Beautiful and vivacious, she is known for her curvaceous body and her beautiful voice. I recently watched the icon on The Tonight Show. As she sat talking with Jay Leno, I was surprised—as I am sure other viewers were—to hear that she was 62 years old. Wow! She looked great!
That is, until she stood up to sing. With a skirt that was four to five inches above her knee, she aged 10 years by merely standing up and revealing an unflattering feature. I found myself reducing my assessment to “she looks great for a 62-year-old woman.”
Why the change in my opinion? When you dress like a younger woman, you position yourself to be compared to younger women. She had great legs for a 62-year-old woman, but carries the telltale signs of age—knobby knees!
There are many fabulous books on dressing well at any age. I will not attempt to replicate their advice, but I have listed a couple of ideas for over-50 job seekers. When in doubt, seek the advice of a professional.
Your packaging helps define the message you send to others. Companies spend millions of dollars packaging their products to ensure that their message is apparent. (It shouldn’t cost you nearly that much!) Look around the house at products you have purchased, paying attention to the packaging. Ivory Soap and Campbell’s have distinctive packaging. Like most products, you should be distinctively packaged, too. But, what does your packaging tell consumers about the product? Are you a trusted, familiar, reliable stand-by, or a fresh, innovative breath of fresh air? Are you a classic or unpredictable? Do you project confidence and competence or uncertainty and indifference?
What does your packaging look like?
Some think of image as something shallow or relating only to surface features, but as with commercial brands, personal branding includes the proper selection and construction of your personal brand packaging.
First impressions matter. You must take control of your appearance. People form opinions of you—right or wrong—within moments of meeting you. That means you can’t afford to leave someone’s impression of you up to chance.
Studies show that in the first 30 seconds of meeting you, people base their impression of you on this:
55% What they see
38% How you speak
7% What you say
We all know snap judgments can be wrong and unfair. Still, you can’t ignore the reality: people form opinions based on the most minor details. More than half of what goes into forming someone’s first impression of you happens even before you open your mouth. That’s right: 55% of someone’s initial response to you is based on visual cues. That could easily be a whole workbook in itself (check out Spin Me: Creating the Image That Gets the Job; An Image Guide for Recent Grads and Job Hunters), but for the basics, here’s a primer on what to consider, especially when going to an interview.
Clothing—People do judge books by their covers, every day. Make sure that your cover conveys the message you want people to remember. Here’s a sample of messages that your clothing might be saying about you (whether you like it or not):
Tips for the 50+ job seeker
You can’t help getting older, but
you don’t have to get old.”
—George Burns, Comedian
First and foremost, if you purchased your interview suit in the 1900s…think about an upgrade. You must look current. Your clothing, your eyewear, and your hair must tell the story that you are current. That does not mean to dress like a youngster, only that you must appear up-to-date, interesting, fresh, competent, etc. Invest in an all-weather wool suit in navy blue or charcoal gray. For creative industries, you have more latitude with color.
Both sexes: Make a statement about your personality with your tie or scarf choice and/or jewelry selection. For men, think of the tie as a highway to your face. What highway is the interviewer on? Interstate (I)-boring or, I-interesting, I-creative? The tie should have a fairly small pattern so that it remains somewhat conservative; use color to tell the story. Women especially can use jewelry to bring color and interest into the interview uniform. Earrings should not dangle and the jewelry should not make noise, as it can be distracting.
Both sexes: If your hair is silver, wear accents of blue or a French blue shirt to add vitality to your face. Depending on your personal coloring, a white shirt can drain the color from your face, leaving a “ghastly” appearance. If you have stark silver in your hair (and the rest of your hair is black or very deep brown—avoid brown tones; the color will make your hair look dull.
Both sexes: Before your interview, use Visine. Not only does it get the “red out,” it also whitens and adds a little sparkle.
Both sexes: If your teeth are stained, consider professional teeth cleaning or whitening. If that’s too expensive, then opt for some of the over-the-counter toothpaste whiteners.
Women: Please do not wear a skirt that is above your knees to an interview. Remember, most interviews are conducted sitting down—usually without a table in front of you. When you sit, your skirt rises. The perfect length is mid-knee or, if you still have killer legs, at or just above the knee. But test it first: sit down to see how much leg is exposed to your interviewer.
Women: Make sure your undergarments fit properly—no VSB (visible panty lines) and a well fitted bra can take years off of your appearance—especially the latter. Consider a body shaper to eliminate muffin top and help correct your posture. Shapewear is not just for women…men can eliminate 10 years by wearing a shaper garment. Visit my website for more information about body shapers for women and men: ardysslife.com/marvagoldsmith
Both sexes: Keep perfume, cologne, and aftershave to a minimum. You don’t want to overpower your interviewer. Consider a fresh, light, and airy scent for daytime, or nothing at all, in case your interviewer is sensitive to scent.
Both sexes: Make sure that your nails are well manicured. Apply a good moisturizer on the day of the interview to minimize lines and any blotchiness.
Women: Do not wear bright red lipstick to an interview; tone it down for the day. High-contrast colors will bring more attention to age lines around your lips.
Both sexes: Your shoes should be polished, well-heeled and easy to walk in. Avoid thick rubber soles (of the orthopedic variety—unless you need them), and stilettos (just let it go).
Lessons Learned from Dolly
Speaking Style
If you doubt that the power and quality of a voice can make a difference in the image you project, think about James Earl Jones. What’s the first thing you think of? Though he is a fine actor with a commanding presence, his greatest asset is that rich and resonant bass voice. (His voice has been immortalized as the character Darth Vadar in the science fiction Star Wars franchise.) Not everyone has such a gift. But everyone can work with what they have. Use your natural voice, speaking at a normal rate and volume without punctuating your sentences with sighs and filler sounds (e.g., um, well). Vary your intonations: modulations convey your enthusiasm, interest, and comfort with the subject. Pay attention to vocal inflection (you don’t want to put anyone to sleep), use clear pronunciation and enunciation, and if you have a phrase that you tend to repeat (e.g., in fact, to tell the truth) try to shake the habit.
Body Language
Start with a firm, sincere handshake, maintain eye contact and give a warm smile. The handshake is critical because it initiates the social contract. Whether you are going to the most important meeting of your career or not, you should come across as confident and capable. Don’t stare at your shoes or, even worse, into space. Don’t fidget with your hands or hide them in pockets or behind your back. Enter the room with poise, confidence and a self-assured presence, as if the cameras were rolling and you’re the star. Once you sit down, try to appear relaxed, but don’t go to extremes: no lounging back in your chair or slouching.
Excerpt from Branding Yourself After Age 50. http://Branding50.com