Watch Your Manners

A young girl once entered an office for a receptionist interview. She arrived late—over 45 minutes after the process had begun. Her appearance was striking: a short skirt, long nails, eyelashes like feathers, and perfume from a designer brand. Everyone noticed her, and she believed her looks alone had already secured the job.

When the interviewer presented the test, she boldly declared, “I am here for business.” Confused, the interviewer asked her to complete the paper. She replied, “If a person like me shows up looking this good, it means I am ready for business.” After five minutes, she returned the paper unfinished, saying, “When you are ready for business, call me.”

The position was instead given to another candidate—a young lady with natural hair, a decent appearance, and the ability to complete the test. The lesson was clear: interviews are not won by appearance but by preparation, discipline, and integrity.

Ladies, an interview is not business as usual. It is a formal evaluation of skills, character, and readiness to work. Good manners in this context mean arriving on time, dressing modestly, respecting the process, and demonstrating competence. To assume that all men are swayed by appearance is not only wrong but a bad manner. Employers today are focused on results, professionalism, and integrity. True success in interviews comes not from perfume or fashion but from preparation, humility, and the ability to prove you can do the job.

Before agreeing with someone that “looking good is a business,” take time to understand whether they mean dressing to sell oneself or dressing to feel confident, because professionalism requires clarity of purpose and integrity in presentation.