I was giving some thought to the topic of "Dressing for Success" as I had a cup of coffee earlier on this beautiful, "dress-down" Saturday morning. Interview attire is a topic we will explore in detail as time goes on, but in ruminating about that discussion, I recalled a story I thought I'd share. This is a true story, the details of which were shared with me by my former manager and mentor in the recruiting industry.
My boss was interviewing people to fill a recruiter position within our firm which was open due to expansion. I was aware that he had decided to see a candidate who seemed to be a great prospect. He had a good resume, a wealth of experience, and strong educational credentials. I know that my boss was excited to meet him for the initial interview.
On the day after the interview had taken place, I learned that the candidate was no longer in consideration and I was curious as to why. That's when the boss told me, "I don't remember a word he said in the interview. I was distracted, so the interview didn't go well." Not one to let a statement like that go, I asked, "What happened?"
Well.
Apparently, shortly before the interview an angry bird (or at least one with good aim) had, unbeknownst to the candidate, deposited a gift on his hair; the kind of gift that is usually reserved for car windshields and statues. My boss said he couldn't do anything but stare at it and force himself not to laugh, so as a result he'd not heard a thing the candidate had so eagerly presented.
Now, in dealing with interviewees, generally my boss had an incredible amount of emotional intelligence. Patience and attentiveness are, to this day, his strong suits. Unfortunately, even those who are traditionally most attentive and understanding will be distracted by things like random bird droppings in a professional venue.
Could he have called him in for a second interview? Probably. It would have been quite difficult at that point, however, to cover turf that had supposedly already been covered in the first interview and frankly, the first impression had already been made and it wasn't a good one. It was indelible.
It occurred to me that this is the perfect lesson to illustrate the importance of being prepared for any eventuality which I touched on in a post earlier this week. Interviewing can be filled with unexpected twists and turns. In this case, if the candidate had just stopped to briefly check his image in a mirror before the interview to make one final assessment of his appearance, and thereby ensured that he was ready, at his best, and put together, he more than likely would have been hired.
The moral to this strange but true story might then be, "Be prepared and aware of how you want to be perceived when you make that first impression". Or maybe it could be, "If you're successful enough, you might someday even have a statue erected in your honor. And yes, a few birds will decorate your image, but that's to be expected. However, it's not expected nor wise to start playing the part before your time, and especially not in an interview. Avoid the birds."
Thank you for writing this article, very insightful. I will always remember to briefly check my image in the mirror and make a final assessment of my appearance. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Mark, what a sad and morbidly funny story. Great advice, put I can't help but say the moral to this story, is always look in the mirror before the interview. :-) I am enjoying your style. Blessings, Teresa
I laughed hard when my first boss as a recruiter relayed the story to me years and years ago and I I still chuckle when I think about it. It is amazing what can keep people from getting the offer and this is just on example.
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