Author: The Panolian, Rita Howell

With at least 30 employers looking to fill positions at next Thursday’s Northwest Mississippi Area Job Fair, hundreds of job seekers are expected to come to the free event at the Batesville Civic Center.
Planners of the event are hoping those applicants will come prepared and dressed to impress potential employers.

Often, that first impression is based on how the job seeker is dressed.
“It tells a lot about the person, their character, their mood, if they are a team player,” said Antoinette Malone who works in human resources at Batesville Casket. “It defines who they are as a person, if they care about how they are presented.”
Malone said neatness counts, with good grooming, nice hair, appropriate shoes, and minimal jewelry.
“Dressing professionally shows they are eager to learn, eager to get the job,” she said.
Recommended attire for next week’s Job Fair is “business casual,” a step below suits, but more formal than jeans and t-shirts.

At the Batesville WIN Job Center, LaDonna Rogers provided a list of Do’s and Don’t’s for interview dressing.

First the Do’s: Dress conservatively. Practice good grooming. Have clean, neatly styled hair. Have clean hands and trimmed nails. Ladies should wear basic hosiery, no textured hose.
Wear shoes you can walk in. Carry a portfolio or briefcase with extra copies of your resume.

Now the Don’t’s: No shorts, jeans, hats or caps, mini skirts, t-shirts, sneakers or athletic shoes, athletic style clothing, sweat pants, flip-flops, platforms over one inch high, halter tops, tube tops, sundresses. Do not wear anything too form-fitting, low-cut or revealing. Women are cautioned not to wear heavy makeup and all job seekers are advised to go easy on the cologne.

The Panolian asked the Finch-Henry Job Corps for help in showing appropriate business casual attire for Job Fair participants. Deante Blanchard modeled dress slacks, white shirt, with a neat tie (optional), and shiny shoes. Mikaela Shelby selected a flattering geometric print top, dress slacks, and coordinating low-heeled, closed-toe shoes. Her jewelry, a simple bead necklace, matched her outfit, but didn’t overpower it.
For more information about the Job Fair, call the WIN Job Center at 563-7318 or go to www.jobfairs.ms.gov.