JOB SELECTION

Job interviews are the means by which companies hire new employees, and as such, it is absolutely critical for the applicant to make a good impression. Anyone just entering the public workforce is typically told to dress professionally for all job interviews; men are encouraged to wear a suit and tie, women a blazer and dress. It appears that this is good advice as studies (Forsythe et al, 1985) have shown that appearance has a significant effect on the outcome of interviews.Forsythe et al (1985) found that those job applicants who were both physically attractive and dressed professionally were given more favorable interview scores than those with similar attractiveness but dressed in a trendy or casual manner. The study further found that physically attractive interviewees who were dressed poorly were given lower scores than those physically attractive interviewees who were dressed casually, concluding that clothing does, in fact, make a difference in the perception of a person.