University recruiters agree "Dress professionally; not provocatively!" They rated conservative tailored outfits as most appropriate for interviews and express concern that some women students dress too sexually suggestive (Forsythe, 2018).
This recruiter comment captured the consensus of most recruiters:
“Clothing should not reveal body parts. Clothing should not be sexually suggestive in any manner.”
Most recruiters say they don’t let clothing impact their selection decisions, but research shows that’s not the case.
Recruiters rated the more conservative outfits (e.g., dress pants or skirts to the knee and no cleavage) as the most appropriate for women candidates.
Unfortunately, the female students surveyed were not likely to wear these conservative outfits. If you dress conservatively, you will have a big competitive advantage.
Why does it matter?
Recruiters’ perceptions, based on your clothing and other available factors, guide their assessment of your future job performance (Ruetzler, Taylor, Reynolds, and Baker, 2010).
In other words... first impressions are critical, so think about how others may perceive your look before going in for that interview or first day on the job. Just think of "The Devil Wears Prada" - what if Hathaway's character had been dressed in a professional power suit? The above scenario would have been far different.
Dr. Sandra Forsythe
