No Pants for an Interview? That’s a Problem.

Why would anyone go into a professional meeting having no pants for an interview or without wearing the proper attire? Sounds like a ridiculous question, but is it?

Video meetings and interviews are common today, especially after COVID. Technology affords us great flexibility to help us overcome the challenges of geography and the costs of travel. We would never consider walking into a face-to-face business meeting without being properly dressed.

Why do it in a video call?

We’ve actually had clients, highly educated and accomplished people, appear with no pants for a mock interview during a video call. They forgot and then had to stand to take care of something.

We know this sounds crazy. Most of the people reading this will say, “I would never do that.” But, a much higher percentage (over half) of those we see in a professional setting on video calls are far too casual. They might be wearing an undershirt, their hair is a mess, be unshaven, not wearing makeup or other less than professional things.

Always put your professional image forward in a professional setting. This includes video calls. When Endeavor does mock interviews, we ask our clients to dress as if it were a real interview. We need to evaluate the total image. You will also perform differently when wearing the outfit of a professional.