Last week I had the opportunity to lead a career workshop entitled “Looking Current and Age Appropriate” for a group of women and men who age 50 and over.  My challenge?  To somehow simulate my 1:1 client experience with a large group.  To accomplish this, I prepared an assessment checklist and then paired up the group so each pair could assess each other using the carefully constructed list.  Each person left the workshop with a short and manageable action plan as a result.  There was great interaction between participants, and their feedback was strongly positive.

Without pre-judging the participants and their circumstances, I wanted to get everyone thinking about what they should do to make a positive visual impression at a job interview.  While it’s impossible to give a diverse group of participants specific, and personalized information in a finite amount of time, I wanted to provide insightful content that would help people to evaluate their strengths and growth opportunities.

Virtually everyone at the workshop feared the same thing: being interviewed by someone who is age 35.  How does someone who’s at least 50 overcome that situation?  By developing an inner confidence so that it shows on the outside.

Revamping and amping up your visual brand isn’t as simple as in the days when everyone basically conformed to dressing the same.  Workplace cultures are more diversified than ever.  Previously, because people tended to fit into less diverse cultures, individuality was not celebrated or encouraged.  There were corporate uniform codes.  Now there are counterculture codes to contend with, especially in high tech.

So what are the basics to keep in mind when modernizing your visual brand for an interview?

Start with examining the profession you are in and the job you want.  Think about the people who you’d be interviewing with, and how you’d best visually convey positive messages that highlight your best personality qualities.  The subtle context to all of this is that having an updated interview outfit, a flattering and modern hairstyle, adhering to modern grooming norms, and showing an easy confidence when you smile and shake hands with your interviewer goes a long way toward being memorable to your interviewer in a good way.

Another way to think about this process is to develop a look that visually translates the information about you that resides on your resume.  When the interviewer is talking with you, she or he isn’t looking down at the paper containing all that information.  Let all that good stuff about you be seen on display from head to toe.

A well-dressed woman who attended the workshop commented to me, “I’m a Baby Boomer, and I’m going to work until I die.”  That’s a great attitude, but I also thought to myself that the next job she gets better be fulfilling.  You should be compensated for the contribution you are capable of making and then be allowed to make it.  You should do it while expressing your visual brand to the best of your ability, and you should count on your visual brand as an asset to help make the most of the interviewing and salary negotiating process.

Over the next two weeks I’m going to dedicate my weekly posts to providing suggestions for how women and men can get an updated look together.  I hope you’ll visit here again and gain more insights that may be helpful to you or someone you know who is over age 50 and seeking employment.

Designing and managing your image is the secret science to your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men, women, and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.