Thursday, December 4, 2008

Comfort over Style


My husband had a video-conference scheduled this afternoon with an out of town recruiter. I had no doubt that he would impress them with his knowledge and skills. And while I couldn't help him sell his experience, I could (and would) help him with his appearance. 

He tried on one of those great new shirts that we bought yesterday at the mall and it fit like a glove. It was tapered and slim fitting with clean lines. (Just like something Justin Timberlake would wear to an interview.) But he opted to go with a basic blue, button-down oxford citing comfort as the main reason. Since when do we go with comfort over style and fashion?

He tried to convince me that it didn't matter what he wore because this was a recruiter, not a potential employer. And then he added, "Besides, it's a video-conference, the resolution isn't going to good enough for them to be able to see me." Spoken like a true engineer. I had to remind him that the reason it was a video conference and not your basic phone call was because the recruiter wanted to check him out and make sure that he didn't have a third eye or a weird facial tic. "Of course they are going to be checking you out! And every recruiter is crazy about a sharp dressed man." And so he agreed to wear the new camel hair blazer that we bought for "business casual" meetings. 

So imagine my surprise when I arrived home to find him still at the meeting and the camel hair coat on my bed. Later, when he got home I immediately asked how it went followed by, "And more importantly, why aren't you sporting the blazer?" Yup, he opted not to wear it. But, as luck would have it, the video conference room was far too hot to be wearing layers. Again, I ask, I implore...since when do we chose comfort over style and fashion?

He assured me that all went well and that he wooed them with his knowledge and skills. He appeared very confident and impressed with his performance. So I breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, he had that third eye removed last year, or it could have been a disaster. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't ever speak for all recruiters BUT we do look for more than just having a third eye. (In some cultures a third eye is a sign of strength and is highly sought after.)
The point being that presentation matters but obviously Jim was more than appropriately dressed. I would never pre-judge someone by their wardrobe but would recommend staying away from wearing ascots.

If you want to send me Jim's resume and brief description of what positions he's in search of, I may have contacts who can help him. If you are interested...just let me know.
Best of luck in the job search!
Glenn

Unknown said...

You are lucky to have a husband who has a great sense of humor about himself. Otherwise, you too would be looking for a new job since the blog would be shut down. P.S. I think Glenn could be a guest blogger offering great job-hunting tips. If ascots are a no-no, what about bollos?

Anonymous said...

I'm sure that Bollos could be okay but just not anywhere I've ever worked.
Bad toupees are acceptable but this recruiter has had a hard time keeping a straight face when faced with this situation.

Leisure suits would be welcomed for nothing other than comic relief.