The Importance of Image in Business

by Guest Author Steve Chambers

My wife always wanted to live in Hawaii. It was her dream. Since, as a good husband I wanted to make my wife happy I applied to several positions when I graduated from business school. They must have been impressed by my qualifications because I ended up with several job interviews, all of which were taking place in Hawaii.

At the time I was just finishing up school in Arizona so to attend the interviews took some planning. Luckily I had enough frequent flyer miles for a free ticket and, having recently left the Navy, I had a couple friends living in Hawaii I could stay with. This was going to be a very low budget trip for me.

On the day of me interviews I got dressed up in my suit and tie, checked the shine on my shoes and made sure everything looked good. I was well aware that your appearance is of the utmost importance when you want to impress someone so I was dressed to impress. As I was getting ready to leave my buddy, who I was staying with, asked, “You’re not going to wear that suit to your interview are you?” “Of course I am” I responded. “Suits are what you wear to an interview.” “Not in Hawaii”, he replied. “In Hawaii you should wear an ‘Aloha Shirt’. That’s how you dress up here.”

I was somewhat miffed since I knew I was right. I mean, I was interviewing for jobs in finance and banking. These were serious jobs in a serious profession. Besides, every job interview book I had ever read said to dress in your finest. “Maybe you should take an Aloha Shirt with you just in case” he said as I was going out the door. “That’s okay, I’ll be fine.”

So what do you think happened? You already know. I walked into the interview room and every single person there was decked out in a very stylish Aloha Shirt. In fact, they were all white, whereas my suit was charcoal, which made me stand out like a sore thumb. In addition, my suit was very warm in the tropical heat. That, combined with my nervousness was making me sweat badly. When the time finally arrived for my interview I was hot, sweaty and uncomfortable.

I don’t know if I failed the interview or not. The pay range they offered was way below what I needed so I opted out mid-interview. Regardless, I had made a tactical error. I had not adapted my fashion to fit in with the locals or with the position. In failing to do this I handicapped myself from the start. The fact that I was uncomfortable once I discovered I stood out from the crowd (and not in a good way) destroyed my confidence and made me self-conscious. This was surely reflected in my body language. This is not the way to interview and no, I ended up never moving to Hawaii.

This is part of the reason I really enjoy Jennifer Skinner’s insight on fashion and on how to look good with a minimum number of outfits and with a modest budget. She knows her stuff. She can help me avoid embarrassing moments like this in the future.

Steve Chambers is a highly sought after sales trainer, leadership consultant and public speaker. You can find out more about Steve at his website, www.stevechambers.com