The arrival of the new Sex And The City movie sees girls scrambling for the latest fashion accessories and 2010 summer looks. While you may fancy yourself as a bit of a Carrie Bradshaw in real life, be careful not to take this style literally when dressing for a job interview with a potential new employer…especially when it’s the job of your dreams.

Those 4 inch blue Manolo Blanik shoes may look the part but tripping over in front of your potential new boss could be the worst start and put you off for the rest of the interview.  That’s not to say you cant learn from any of the SATC girls.  Think a sharper, classier and more polished version…of YOURSELF and in the words of the SATC queen herself, Carrie Bradshaw, ‘Some labels are best left in the closet’.

Careers, dressing for an interview, Interview advice, new job, potential new employer, what not to wear

And that’s not due to George’s cost cutting exercise but quite literally the glorious sunshine we have been experiencing in the last few days.

Whilst I was on the train this morning, I found myself staring at those unfortunate few who thought it would be a great idea to fall asleep in the sun without any suntan lotion.  Having received a couple of awkward glances back, I moved on to then thinking how unfair it is that City men still had to conduct business in full ‘suit’ attire, whilst women had more flexibility in dressing more appropriately to accommodate the warmer weather.

I was reading the style magazine from a leading Sunday paper a few weeks back and remember an article on a new fashion trend of suit, which comes with ¾ length trousers.  This would be accompanied by a fashionable sandal.  Although it didn’t look too bad, I was thinking how my clients would react to seeing me turn up to a meeting dressed in this new fashion? But then I realised, how would I respond to seeing a candidate arrive for me to interview in a pair of Jesus sandals?

heat wave, Interview advice, london city, summer time in London

Warning: maintain professionalism at all times!!

Gordon Brown has apologised for the “bigot woman” comment,  he made on Wednesday in Rochdale.  This immediately struck a chord with me.  Sometimes I overhear consultants talking about candidates who have performed exceptionally well during interviews,  however once the interview has ended or they leave the building, they risk ruining all of their hard work by letting their guard down.

For example: being rude to the receptionist on the way in / out of the interview.  Becoming too informal with the interviewer.  It is so easy for this to occur, however we must always be fully aware of our personal or corporate reputation at all times!! Remember that more often than not you represent a company or in Mr. Browns instance, a party.  By forgetting your corporate reputation for a split second, you run the risk of tarnishing your reputation as well as that of your business.  It can take a lifetime to build up a good corporate or brand image, but only a moment for it all to come crashing down irreparrably.  

With the general election less than a week away, it will be interesting to see the impact this comment has on Labour’s popularity!

Bigot, Gordon Brown, Interview advice, interviews