No watch impresses like a Rolex watch does, and who doesn’t want to make a good impression during a job interview.
Well, if you show up wearing a Rolex you are sure to make an impression. But what sort of impression? Is it a good one. Are you going to make a good impression?
The problem with wearing a Rolex to a job interview is that it is going to stand out. That can be good, or it can be bad. And it requires some thought before showing up to a job interview wearing a flashy Rolex because it very well might make or beak the interview.
Let’s see how and why wearing a Rolex to your next Job interview might be a deal breaker.
Slow Down, Should You Even Wear a Watch?
First, before we discuss the Rolex watch in particular, let’s review if you even need to wear a watch to a job interview.
I’ve blogged a bit about this in the past, and you can read up on it by visiting the link above.
My general suggestion would be to wear a watch if you are comfortable wearing a watch.
Don’t wear a watch to a job interview if it’s not something that you are normally used to wearing. And definitely don’t wear a showy watch just to impress your interviewer.
The thing about wearing a watch is that it should do a few things. First, it should signal that you are someone who is serious about your day. A watch tells the job interviewer that you’re not someone who is casual about appointments. You like to know what time it is, obviously!
The second thing is that a watch can be a professional accessory. Men and women would both benefit from wearing a nice dress watch.
However, for certain roles it’s not necessary to wear a watch or at least not a dress watch. If you’re interviewing for a labor type role then wearing a dress watch might actually hurt your chances of getting hired.
Why? Well, because the hiring person might see that you are wearing a nice expensive watch and think that you are not the type who would want to do hard work.
The point here is that it’s better to wear a watch that fits with the type of job that you’re doing.
If you are heading to boot camp and are in the military, then you’ll want a much different watch than if you are going to be working in an office scheduling meetings.
A marine going through basic training needs a super reliable watch (I have a great write up on the best watches for basic training). The type of watch that an office worker would wear is much different.
So, make sure you think about the role before you walk into the office wearing a Rolex.
Why Wear a Rolex to a Job Interview?
So, what’s the reason that you should wear a Rolex to a job interview? Well, for starters it does make an impression.
If you are going for a sales role, and part of the work requirements are that you dress to impress, then it’s important to make sure that you understand the dress code.
Salespeople who work in high end stores are encouraged to dress well. Also, sales executives that close multi-million dollar deals in the B2B space also dress well. So, in these areas you would do well if you own a Rolex to wear it on an interview.
The idea here is to convey a sense of style.
Now, not all jobs require the sales team to dress flashy though. And that’s why it’s important to scope out the different company cultures.
The reason to wear a Rolex to a job interview is that you think it will give you an edge or the upper hand over other applicants. If you happen to find a company that is seeking a sales rep, for instance, or someone to work in the marketing department, then you might be tempted to wear a Rolex to the interview.
But you should only wear the Rolex to the job interview if you are sure that it will make a good impression.
Also, let’s not even talk about people who rent watches. You shouldn’t rent a watch for an interview and you most certainly shouldn’t but a Rolex just for a job interview. I don’t know if that needs to be said but that’s a wildly poor decision to make.
What Sort of Company Are You Interviewing With?
Before you go ahead and decide if you are going to wear your Rolex, it’s a good idea to do a profile on the company.
Many places and many jobs are not going to look kindly on someone who wears a Rolex. If you happen to have made a big splurge on a designer Rolex watch but don’t work in high fashion, PR, Marketing, or in the I Banking space, then it might not be a good idea to wear the watch.
The company culture is definitely important.
Let’s take a look at some big companies and discuss how this comes into play:
WeWork- A massive failure of a company, but it’s a good test subject to discuss. The staff at WeWork tended to be low paid recent college graduates. If you were to show up and interview for any role at that company wearing a Rolex you’d make a terrible impression.
Brooks Brothers- Here’s a good example of where wearing a designer watch, including a Rolex, would work in your favor. If you were to interview in person at Brooks Brothers and they saw that you wore a Rolex, or even a less expensive dress watch (such as a Tissot) then you would make the impression that you were someone who is serious about fashion and would spend time on your appearance which would reflect well on them.
Don’t Wear It If You Don’t Own It
My final recommendation here is that you should only wear a Rolex if you are interviewing for a high profile sales role, PR role, or an I-Banking or Private Equity role.
You don’t want to alienate or make jealous the people who are interviewing you.
Also, and this shouldn’t need to be said, you should not spend money on a Rolex if you don’t already own one. It will not get you the job, so don’t do that.
A Rolex is a great watch, and there are a lot of reasons to buy one and wear one, but don’t make a special purchase for a job interview.
If you are looking for a good watch to wear on a job interview here are some better alternatives:
The Tissot Dress Watch : An Excellent Pricepoint and a Great Watch. You can check it out on Amazon and read reviews.