Thursday, May 2, 2013

Dressing the Part

During my last year of college, I had to do a public relations internship. After sending out my resume, I was invited to a group interview for a position I really didn't want, but it met the requirements I needed to graduate. The day of the interview, while I knew I needed the job, my lack of interest in it remained. After showering, I stood in front of my closet and knowing I had class right after, opted to be comfortable, reaching for my standard jeans and t-shirt. When I emerged from my bedroom, dressed and ready to go, Mother Robin stopped me. She said, "Don't you have an internship interview today?" I nodded. She then said, "But why are you dressed like THAT?!" Now, Mother Robin and I are very close, so she knew I was not jumping for joy at the idea of this internship. She then said to me fifteen words I will never forget. "Even if you dont want this particular job, you still have to dress the part." I stood there, looking at her, making my well-known really face, but grudgingly went back into my bedroom and put on a blouse, slacks and heels. To my credit, I was already wearing the heels. And wouldn't you know it, I was the only one dressed like an actual intern at the interview, and even though I wasn't excited about it, I WAS OFFERED THE INTERNSHIP ON THE SPOT.

Mother Robin's words rang true in my head from that day on. And in my experience, it's the same for relationships. For the ladies, if you want to be a wife, a fiancée or a girlfriend, or for the gentleman, if you want to be a husband, a fiancé or a boyfriend, dressing yourself as anything less than...you won't get a chance to even interview for the 'job'. In the case of my internship, that particular job wasn't my cup of tea. Filing papers, answering phones and running errands was not my idea of fun or even a great use of my skills. But I NEEDED the internship credits to graduate, and needed to interview for several internships to find the right one for me. Just like every person you meet may not be the one for you, but you might REQUIRE a relationship with someone, and in order to be taken seriously for the role, you have to dress the part.

So no matter what your budget, body type or attitude, know that to be taken seriously, you have to think about what message you send in what you wear. Sure, it might be great to have your chest out or your pants slung dangerously low, but if that is the first impression your future partner gets when they first lay eyes on you...though you may catch their attention, you may not get the 'job' you want. Let's face it, we are visual people. We are taught to evaluate every small detail, and though there's only one Halle or Scarlett, Bradley or Idris, making the best of what you have in terms of what you wear only allows for a good initial impression. Once you get past the first stage, then the rest...as someone I know says, "that's on you".

Today's Truth: Dress does impact the first impression people have, and that impression can impact your love life.

Ashley Robin

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