Why You Should Just Say NO To Perfume
I’ll never forget sitting across from a nice lady who was interviewing for a management position at my organization obsessing over how bad her perfume stunk. I do not remember a single thing this lady said in response to my questions, I only remember that her perfume made me nauseous.
I’m telling this story to illustrate a point. The candidate did not have on too much perfume, it just happened to be one that makes me sick. How was she supposed to know, right? She wasn’t, but she should have known that it’s almost always bad news to wear perfume or cologne to an interview. Here are a few reasons why.
- The person who is interviewing you might hate that scent which may make them think less positive of you. This doesn’t mean the interviewer is a bad person, it’s just human nature.
- Even if the interviewer loves your perfume, you don’t want them to remember you for the way you smelt, you want them to remember you because of your qualifications.
- No matter what they think of your choice of perfume/cologne, any time they spend noticing it is time they were distracted from you. This is never good.
So, the next time you are putting the finishing touches on yourself right before that interview, just say no to the perfume/cologne.
Tags: cologne, interview, interview-chatter, perfumeRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Coach's Cornor
4 opinions for Why You Should Just Say NO To Perfume
Jason Monastra
Aug 13, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Now that makes me laugh and actually brings me back a few years. One of the first things I used during my prep in the late 90s was the absence of scents for both men and women. It was a common use among foreign IT professionals and something that was a habitual subject to discuss before sending anyone to a client. I do not see it as much these days but thanks for the chuckle.
Darlene McDaniel
Aug 13, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Hi Jason, thanks for visiting Interview Chatter. I don’t see the perfume issue as much these days either. However, it a great reminder for people in the job hunt. Having too much perfume on in an interview is a great way to get crossed off the list.
Why You Should Just Say NO To Most Jewelry
Aug 14, 2008 at 11:27 pm
[...] this week I told you about an interview I always remember because the candidate was wearing a lot of a particular perfume that I don’t like. Well, the same candidate also had on big showy jewelry, so I thought we ought to just touch on [...]
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Aug 18, 2008 at 11:34 pm
[...] email account to correspond with potential employers is bad news. It’s like the perfume or the jewelry, only worse. It screams “I’m unprofessional and I am not taking this [...]
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