It is difficult for people with disabilities to get a job. Only one-third of people with disabilities work full time. Sometimes we forget to care about what we wear to an interview.
I run Our Space Our Place, Inc., an after school and job exploration program for youth who are blind. One goal is to teach students about different jobs.
Each year there is an event called World of Careers. At the event, people who work talk about:
- The tasks they do every day
- The subjects they studied
- How they looked for a job
- Actions which help them to keep their job.
Why care about how you dress?
An employer talked about interviewing a person for a job. The employer was surprised that:
- The person had not combed their hair.
- The person’s clothing was wrinkled and looked as if she had slept in her clothes.
The employer liked the person’s resume. But the employer worried that if the person did not care about her clothing, the person may not care about the job.
Hearing this story, we invited a personal shopper to speak at World of Careers. A personal shopper works at a store and helps shoppers to buy clothing. This personal shopper spoke about dressing for an interview.
What were some of the ideas she shared?
- Buying clothing for an interview is not expensive
- Wear clean clothes
- The clothes should not have wrinkles
- Wear clean shoes
