Interview Tip: Can I Smell You?

Smell is a sense we take for granted and seldom think about, but for an interview, it can be deadly or seal the deal.

Here's how it can work, both for and against you.

You walk into an interview wafting a fresh wave of your new aftershave or cologne.  Nice, you think.  Basically, I agree.  Personally, I like cologne and aftershave.  It gives me a good first impression.

But, here is the problem.  There are some perfume ingredients I'm allergic to.  Especially cheap perfumes.  Even some expensive ones.  Chloe for example.  I can stand next to someone in an elevator and if they're wearing something with whatever the dreaded ingredient is, I'll begin to sneeze, my eyes water, my nose runs.  I'm miserable.  Get the picture?  Don't take the chance that the person who interviews you might also be allergic.  If you use aftershave, cologne or perfume, choose one that is very light and unobtrusive.  It decreases the chance of a problem.

My tip is to save the aftershave or cologne for a date.  Or after you have the position, try some out a little at a time to see if anyone has allergies.

When I was in business, I always wore perfume.  Being in international sales for most of those years, the business custom was not a handshake, but instead an embrace, think light hug, with air kisses on either side of the face.  My clients remarked, "Oh, you always smell so good."  The perfume I wore was light rather than heavy, not floral but more fresh and woody.  Something that appealed to both men and women.  It gave a refreshing change from the usual scents of a convention floor.  I had tried it out, unknown to my office staff, and found that no one was allergic to it, no one sneezed.  Just another tip.

Next problem is personal hygiene.  Don't ditch the shower or the deodorant.  There is nothing more off-putting than having to smell someone else's sweat.  The first thing that comes to an interviewer's mind is there is no chance they want to walk by that every day.  Or have it offend their clients.  No way!

"How To Get And Keep The Best Jobs" by Alice Donenfeld is available from www.Amazon.com/How-Get-Keep-Best-Jobs    http://amzn.to/17c20LN