Interview Shoes: The Right Styles for Men and Women

Interview attire advice often focuses on suit colors and cuts for men and whether to wear a skirt or slacks for women and the color of either. Other articles of interview attire are even more important. A case in point is shoes. For both men and women, wearing the right style and type of shoes can often serve as the most important and most visible item of interview attire.

For Men

For men there are four types of shoes that are acceptable for interviews. There are from most to least formal: the black oxford shoe, the black brogue shoe, the black tassel loafer and finally the black dress penny loafer. Each of these shoes has a distinct style and message. Regardless of which style of shoe is worn, they should be well maintained – meaning not scuffed or worn at the heel and highly polished.

The black leather oxford shoe. This is the classic tie shoe. It has either a plain to or a non-perforated cap toe. This is the dressiest of men’s shoes and are popular with investment bankers, government officials and other’s who must portray formality and consistency.

The black leather brogue shoe. Often described as the wing tip, this is slightly less formal than the oxford. It may be cap toed or have the wing shaped toe decoration both of which are perforated. Acceptable with suits, the brogue has been a favorite of businessmen for decades although it fell out of favor during the “casual Friday” dress down era of the 1990s.

The black leather tassel loafer. The tassel loafer has been around for decades. Once classified as Ivey League or preppy, it is now a business staple. It is a loafer with stitching around the toe and a pair of leather tassels. The shoe is not as formal as either the oxford or the brogue but is acceptable with business suits in all but the most formal and tradition bound professions.

The black leather penny loafer. This is not a casual loafer with the big “beef roll” and the rough hand stitching around the toe. The penny loafer for dress is more refined in cut and stitching. It looks like and is a dress shoe. The least formal of the business shoe styles, it is sleek and clean and works with suits for all but the most formal occasions.

What kinds of men’s shoes to avoid for interviews? First, the heavy soled and big toed lace and slip-on shoes popular with younger men should be avoided. Even if they say they are dress shoes, they say all the wrong things about one. Secondly, avoid casual shoes such as weekend loafers or other very casual shoes with leather, rubber or plastics soles. Finally, avoid trendy shoes. If attracted to a pair of shoes that would look great on the dance floor at a club or at a wild party, keep them for those events. Do no wear them to an interview. Trendy is not an interview look unless you are a fashion designer or in the arts.

The right kinds of shoes are available at stores and on-line. The most popular traditional interview shoes are sold by: Church’s Shoes (English design, very traditional), Alden (American and very traditional), Allen-Edmonds, Cole-Haan and Johnson & Murphy. Stores that carry the right kinds of shoes for interviews include: Brooks Brothers, Joseph A. Bank and Nordstrom.

For Women

While there are infinitely more styles of women’s shoes available than men’s, the styles that are appropriate for interviews are even more limited. The rules about the condition of shoes for women are the same as for men. The shoes must be in top condition and well maintained if not new. While all the colors for men included black and black, there are more possibilities fro women. While black and navy are safe bets 95% of the time. Other colors are OK but must complement the suit or outfit and should match the purse or handbag too. Avoid light colored shoes for interview and never wear white shoes to an interview unless it is for a nursing position. If brown, dark shades are best. Avoid suede and never wear shoes that have metallic sparkle, glitter or sequins for an interview (or for business ever).

The styles of shoes that are appropriate for women to wear for interviews fall into four categories: classic leather pump with a heel, the leather sling back style with a heel, the classic leather Mary Jane style shoe with a heel, the flat or ballet style shoe in leather. All should be leather. All should be well maintained and worn with neutral colored stockings or pantyhose regardless of the season or temperature (or knee highs if work with slacks).

The leather pump. Heel heights and shapes vary. This is the traditional shoe for women in business. Solid color.

The leather sling back style with a heel. Again heel heights and shapes very. This shoe while very traditional has an adjustable strap rather than a closed back. The shoe is classic and in good taste but with a bit more style and is considered a bit more dressy than the plain leather pump.

The classic leather Mary Jane shoe. This is not the flat soled cloth model or even the funky thick soled model worn by teens. It is basically a leather pump in style and cut with a thin strap ending in an adjustable buckle across the instep. Better with skirts than with slacks.

The flat or ballet style shoe in leather. This kind of shoe if made of fine leather and in a traditional cut is classic, flattering and is worn by women of all heights. But it is favored by very tall and strangely enough, very short women. It may be plain or decorated with a discrete bit of gold metal or grosgrain bow at the toe. The casual ballet slipper style in fabric, needlepoint or less dressy leather should be saved for wear with jeans or khakis.

What shoes are not appropriate for women to wear to interviews? Frankly, everything else unless the interview is not for business, non-profits or one of the professions. Anything in unnatural colors or with sparkles or anything novel just will not do. Flip flops are a no always. As are sandals. Big, clunky shoes are for teenagers or weekends. Loafers are for khakis and weekends. Tie shoes are not appropriate for women in business unless running an art gallery or a church order. Finally, strappy, very high heeled shoes should be left for weekends and never for work. Forget what they say in “Sex and the City”.

Women’s interview shoes are available at many women’s stores, shoe stores and department stores. The list is really too long to do justice here. Some of the more traditional sources are: Cole Haan, Talbots, Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor and Brooks Brothers plus the some of the designers who offer quality shoes in more classic styles.

Shoes speak volumes about a person. This is never truer than in an interview environment. Make sure the shoes that you wear say all the right things. While they will not guarantee a job, the will not be an obstacle if the points outlined above are observed.

George F. Franks, III is the founder and President of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland based management consulting and leadership coaching practice. A world-class speaker, facilitator and coach, he has worked globally with business, non-profit organizations and executives. He is a member of the Institute of Management Consultants (USA) and the International Coaching Federation (ICF). George can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: http://franksconsultinggroup.com George's monthly e-zine on Careers, Leadership and Work Life is: http://careerand leadership.com

It Is Not Just About the Money

Much has been written in the media about who makes what both by name and by profession. Whether PARADE magazine, the WALL STREET JOURNAL or other periodicals, there seems to be a focus on paychecks. What do doctors, lawyers and Indian Chiefs make per year? How little do the people who keep our streets safe, clean and in good repair make per year? How much do university presidents make vs. the teachers who educated our kids day-to-day. While I think this information is interesting, it only tells PART of the story. The paycheck is just a small part of any career, occupation or job. It is not just about the money. There are other factors that anyone looking toward a job, career or field should consider even long before college or university.

Prerequisites

Having desire is sometimes not enough. I always wanted to be a naval officer. Although I received an appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy, I was found while there to be color blind. The PREREQUISITE for a line officer in the U.S. Navy to have unimpaired color perception. Even though it was my dream, it was not to be and I left the Naval Academy to follow another career direction. Want to be a basketball player? Odds are if you are short it is not going to happen. Want to be musician but are tone deaf? Unlikely that success will follow. Desire to be an astronaut but afraid off small spaces and confinement? Think again. Interested in high finance but hate mathematics. Probably not the best choice. Some limitations, such as my color blindness, we are born with and cannot change. Others the strong preferences, likes and dislikes. More on that to follow. The point is – consider whether you are even “in the game” as your set your sights on a career.

Talent

What are you good at? Do you have a “gift”? Are you musical? Are you athletic? Are you mathematically talented? Do you write well? Do you have a knack for taking things apart and putting them together again? Do you have the “gift of gab”? Are you a talented public speaker? Are you a natural leader? Think about what you are really, naturally good at doing. This is the next area to think about after you get past the “prerequisites”. If one has a natural talent in an area, it may be the launching point for a career that relates to that talent. Keep in mind it may be academic, athletic, artistic or it may be a manual or mechanical skill.

Passion

The phase is overused these days but it still holds true - “what do you love”? What do you think about every waking moment and dream about while sleeping at night. This is your passion. What would you do even if no one paid you to do it? This is your passion. What do you care about regardless of the views and opinions of others? This is your passion. Think about and identify your passion. And then think about it as it relates to careers. Do you have the prerequisites? Do you have the talent? If you have the passion, then you have a winning combination to follow it into a career or occupation. If you follow, train for and do what you love, then you will not count the minutes, hours and days until the weekend, your vacation or retirement. You will look forward to doing it each and every single day.

Pay

My father used to say “there is more to life than money BUT you can’t live without it”. How true! Even if you have the prerequisites, the talent and the passion, if there is no demand for the skills that you have then there will be no money in the field or occupation. Think of it as supply and demand. It is about what is needed and about what is valued. I used to thing that the most educated people were the highest paid when I was a youngster. What a shock to find that many without college degrees make more than some job requiring PhD’s. It is balance. Again, look at the prerequisites, look at your talent, think about your passion and THEN look into the supply and demand for the occupations and jobs that relate to the fields you are both best suited for and also most passionate about. The dollars should not be the only factor driving one’s decision – but they are a factor.

Most people today have multiple jobs if not multiple careers over a lifetime. Regardless, when one is starting out – ideally before college – it is time to think about four factors. These are: prerequisites for any field or profession, one’s natural talents, what one is passionate about (what you live, eat, sleep and breathe and would do for free) and finally what the compensation or pay is for a related job or occupation. It is important to look at all of these factors and not just one of them. Especially not just the pay factor which is so common today. By looking at all four factors, the potential exists to be happy, enjoy one’s work, make money and use natural talent to make a living and hopefully contribute to the world in a positive way.

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group - a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. A speaker, facilitator and coach to both individual leaders and organizations, George is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Institute of Management Consultants (USA). His practice spans businesses and non-profit organizations globally. George can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com

His web site is http://franksconsultinggroup.com

See the FREE monthly E-zine on career and leadership http://careerandleadership.com

Big Boys and Girls Don’t Cry (At Work)

Quite a bit has been written recently about crying at work for some reason. Articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post to name a few. The point of these articles has been that especially for the “new generation” of workers, it is acceptable to cry at work. Well, the workers may be changing but the workplace is as unforgiving as ever.

OK To Cry

There are only two times when it is acceptable to cry at work. The first is when you are physically hurt. If something falls on you, cuts you, bangs into you and you a really hurt – bleeding or not – it is acceptable to cry until or as you are getting First Aid or waiting for the rescue squad to arrive. Of course OSHA is going to be after your employer and it will show up as a work place accident in your personnel file, but at least it is fine to cry when you are hurt. Secondly, a sudden death in the immediate family is another appropriate occasion to cry. This does not mean thinking about your long lost cat or your Great Grandmother who passed away decades ago. What this means is that it is acceptable to cry at work if you are notified while at work that a grandparent, parent or sibling has passed away. Distant relatives do not count. Once you have been notified, make arrangements for vacation time or leave to deal with the death, do not hang around the office in widow’s weeds sobbing away. Death in the immediate family and a significant physical injury are the only two instances where it is acceptable to cry at work. The end.

Why No Crying?

Whether you work for a big company or a small one, whether your are a new employee or ready to retire, whether you are a man or a woman, whether you are young or old, you are judged at work by what you do and how you do it. This applies to your job function, you work, the accomplishment of your objectives and how professionally you perform the tasks and activities that you are paid to perform. But like business attire, work space, language and social interaction, you are judged at work by how you act. Crying, with the exception of injury and death in the immediate family says a couple of things. It says that you are not in control. It says you are sensitive. It may be interpreted as saying you are weak or that you are unstable. Regardless of whether crying is read as one or all of these things, none of them are positives for your JOB much less if you think you have a CAREER (meaning you hope to stay for more than a couple of years and that you hope to advance within the company or organization). Crying can only say bad things about you. The people who say they like to see sensitive men are talking about in bed or at the movies – not in the Board Room.

What To Do?

There are plenty of occasions that could evoke tears from any man or woman in the work place. These include: notices of layoffs or reorganization, a co-worker leaving, the end of an office romance, a poor performance review, a low raise or no raise or bonus or just a session with a screaming boss who is a pompous ass. I have seen all of these scenarios. I have seen co-workers experience them and break down into tears. And I have seen them stoically absorb the impact apparently without emotion. If you must cry, do all you can to hold off until you reach the bathroom, the parking lot, home or (worst case) until you are alone in your office. Tears in front of your boss, co-workers or subordinates say all the wrong things. If you think they will understand or forget about it – think again. They will never forget the image of your blubbering at work.

In spite of what the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and other publications say, it is not now, never has been and probably will never be acceptable to cry at work. Only injury or a death in the immediate family make tears OK. Otherwise, suck it up and find a way to deal with the upsetting moments at work. If you must cry, do it in a private place way from co-workers. Being sensitive may be in vogue socially but it is still a career killer for anyone in today’s work place.

George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group, a Bethesda, Maryland management consulting and leadership coaching practice. His web site is http://franksconsultinggroup.com. He can be contacted at gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com