Dress for Success
This past week I interviewed a gentleman fresh out of school. As I asked him questions, he nervously shifted from one side of his seat to the other. His jaw quivered with every word out of his mouth. I reassured him that there was nothing to be nervous about and that I too wanted to see him succeed. As the interview progressed, he very openly shared concerns regarding his lack of confidence... he was fearful that he would jeopardize the safety of one of his patients. While I would normally respect this genuine concern for safety, there was something more than that. This young man was not anywhere near ready for the responsibilities we would thrust upon him... he needed to get his feet wet somewhere else. For the first time in my career, I instructed him before he left my office that I would not be considering him for the position.
While I did not hire him into the position for obvious reasons; a red flag immediately went up the second he walked into my office...his attire. Dressed in blue jeans and a sweatshirt, I knew right away that he was going to have to knock my socks off if he were to walk away with a job offer.
What ever happened to the days of business suits, pressed slacks, and button- down dress shirts? This new "look" of professionalism is unfortunately a trend that has gone on for far too long. Not more than a few months ago, I had a woman interview for a PRN position dressed in blue jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes (not to mention the pack of Camel Lights sticking out of her purse). It was almost as if her interview was an inconvenient stop on her way to the nearest Seven Eleven. I would be remised however if I did not share the story of an RT student a couple of years back who came dressed in a mini-skirt and halter top. Perhaps she thought that some exposed cleavage would influence my hiring decision.
I had it! Last week was my breaking point...I instructed our Human Resources Department to no longer send applicants to my office if they are not appropriately dressed. If they somehow do slip through the cracks, they won't get but five minutes of my time... time spent preaching to them the value of making a first impression and that the next time they want to be seriously considered for a position in our department that they should dress for the occasion.
Have we done this to ourselves? Has the shortage of respiratory therapists contributed to the problem? What about the sign-on bonuses and flexible shifts? With the guarantee of a job following graduation almost a certainty, this must not cloud the judgment of those seeking employment.
Here are a few rules to live by when interviewing for a job: 1) Professional and appropriate attire is a must; 2) Bring several copies of your resume and references; 3) Prepare for the interview and anticipate what questions may be asked. Be sure to ask thought-provoking, pointed and stimulating questions yourself. This lets the interviewer know that you too have high expectations out of your employer; 4) Last but not least... be sure to send a thank you card. While most would think that this is a foregone conclusion, most applicants fail to do so. This is an excellent opportunity to leave a positive and lasting impression with the interviewer.
While I had hoped that I would have had some interactive feedback by now, I look at this as an excellent opportunity for the readers of this forum to share some of their experiences. I urge you to share your memories of the most outrageously dressed respiratory therapists who applied for a position in your facility. Let's use this as an opportunity to engage in some comical dialogue and hope that it leads to something bigger on down the line.
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - Alan Kay