I was at a Toastmasters meeting the other day and one of our long time members was giving a speech about creating the ultimate presentation. His voice was smooth and his words were strong and right to the point. He used pauses and had great gestures. He urged us all to take our speaking skills to the next level.
He kept asking… “Are you willing to do what it takes to succeed.”
Point after point he hammered us with thoughtful questions.
It was a very powerful speech!
There was only one problem.
He was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt.
What he said didn’t match with his presence with the audience.
When I saw him I couldn’t help but think of some of the people that I have interviewed for job positions where I work and the way they would dress for an interview or hands-on test.
I’ve seen tee shirts, tank tops, and flip flops. I’ve seen sweat pants and ripped jeans. It begs the question… don’t you want to put your best foot forward?
While Steve Jobs can get away with a casual look, the rest of us might be well advised to dress for success.
Question: Have you seen any elephants lately?
Related posts:
About 
Thank god I work in a modern industry (game development) where the primary category for jobs are someone's related skills instead of the "throw away" package around the real "value/content". As long as someone doesn't have obvious problems with hygiene I'd never select an employee by his cloths. Heck even less if it's obvious he wears something he usually doesn't and he probably doesn't feel as comfortable and relaxed as he could be (after all, an interview is a situation with a high stress level).
Unfortunately in 2010 the competition for jobs is more intense than ever. Your dress during an interview speaks volumes for many occupations, especially ones that involve public interaction. The game industry might be an anomaly, but if I wanted the job I would certainly err on the side of being well dressed for any meeting with the company in question.
Game Developer, I couldn't agree more with your comment. We are moving farther and farther away from the "slick" in-authentic thinking of style over substance even in the Automive Market . Give me a person who can think and communicate that thinking over someone that "cleans up well" any day
Thanks for your comment, Tim. With over 20 years in the auto repair industry, I have worked with and interviewed numerous mechanics and service people. If I was a shop owner and I had an opening for a mechanic I would look for two things.
1. Can the person do the job? A hands on test usually works well to determine this.
2. Is the person reliable and professional? Projecting a good image is vital here
My repair customers pay my bills, and a tech who has a professional appearance is a real boon. When my new tech has to drive a customer home or drive their car into the shop, it really helps to have a mechanic that is clean and well groomed. Especially for my higher end customers with a Mercedes or Lexus.
A technician with a professional appearance during an interview has two advantages over someone who comes in dressed in raggy jeans and a tee shirt.
1. He would be better received by customers
2. He could easily be promoted to service advisor
Obviously you want someone who can do the job, but a professional image can help you get the job and also get promoted and make more money.
Professional appearance is important. It matters. It helps people get promoted.
But equally important is the environment. One aspect of your post that stands out to me is the forum: You were at a ToastMaster's meeting not a job interview. What are the dress expectations for the group at large? What was everyone else wearing?
I worked in higher education for many years, and found that often times people–especially students– don't want to dress up to go professional development meetings. If you say, no jeans, no t-shirts, no speech…you might create a barrier to entry for someone who works in jeans and can only attend right after work.
In a perfect world, everyone would dress up to give speeches. In an imperfect world, I recommend being okay with listening to someone who shows up in the wrong clothes–and then giving them the feedback that the message is enhanced and given more power by a professional appearance.
Thanks for a thought-provoking post!
Thanks for your insight, Chandlee. In our Toastmasters club, we have a variety of members. Some wear jeans and dress casually, but most people come in business attire from work. We have a lot of people give speeches in casual attire and it works well with the context of their speech.
But when you have a member exhorting others to "take it to the top," and to do what it takes to become a professional speaker, jeans and a tee shirt just don't match up. I happened to be the gentleman's evaluator that day, and made the point that his professional level speech would be better received with professional level dress. He mentioned to me afterward that he was filling in for another speaker and didn't have much prep time.
I've always been advised to dress a notch above your audience or dress for the job you aspire to. That works well for most occasions. It's interesting how much money and preparation go into Steve Jobs' well scripted performances for Apple. I'm sure his complete wardrobe is well thought out for his audience. If he were to wear a suit it would ruin the experience.
As president of my Toastmasters club here in Oklahoma City I could not agree more. I do dress up for every Toastmasters event. Not because I am trying to impress anybody. I could wear jeans. But I want everything about me to be taken seriously. Your appearance is the first thing people see. If you dress like crap (not casual – unkept jeans & Tshirt) you've already made me wonder about you when you walk in the door. I have to be sold more. If you dress like you came to do business then I know that as soon as you walk in the door too. How you dress should matter. It does to me.
Working in the computer end of education, I used to wear jeans to work all the time. After all, climbing on the floor and behind desks gets you pretty dirty. But one of my Toastmasters members challenged me to start dressing better. She said that dress pants wash up just as well as jeans. That one tip really changed a lot of things in my life. People started taking me more seriously and soon I received a promotion at work. People started asking my opinion about things. I also found that dress clothes fit better and are more comfortable throughout the day. It really does make a difference.
I agree with you, if you want to convey something and get the respect you want, one must dress appropriately.
Its amazing how many people don't focus on dressing for success. I also have heard powerful speech where the person is not properly dressed for it. It can impact the speech toward the negative. Whenever I communicate to others either with a group, from a pulpit, or one on one. I try and match what I will be communicating with my clothes.
Thank you for the post.