The Importance of Attire
One of the more common questions I’ve been asked over the years, is “Chief, what should I wear to my oral board interview.”
While that’s a very good question, I almost never hear candidates or applicants ask “What should I wear to my written test.” This too, is just as important for reasons that may surprise you. I’ll answer both.
Test Day
I’ll cover what to wear at the written examination first. Some candidates overdress, some underdress. The men in suits look a bit out of place, as to the women in dresses.
Both men and woman do well to dress in business casual. Of course, clean, neat and pressed. As for colors, I’ll get to that when I discuss “mirroring.”
I strongly recommend to sit in the front of the room. Some of the same people that proctor your written exam may be staffing your oral board exam.
If they see you appropriately dressed at the written, they may recognize you at the oral interview, and that’s a very good thing.
Particularly good if someone from the oral board panel acknowledges you as someone they recognize from exam day.
If they don’t recognize you, and you do them, mention it in the open of your interview when you’re shaking hands during the introductions. Be brief in your acknowledgement, and smile when you say,
“I recall seeing you at the written exam, it’s nice to see you again.”
The art of mirroring
Before we get into gender specifics, I would first like to discuss colors and mirroring.
Let’s talk about dressing in tones or hues that are similar to, or somewhat mirror the agency for which you’re interviewing. This is how powerful mirroring can be.
I recall the first time I interviewed an applicant that had done this. [Read more…]
