Going on a business lunch with your prospective employer? There are high chances you’ll be in for that “job interview.” Presenting yourself as a professional is one way to go about it. There have been many cases where employers where greatly impressed by the dressing appearance of the prospective employee, and hired them without asking too many questions. There’s a chance of that happening in your case as well.

3 Tips For A Professional Business Lunch

Here are few things you should consider:

1. Dress Like You’re There For His Company

If the employer works at a company where there’s a formal dress required, men should echo the dress with a casual suit, rather than going for pinstripe. Avoid lace-ups and go for slip-on shoes instead. The personal accessories you carry should be formal as well. Personal accessories that give a professional look are easily available, such as BigSkinny Bifolds.

Women, on the other hand, can go for a sweater and a skirt that gives a feel of a business like outfit. Ladies may get worried when deciding footwear for a professional lunch. A good option will be to wear a low heel that has a close toe.

2. Pay Attention To The Upper Half

While having lunch, your top half of the body will be more noticeable than the lower half. Men should go for a shirt that is fitted to the neck and is collared. Avoid wearing a shirt that would get extremely tight with closed buttons. Women should go for professional looking jewelry such as a pearl necklace. They should avoid V-neck shirts as they may reveal the cleavage.

3. Avoid Heavy Grooming

This goes for both men and women. Heavy cologne and body spray may be the ideal choice when going to college, but it’s not the right choice when you’re looking to sell professionalism. Both men and women should also avoid informal hairstyles that can diminish the professional appearance. The hair should be well presented, combed properly and should be clean. Women with long hair can achieve a presentable look by tying their hair back in a ponytail or a bun. Both genders should have short clean nails.

Apart from dressing up professionally, there are other things you need to keep in mind. You should know what to order. The best way to do so is to examine the menu before the occasion. Let the employer take time to decide, but you shouldn’t take long in making a decision as the prospective employer may judge your decision making skills by noticing the time you take to decide what to eat.

During the lunch, you should know all the table manners required in such situations. Never eat with your mouth full and go for small servings at a slow place. Show more interest in what the employer has to say rather than the food. The place you’re taking him/her to lunch may have noise distractions, and if you aren’t clear about a question, ask politely for elaboration. Keeping these tips in mind will let you present yourself as a quality professional during any business lunch.