DRESSING 4 IMPACT WORKSHOP
By Tommy Reynolds
The oft-repeated adage “the more things change, the more they remain the same”, can be applied to many situations in life. It is especially prescient to today’s job market, in particular how to best present oneself at a job interview.
In the span of the lifetime of the students who are currently in college looking for internships or full-time employment, many things have changed in the workplace. The large majority of companies are now business casual. Job postings have moved from the want ads to the internet. While recruiters still play a role, LinkedIn, Indeed, and company websites are where most jobs are found today.
Yet, once the interview hurdle has been cleared, a lot goes into preparing for and showing up at an interview. Much of which has not changed over the last fifty to sixty years. Key facets of this were recently addressed at Image Impact’s Mentor4Impact workshop led by Sharon Kornstein of Image Design Consulting, held at John Jay College for Criminal Justice and Jacqueline Peros of JMP Branding, held at Guttman College.
In the span of the lifetime of the students who are currently in college looking for internships or full-time employment, many things have changed in the workplace. The large majority of companies are now business casual. Job postings have moved from the want ads to the internet. While recruiters still play a role, LinkedIn, Indeed, and company websites are where most jobs are found today.
Yet, once the interview hurdle has been cleared, a lot goes into preparing for and showing up at an interview. Much of which has not changed over the last fifty to sixty years. Key facets of this were recently addressed at Image Impact’s Mentor4Impact workshop led by Sharon Kornstein of Image Design Consulting, held at John Jay College for Criminal Justice and Jacqueline Peros of JMP Branding, held at Guttman College.
While GPA, major, and extracurricular activities are clearly important, Sharon and Jacqueline focused on preparation and appearance. Here are some key pointers she highlighted in the workshop:
The workshop was well received as the workshop leaders went into great detail on many of the above points. One student walked away especially more confident to go on an interview. “The most important interviewing points, networking details and guest speakers was what I liked most about the past Mentoring 4 Impact workshops.” All plan to attend the remainder of the Mentor4Impact workshops in the future, held throughout the year on two CUNY campuses (John Jay College and Guttman College). It could after all, be the difference between receiving an offer and not receiving one.
- For starters, it is imperative to bring a resume in case the interviewer does not have a copy at the meeting.
- A check of one’s outfit the night prior to an interview is essential. A suit or blouse must be neatly pressed, shoes must be shined, and one’s belt and shoes must match.
- Guys should be clean shaven or have neatly trimmed beards.
- Woman are encouraged to have natural looking nails and wear minimal makeup. Excessive or flashy jewelry is not recommended.
The workshop was well received as the workshop leaders went into great detail on many of the above points. One student walked away especially more confident to go on an interview. “The most important interviewing points, networking details and guest speakers was what I liked most about the past Mentoring 4 Impact workshops.” All plan to attend the remainder of the Mentor4Impact workshops in the future, held throughout the year on two CUNY campuses (John Jay College and Guttman College). It could after all, be the difference between receiving an offer and not receiving one.
