Assessment day outfit and grooming for men: the version nobody writes because all the guides are for women
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#1 Bogotá, applying to Avianca and to the Gulf, and every assessment day guide I can find is about lipstick shades and hair buns. Men apply too. Here is what I have worked out from the crew on this forum and from two open days, and I would like the men who are flying to correct it.
The suit
Navy or charcoal. Not black, which reads as a funeral or a waiter. Fitted, not tight. Sleeves to the wrist bone, trousers to the shoe with one break. A jacket that buttons without pulling. If you do not own one, a good high street suit properly altered beats an expensive one that does not fit.
The shirt
White. Ironed the morning of, not the night before. Collar that closes with the top button done and a tie. No patterns, no stripes, no button down collar.
The tie
Plain or a small pattern, a mid blue or a burgundy. Tied properly, to the belt. A tie that stops above the belt is the first thing a recruiter sees.
Shoes
Black, leather, laced, polished that morning. Not brown, not suede, not loafers, not the ones with the square toe. Socks that match the trousers and cover the shin when seated.
Grooming
Clean shaven, at most airlines, for the assessment. Some carriers now allow a neat beard on the line but the assessment is not the line. Hair short, off the collar, off the ears, styled. Nails clean and short. No visible tattoos, and the same rules about cover ups as for everyone. A watch, plain. No other jewellery except a wedding ring.
The reach and the height
The same test as for women, at the same height, and the men who fail it are the ones who did not check. Check.
What I got wrong at the first open day
Brown shoes with a navy suit, which I thought was stylish. The recruiter at registration looked at them for one second longer than she looked at my face. I did not pass registration. Correlation is not causation. I have black shoes now.
Men who are flying: what did I miss?
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#2 Emirates, and this is accurate to the letter. The brown shoes were probably not the reason but the black shoes are definitely the rule. And the beard: clean shaven at the assessment, whatever the line policy is now. Do not test it on the day.
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#3 Korean Air, and the Korean assessment for men is stricter again on hair (very short, very neat) and identical on everything else. The tie to the belt line is the thing recruiters check first. It tells them you know how to wear a uniform.
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#4 BA purser, and I would add: a plain white handkerchief in the inside pocket, not for show, because the assessment day is long and hot and you will need to dry your hands before the reach test. Small, practical, never mentioned.
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#6 Viva, and for the Latin American carriers the same, with one addition: the Mexican recruiters notice the belt. Leather, black, plain buckle, matching the shoes. A canvas belt with a suit is noticed.
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#7 Ryanair, and honestly the assessment dress code was more relaxed than this for us, but I wore exactly this and I was the best dressed man in the room and the recruiter mentioned it. Overdressed beats underdressed every time.