|
 |
|
|
| Home | Issues | The Daily Star Home | Volume 7, Issue 26, Tuesday, June 26, 2012 |
|
|
|
|
TRENDSPOTTING Interview chic By SABRINA F AHMAD
Before the job comes the interview, and with the job market being the way it is, you want to approach this armed to the teeth with every advantage at your disposal. Ugly Betty and Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin were entertaining to watch, but they're wrong about some important things. Obviously, a killer resume and stellar recommendations help, and the smart interviewee does the homework and researches the company before the big day, but what gets your foot in the door is how you present yourself. Remember that it takes ten seconds to form a first impression, and this is entirely based on assumptions made after noting your clothes and your body language, so what you wear is a pretty big deal. So, to help you make them sit up and take notice, here's a style cheat sheet for you. Duds As with a suit, your most important consideration is fit. You want something that flatters your figure without being too snug, or loose like a tent. Now, trends come and go, and hemlines rise and fall, and shalwars flare out and then narrow down again, and keeping up can be an exhausting and often expensive endeavour. Opt for something classic, like a kameez that ends somewhere around the knees, and a regular shalwar. Err on the side of conservative and go for full sleeves and a modest neckline. No peeking cleavage, or mile-high side slits please!
Separates - If you absolutely don't want to wear a shalwar kameez, you can rock a nicely fitted tunic or kurti with pants. That's right. Pants. Save the jeans for when you actually start work, and look grown-up and professional in a pair of well-tailored pants in a nice neutral colour. Khaki, off-white, steel-grey, navy and aubergine are all excellent colours for pants. (Don't do black; it's too severe for an interview where you want to appear personable and flexible). Again, skip the silks and sequins and go for cotton with subtle embellishments, and throw on a scarf, orna, or stole that complements the outfit. Underneath it all - This is a common sense step that somehow few talk about and many get wrong. Make sure your inner-wear fits, is comfortable, appropriate. That means it has to be a colour that blends with what you're wearing outside and isn't visible, and any wayward strap is carefully tucked inside.
Again, go easy on the bling. No jangling jewellery, no dangling earrings. A single strand of pearls is classy and sophisticated. Team with simple earrings, and maybe a single bracelet, and you're done. And always, always wear a watch; it shows that you respect time. Once more, nothing too fancy. Recent studies have said that people view a woman wearing makeup as more professional than people who don't, so if you're an all-natural girl, then you want to make an exception on this one day. On the other extreme, if you love your face paint, you want to tame those instincts, as too much can also work against you. Go for light, natural-looking, and sweat-proof makeup. While we love red lipstick, this is one day when you want to leave your inner sexy vixen at home. Go for a softer lip colour. There's a shade of pink that's just right for you, so experiment ahead of the day and find it out. Ditto for nails. Baby pink, lilac, powder blue, and ecru are some good colours for nails. Now that you have pulled your look together, just square your shoulders, put on your best smile and walk into the interview with confidence, and you've already made them sit up and take notice. Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed What's in your bag? SPECIAL FEATURE
Surprising as it may be, considering that there is no dearth of business schools in and around the city, most men are still fudging up details on their job interview attire. Being the nice, thoughtful people that we are, we've put a cheat sheet for the guys as well. Clothes Team with a properly pressed button-down shirt with a straight collar. Solid white or blue shirts are best, but you could do stripes if they are really subtle (think white-on-white or textured blue). Avoid loud colours and apparent prints. Accessories Neckwear - Wear a regular silk tie in solids, diagonal stripes, or small patterns. Choose conservative colours, like deep blues or reds, and avoid pink. Don't match the tie to the suit either; you don't want to look too matchy-matchy. If you want a little oomph, opt for a yellow tie, in a softer, lighter shade of yellow. That colour signals energy, and somehow puts people in a good mood. Miscellaneous - Wear a belt or suspenders, but not both. If you opt for the former, go for a leather belt that looks well-maintained. If you opt for the latter, make sure it's the button-down kind and not the clip-on kind. Belts should always match the shoes. This is one rule that shouldn't be broken. Always, always wear a watch. A good, sensible watch, nothing too fancy or flashy.
Grooming Once you've got the look down, all you need is confidence, and you're bound to wow them all. By Sabrina Fatma Ahmad What's in your bag/pockets? SPOTLIGHT Body language cues for acing interviews
It is a fact well-known, and yet often underestimated, that body language (visual and vocal) accounts for 93% of communication. So when you're walking into a job interview, you want to make them sit up and take notice by owning that conversation. Here's how. Posture: Square those shoulders and hold your head high as you walk into the room in bold strides. You've got them looking up already. Here's someone with a lot of confidence, is what they're thinking. When you take your seat, relax, but don't sag; instead, sit straight, and then lean forward a little. Try to maintain this posture. Watch your shoulders and your stomach; neither should, at any point in the conversation, be allowed to droop. Eye contact: This is very important. Look each person in the eye when you come in, and as you're sitting down, and remember to smile. During the course of the conversation, make sure everyone in the room gets some eye contact. This will keep them engaged. But don't stare. And especially, don't fixate on body parts. Both are creepy.
Use hand gestures to illustrate what you're saying. It animates your speech and keeps the energy up. But keep your hands away from your face, and don't ever, ever put them in your pockets, unless you're reaching for a pen. You want to remain accessible. Speech: Practice your spiel with a friend, and in front of a mirror beforehand. Anticipate questions and rehearse your answers, so that when you're actually in the hot seat, you can speak without awkward gaps and non-fluencies (those umms and errs). This makes you come across as articulate and fluent. Listen carefully, and don't interrupt; you will get your turn. Adjust the volume of your voice, so that you're being heard, but not shouting. Speak a little faster than usual; think of the most effective advertisement voices you've heard. On a final note, turn your cell-phone to silent before entering the room, and remember to smile and greet everyone, and also to thank everyone when you leave, and you'll leave a good impression. By Bossa Nova BY THE WAY TV shows that show corporate couture at its best Mad Men - The absolute last word in suaveness. Suits - Even though they mean lawsuits, the name of the show should tell you they're keeping it stylish. Damages - Yet another law show, but Glenn Close is riveting in her androgynous attire that somehow makes her feminine and not mannish. Castle - A crime show that spends a lot of time in the office, and the attire is always very cutting edge corporate couture. 30 Rock - It's witty, intelligent, and they rock the power suits like nobody's business. By Bossa Nova |
| home
| Issues | The Daily Star Home © 2012 The Daily Star | |
Summertime. Sunshine, mangoes, and long afternoons. Power-cuts and mosquitoes. Vacation plans that almost never turn out how you plan them. Aside from the obvious, this season is also a popular one for internships, whether as part of a university requirement, or as an opportunity to pad your resume ahead of college applications.
Since we're talking summer interviews, and most of these things happen in the daytime anyway, go for breathable fabrics such as cotton. Skip the fancy embellishments and loud prints; you don't want to distract attention away from you. We recommend subtle prints (delicate summer florals, and/or fun geometric motifs), and subdued shades such as pastels and soft neutrals. Choose one distinct, sophisticated detail, such as a boat-neck, or a bit of lace on the cuffs and collar, or light chikan embroidery, or pearl buttons (just not all at once), and let that do all the work.
Interview 
Carry your resume, and anything else you need, in a cross-body messenger bag. Do not bring a backpack; you are not a school-kid. This is also a handy place to roll up and stash the garments bag you brought your jacket in, if you decide to go with that option. 
Hands: Physical contact is a bit of a tricky issue here in Bangladesh. If you're a woman, avoid it altogether. If you're a man, shake hands with the other men in the room and stick to a polite nod or salam with the women, and you'll sail by without any breach of decorum. When shaking hands, avoid both the limp-fish handshake and the bone-crusher. The first makes you seem weak, the second is just unnecessarily aggressive.