Overview

Presentation is the style in which people display or present themselves. Appearance is a form of communication. Students are at an age when they are exploring their identity and expressing their individuality. A major part of their identity is in the way they dress and present themselves. The appropriate look can be a major confidence booster, especially for young adults.

Clothing has an effect on both the wearer and the observer, and the right look needs to ft the context of the occasion. Your students need to understand that some forms of a individual self expression might be inappropriate for some occasions, such as career-related activities.

Appearing in thongs, a tee-shirt, or tight revealing clothing may not create a favourable impression no matter how hardworking, intelligent, accomplished or suitably qualified the wearer. To give your students the best possible chances of feeling confident and being taken seriously, the following tips will help guide them through presentation and grooming.

If the shoes aren't right, the look isn't right. Make sure that shoes are clean and polished and in good condition. Muddy heels and scuff-marks are bound to let an otherwise great look down. If shoes are comfortable and stylish, the wearer will walk into a room with confidence.

Thongs or flip-flops are great for the beach but not for any career-related activities, and platform heels are probably best left to the nightclub. Matching socks may go unnoticed, but mismatched socks certainly won't!

This workshop is about students being able to select the appropriate dress for different occasions. They will need fashion magazines to cut out images of clothing. Alternatively this workshop could also be done on a computer or tablet by visiting appropriate websites for images.

Get your students to cut out clothing items from magazines or download images and arrange into suitable and unsuitable outfits for the following different occasions:

• Job interview
• Night clubbing with friends
• Weekend camping
• Grandma's birthday party

Follow up the activity with a class discussion on the clothing choices or 'looks' selected by the students.

Our hands are often overlooked, yet we use them in greeting and in expression. Hands should be washed and moisturised regularly and nails clean and neatly trimmed. Nail polish should be muted. Sparkles, blacks and bright purples send the wrong message, and chipped nail polish is just plain ugly.

PERFUME/AFTERSHAVE

Where unpleasant body odour is off-putting, so too is overpowering perfume or aftershave. Some people are particularly sensitive to strong fragrances and some just don't appreciate the lingering whiff of floral or musk long after the meeting has ended. Keep scent muted and to a minimum.

MAKEUP - FACIAL HAIR

Make-up is best kept to a minimum and as natural as possible. Gluggy mascara, mismatched foundation and lipstick on teeth can be a distraction in conversation and should not be the point of reference afterwards. Beards and moustaches should be neatly trimmed. If the Ned Kelly look is unavoidable, it should at least be groomed and free of crumbs.

PIERCING AND TATTOOS

Piercing and tattoos can also be a distraction. It is a good idea at any career-related meetings or activities that there are no visible body piercings beyond conservative earrings. Advise your students to remove nose, lip or brow rings and to hide tattoos beneath long sleeves or higher collars if necessary.-

JEWELLERY

Walking into an interview dripping in bling is not necessarily tasteful. Jewellery should be kept to a minimum. A watch is good as it shows a degree of conscientious time management. (That is of course if the interviewee is running on time!)

PERSONAL HYGIENE

Whether we like it or not, the first impression we make when we walk into a room is a visual one. The way we present ourselves with our clothing and our grooming impacts on the way we are perceived and, in turn, the way we feel about ourselves. But presentation is not just about the way we dress - it is also about personal hygiene, which cannot be ignored.

Personal hygiene is the most essential yet often overlooked part of grooming. If they don’t already, your students need to make a habit of showering every day, using deodorant, keeping their teeth well brushed and their breath fresh. You cannot over emphasise the benefits of good hygiene for their personal wellbeing, their confidence and the impression they make on others.

THE INS AND OUTS OF PERSONAL HYGIENE

Your students may not be aware that as their body changes their hygiene habits also need to change. Somebody with bad breath and body odour will be avoided and ostracised. The social impact of this can be devastating to a young adult at what is perhaps one of the most vulnerable times of their lives. Take a little time to go over this with them.

BODY ODOUR

Little kids don’t sweat; they don’t get smelly like teenagers and adults. But when they reach puberty a sweat gland in the armpit and genital area develops. Skin bacteria feeds on the sweat this gland produces. Underwear and other clothing collect the dead skin cells, sweat and body fluids that this bacterium feeds on, and also provides the perfect warm dark environment for it to multiply. End result - body odour. This is no big deal when following the rules of basic hygiene:

• Change underwear and other clothing daily
• Change clothing after sports or a work-out
• Put dirty clothing straight into the wash basket - not back onto the body!
• Shower daily using a mild soap (concentrate on armpits and genital area)
• Use a mild antiperspirant deodorant
• Wash hair regularly - oily hair can get greasy and aggravate acne.

SMELLY FEET

Believe it or not those pesky bacteria will also make their home in the perfect conditions inside shoes. Smelly feet and shoes can be a problem for teenagers and adults alike.

• Wash feet well
• Ensure they are completely dry before putting on shoes
• Alternate shoes
• Wear cotton socks (natural fibres allow feet to breathe)
• Air shoes in the sunshine to freshen them up and kill bacteria
  

DENTAL HYGIENE

Bad breath can stem from poor oral hygiene, gum problems and tooth decay. Dental hygiene is important throughout life.

• Brush twice a day
• Floss regularly
• Use antibacterial mouthwash
• Visit the dentist for check-ups once a year

Dress for the job you want, not the one you have!

Students need to use their discretion and commonsense when dressing for a job interview. Much will depend on the type of job and the context of the workplace. Dressing for an interview in the artistic environment of a fashion house will be slightly different to an interview at an insurance agency or bank. However, there are a few general guidelines that will steer them safely.

Avoid

The job candidate wants to make an impression, but not the wrong impression. There are some things that should be avoided at all costs.

• Short skirts
• Shorts
• Low-cut tops
• Open-toed shoes
• Large, clunky jewellery
• Heavy make-up
• Overpowering perfume or aftershave

Link to the Personal Presentation Assessment Task