Dressing for success in the hospitality industry starts from
the moment you arrive for your interview. The way you prepare yourself and
present yourself in a hospitality interview will offer prospective employers
clues to how you’ll present yourself in the hospitality industry. First
impressions are often the only impressions, so you’ll want your first appearance
to set the table for your performance on the job.
“Your initial appearance will introduce yourself before your
words do,” says Roberta Nedry, president of Hospitality Excellence, Inc., a
guest experience management firm. “You have only one moment to make that first
impression, from the minute you walk through the door and reach out your hand.
In choosing your clothes you are making a total impression. It’s just like
going to a party: what do you want to say about yourself?”
Dressing for success as early as the interview is even more
important in the hospitality industry than other businesses because hospitality
jobs demand you constantly present yourself to guests, whether in a restaurant,
hotel, resort, spa or other people-heavy setting. So when you arrive for your
interview, employers are already assessing how their guests will perceive you as
an ambassador for their operation.
What NOT to wear (and do) for your hospitality interview
Roberta Nedry breaks down her favorite hospitality fashion
crimes into three basic types:
Stinky Stan is a
man or woman who suffers from body odor or bad breath or wears excessive
perfume or cologne. Personal hygiene is part of your attire and an important
part of the first impression you make at an interview.
“Some people don’t realize their perfume is overwhelming or
they have a strong body odor,” she says. If you perspire heavily, wear
something like a cotton t-shirt or sweat guards to absorb and prevent stains.
If you drink coffee before your interview, don’t forget to brush your teeth,
use breath mints or chew breath-freshening gum. And remember, your perfume might
smell good to you, but not necessarily to others, so your best policy is not to
use any scent at all.
Your hair and fingernails should be squeaky clean.
Especially for jobs where you’ll dealing with food, such as serving or
catering, longer hair should be pulled back and tidy. And consider losing the
black nail polish for a more neutral shade at your interview.
Jewelled up Jill
will stand out, but not in a good way, at a hospitality interview. Some hotels,
says Nedry, even have jewelry standards governing the size of the earrings and
the number of rings you can wear. When in doubt for your interview, leave the
jewelry at home.
Says Nedry, “When working at a hotel, for instance, you want
to reflect the hotel. Lots of jewelry is just inappropriate.” The same goes for
excessive makeup that’s overly bright and calls attention to your appearance
rather than your performance. This applies, too, to visible body piercing.
You’re better to leave the studs at home and cover the tattoos…anything that
might make guests in a hospitality setting feel uncomfortable.
Sloppy Sam shows
up for the hospitality interview with scuffed or worn out shoes, shirt untucked,
buttons undone or missing. It takes only a few minutes to see to these final
details before your interview.
Tips to dress for interview success
- When
you’re first called for an interview, find out if there’s a written or
even unwritten dress code or standards of appearance for the hospitality
job.
- Create
a dress-for-success checklist ahead of time. On the day of your interview,
prepare for contingencies, for instance by keeping a little sewing kit
with you just in case.
- If you
really want the job, do your research. Go to the place of employment and
sit where you might be working. If it’s a front desk clerk job, sit in the
lobby and study the employees, check out their appearance at various times
of day. Is there a difference in dress during time shifts? Does the
uniform change? Look at their clothes, hair, makeup and jewelry. If you’re
interviewing for a hotel job, find out if the dress is the same throughout
the chain or if dress code differs from city to city.
- Try to
replicate the “uniform” of the position at the interview. Dressing the
part will help an employer visualize you in the hospitality position.
- Dress
comfortably but as your best self, says Nedry. Choose your colors
carefully. Neutral tones work well, but black and white also present a
professional appearance.
The rules of fashion have certainly loosened, and you
probably no longer need to “suit up” for a hospitality interview, but one rule
has not changed: you’ll always want to look professional and clean to make the
right impression from the start.