stylesavvy.ie advises female graduates on the best interview and workplace dress tips. Check out her tips for the guys here
Interview dressing is the holy grail of outfit choosing; what you wear really does matter. Workwear in general can be tricky, but the time to hit the nail on the head is when you are trying to get the job in the first place.
Your image reflects your competency and overall professionalism, a harsh truth perhaps, but true it is. Approach this task with as much precision and thought as you would your interview answers, and you can dress for interview success.
Dresscode dictates
This is not the time to stand out for the wrong reasons. If it’s a corporate job you’re going for, remember that the corporate world has a particular style that should be broadly adhered to; even if you are interviewing around the outskirts of this industry.
Be memorable for what you say, not for what you wear.
The way to show your personality through your outfit is to accessorise with style. The way to show your style through your personality is to let your colleagues get to know you…over time. A luxury not provided by interview alone.
Many people ask me why workwear is so important, since they may not be client-facing, or the prevailing culture in their office is cool and casual. My answer is the same every time. Your clients don’t give you a promotion. Your colleagues do. So dress like you mean business. With this in mind it’s time to hit the shops. The key time for workwear purchases is August, as the Autumn/Winter stock arrives – right now we are in Spring/Summer limbo; the trickiest season to address in the office.
For the Summer months consider pencil skirts or tailored trousers with silk tops, or shift dresses and cropped blazers.
Capsule workwear wardrobes are your best bet; separates are more cost-effective than dresses as they allow for more combinations of outfits.
However, for interview (which can be at short notice), choose a dress. I break my own rule here as your ‘interview dress’ is your ‘uniform’- once time and thought has gone into choosing it, it’s done. Not something to have to worry about the night before.
If you are in a second interview position, then go for separates. You will have a better idea of the vibe of the workplace and can choose this outfit armed with more information. A dress has a smaller margin of error in terms of tucking, co-ordinating fabrics and texture and considering lengths and exposure.
Below you will see some options in the shops right now. Pencil cut or shift are the way to go – with a cap sleeve, or a light blazer / tailored jacket worn over. Avoid a skater or flared style, they appear girlie, not professional and are best left to the weekends. Fabric should be on the heavy side, even in Summer (this doesn’t necessarily mean dark) and texture or print are fine, as long as, like we said earlier, they don’t distract from the pearls of wisdom you are imparting!
Zara: €49.95
Mango: €24.95
Next: €60
Shoes are very important. Firstly, heels are almost always essential; the height is in your hands. Never go for a platform, always a pointed or round toe. At this time of year you can’t go wrong with a nude pointed or round-toed court. In Winter, a block-colour in suede has the same effect. Just note that the only patent shoe you should buy for work is black or nude, colours can look cheap and tacky.
Nude court shoe by LK Bennett, Dundrum
Polka dot court shoe by LK Bennett, Dundrum
Bring a bag large enough to carry documents (an extra copy of your CV, hard copies of references etc.) but small enough to sit on your arm or shoulder and not prove too cumbersome when meeting your interview panel. Your accessories let you show some of your own personal style – statement necklaces with a high or round neck add interest and focus, whereas a bangle or cuff can look great with a three-quarter-length sleeve. Choose a dainty piece if wearing silk or another light fabric.
bettyandbiddy.com: €28
bettyandbiddy.com: €24
Limited Edition bag from Marks & Spencer (€65)
Laura Jordan is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Design. She works as a fashion stylist and image consultant, specialising in corporate style and workwear wardrobes through her popular ‘StyleWorks’ seminars.
For more information or to make an appointment for an individual consultation or a group workshop, visit www.stylesavvy.ie or mail laura@stylesavvy.ie.
When you have your interview wardrobe selected, make sure to stop by gradireland.com for interview advice and tips!
Realising the value of diversity in the workplace
Posted: May 20, 2015 Filed under: General Leave a comment
Davin Roche, Director of Workplace Diversity at the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), writes that there are many benefits that come from employers, not just employees, embracing inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.
The positive impact of Health Minister Leo Varadkar TD speaking publicly about being a gay man earlier this year dovetails with positive comment from industry leaders such as the ESB’s Pat O’Doherty and IBM’s Peter O’Neill. It is clear that more and more employers are seeing the value of investing in LGBT equality and inclusion in the workplace.
But there is still much to do. Minister Varadkar is one of approximately 170,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the Irish workforce, almost half have not come out. It is clear that executive leaders can play a significant role communicating a message that is translated into inclusive practice and culture throughout the business.
Companies need to ask themselves, are their personnel equipped to support LGBT employees who want to be open about who they really are? Our own evidence shows that when LGBT people come out at work it is more likely to be to their peers than to their manager, but the relationship with the latter is critical in order for companies to be able to engage with their employees. One in four LGBT people have experienced bullying or harassment at work while one in ten have missed work as a result. Minister Varadkar was fortunate with the support of An Taoiseach when he was coming out, can most LGBT people say the same thing?
Many are still navigating their way through workplaces with cultures that do not promote inclusivity of all. This is unfortunate for the employee and the company. Surveys show that LGBT people who are out are more engaged, report higher levels of job satisfaction and stay longer in organisations.
GLEN works with a wide range of employers to ensure that their equality and diversity initiatives include LGBT issues through our Diversity Champions Programme and network for employers.
We recently launched the Workplace Equality Index, to allow employers to benchmark their organisations on LGBT diversity and inclusion, this is an initiative supported by many major employers, such as IBM; “The Workplace Equality Index allows participating organisations to get an independent assessment of their LGBT diversity policies and practices. It provides us with an incentive to improve and demonstrates that diversity is vital to our success,” said Peter O’Neill of IBM.
Davin Roche
Director of Workplace Diversity
Diversity Champions – Ireland’s Network of LGBT Inclusive Employers
Big winners and bright futures at the 2015 gradireland Graduate Recruitment Awards
Posted: May 1, 2015 Filed under: Accountancy, AHECS, Career sectors, Careers advice, Engineering, Graduate careers, Graduate employers, Graduate recruitment, Internships, IT and telecoms, Law, Postgraduate study, Science Leave a commentOn April 30th almost 600 of Ireland’s graduate recruiters, course providers and influencers came together in the Round Room of the Mansion House to celebrate achievement and innovation in the graduate recruitment area, on the back of a year which has seen the market rebound considerably as a result of the continuing economic recovery. 2015 marked the largest ever gradireland Graduate Recruitment Awards, which were conducted in partnership with the Association of Higher Education Careers Services (AHECS) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
The winners at the gradireland Graduate Recruitment Awards 2015
Hosted by RTE’s Brian Dobson, the awards ranged throughout the graduate recruitment spectrum and also acknowledged achievement in the postgraduate course provision area. Indeed this area saw the first awards of the evening, the AHECS awards, being presented, the winners being:
