Would wearing a touch of woman's perfume give you an edge in a job interview?

Best not to wear perfume for an interview. It is generally discouraged in the workplace today.

Are you proposing this as something for a man to do? or a woman?

Had someone come in with perfume on the other day. It was so strong I had to leave.

That person was interested in employment. I might have considered it. But, the thought of having to tell them that they would have to turn down their perfume usage, prevented me from considering them.

I think anything (positive) that makes the applicant stand out in an interview would be beneficial because the interviewer would remember that applicant better.

well I was thinking more for a man to do, and im not talking wearing so much you smell like a french whore. Just some pheromone’s to trigger their brain to have them remember you better or something like that. No dousing

Do your research first as our sense of smell is the most powerful of the senses; it could backfire if the scent is that of his ex’s perfume.

@Zen_Again good answer, didn’t think of that

If a man came into an interview with me wearing perfume, I can’t say that it would be likely to work in his favor. Anything calculated to have unusual and non-job-related influence on the interviewers risks having the wrong effect. A young woman came to an interview with me once wearing a low-cut blouse and a short skirt. I was about 27 at the time and wasn’t impressed.

These days for many jobs you are likely to see more than one person when you go for an interview. It’s best not to try to be tricky with people who are deciding whether they want to work with you.

A crusty old ba$tard like me, I should think not. If I put enough on to have any effect at all, it would have the effect of convincing people I’m a nut case.

@Randy Remembering that the applicant smelled is not necessarily a positive memory. Look at @ChazMaz answer.

@perspicacious that’s why I added positive after anything. If it’s something negative that makes you stand out, OF COURSE you’re not getting the job. If it’s a positive stand out, then it helps. As long as your sent is pleasing to the interviewer, then the answer to this question would be yes, no matter if your wearing men’s or women’s scents.

These days wearing perfume is likely to backfire on a job seeker. Too many people have chemical sensitivities.

It could work if it was subtle enough. Bathing in essential oils, for instance will infuse a pleasant odor for the rest of the day. Read up on aroma therapy, and see if you can find some tips and ideas before you try it.

@Randy I would not hire anyone who wore noticable perfume, even if I liked the scent. It’s just not appropriate in the workplace where people can’t get away from it if it bothers or offends them. It’s fine for social situations where one can scamper away from it, but not at work.

@perspicacious It’s better than the opposite. Personally, I would rather smell someone that smelled good than someone who smelled like body odor. That could just be my opinion. I know that when I smell something good, whether it be food, perfumes, flowers, ect. it tends to stick in my head. But again, it all goes back to positive or negative influences. Over powering scents are usually negative even if they do smell good. As long as the applicant is using common sense and not “bathing” in the perfume before an interview or using a scent that is… well… that just doesn’t smell good then it could actually be a decent plan.

@Randy I have not engaged in an irrelevant discussion of body odor; the discussion is about perfume.

“I would not hire anyone who wore noticable perfume” @perspicacious

That is fucking ridiculous. “noticeable” perfume isn’t likely to “bother or offend” anyone, except freaks like you, who should just get over it.

@perspicacious Everyone on this planet smells. Every person smells good or bad. If they smell good, it’s because they are covering it with some sort of perfume. If they don’t cover it in some way, you smell their body odor. Therefore, I would rather have someone in the work place, in public, in my home or during an interview smell like perfume than like body odor. If you don’t think body odor is part of this discussion, then I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood the point of perfumes and other odor cover-ups.

Boss: “She was clearly the most competent applicant, so why didn’t you give her the job?”

You: “I smelt perfume.”

——————————

Yeah, you should definitely work in HR.

@The_Idler This is the trend now, and it’s not going away. Save your money and only wear perfume for social situations.

Honesty, confidence, and grace. Those three things give you an edge during a job interview. If wearing perfume makes the person being interviewed somehow exude one, two, or all three of these qualities, then that may give them an edge. It all depends on the “nasal to brain perception” of the person giving the interview.

I don’t see a problem with just a touch. It won’t be a deciding factor in good companies with capable managers and recruiters.

No, this is silly.
She isn’t going to sniff you, is she? Honestly, if I smelled a man with a feminine “perfume” on, I’d wonder if he dabbled in cross-dressing. ESPECIALLY if I were a man. Come on, dude. There aren’t pheromones in manufactured perfume. A for effort, but just… no. Be a man!

@meagan relax, it’s just a question and just a theory. AND yes there are some perfumes with pheramones in them. I didn’t do it I was just WONDERING that’s all…I know I always enjoy the scent of a woman (not anything gaudy)...chill

Probably not. At most companies, wearing fragrances is discouraged because an employee might have an allergy. Making your potential boss break out in hives is not going to make a positive impression.

unless your prospect future boss is gay, it could work, give you some advantage

@lonelydragon Finally, someone else who knows what’s going on.