Be careful where you conduct your final grooming prior to entering the interview. Years ago a recruiter told me of an engineering candidate who drove up to the manufacturing facility and parked, face in, to a visitor space.

Before exiting his vehicle, the candidate tilted his rear view mirror downward and proceeded to do a “once over” on his tie, his teeth, his breath, his underarms and last, but certainly not least, his nose. Knuckle-deep with his right hand.

Unbeknownst to the candidate his vehicle pointed directly into the plant manager’s office. The manager happened to see the car pull up and naturally paused a moment to see whether he knew who was driving. After a disgusting laugh the manager went about his business.

About 15 minutes later his admin let him know his interview was waiting in the lobby. Imagine the manager’s feeling as he turned the corner, only to see that smiling candidate with his right hand extended. The man never had a chance at that job and it had nothing to do with his skills or experience.

I instruct clients to bring along an extra shirt as well as a lint brush and dental floss. Find a nearby restaurant or the company bathroom to do your personal grooming. Just remember, whenever you’re on company property you may be being watched, so be careful of what you say and your actions.