FASHION : Getting Spiffed Up Can Help Job Search : Experts say there’s little question that being well-dressed and having a neat appearance make a difference.

The job market is still grim in Ventura County. Having the right resume may or may not bring a job offer. So, those who are out of work have been known to consider other means to beat the competition--like moving to Arizona, or spiffing up their looks.

Will the right clothes and haircut give you an edge?

The answer, according to local job counselors, is: Grooming counts--in most places, most of the time.

“Somebody should go to the colleges and tell fresh (graduates) if they are going to invest $250 on a blue pin-stripe suit, the brown Hush Puppies are not going to be a perfect touch to end the ensemble,” said Chris Richards, owner of Career Connection in Thousand Oaks.

Richards talks regularly with major Fortune 500 companies, and learns what they like and don’t like.

They don’t like short skirts on women or mismatched belts and shoes on men. Or too much cologne. Or bad color coordination.

There it was again, that handicap that keeps males from putting their best foot forward. Whenever they stick them out, they are wearing the wrong color shoes or socks. Maybe someone should set up a countywide grooming service with a network of drive-through checkpoints where men can find out if their shirts, ties and socks all match.

But, we digress. What you wanted to know was: How important is your pre-employment attire?

“Excruciatingly important,” Richards said. “You have only one opportunity to make a first impression, and that impression can’t be changed.”

He recommends a suit and tie for every interview, even for a warehouse job. He thinks that grooming may be even more important for entry-level workers than for executives.

“The receptionist had darned well better be dressed in professional attire--a skirt, jacket, stockings, pumps,” he said.

The subject of men’s hair length came up--an issue that has been known to raise the hackles of some personnel managers.

“If you have longer hair, do everything you can to make it look as (short) as possible,” Richards recommended. “Then, adjust yourself accordingly as you get to know the company better.”

There are some places where long hair on men simply won’t fly, we found. Fast-food restaurants said they look down on it, and a pest control service said ponytails are out.

“I don’t think it is a professional look,” said James Grace, general manager at Hydrex, with offices throughout the county. “I have had people who were qualified, and I’ve asked them to get their hair cut. They’ve said, ‘I’m sorry.’ I tell them, ‘If you change your mind, please come back and talk to me.’ ”

On the other hand, at H & R Block, where a conservative image rules, District Manager Jean Royer said she would not turn away a male applicant with a ponytail. But, so far, none has applied.

To all the long-haired accountants out there who will promptly jam the waiting room at H & R Block--hiring is pretty much complete for this tax season. You may need to wait until 1995.

And, now, a word about an even newer concern on the grooming scene: body piercing.

“I have students I know who are wonderful people, and they can do the job,” said Rita Gomberg at Ventura College’s job placement office. “But because they may be wearing an earring or a ring in their nose--or, in one case, a ring in the belly button--it makes a difference.”

Gomberg recently scheduled a job counseling workshop where such issues were delicately addressed. Young people should realize, she said, that yielding to fads may not be the best career move.

On the other hand, some employers may be able to look beyond appearance and spot a diamond in the rough.

“I’m not real concerned about how (people are) dressed when they first come to me,” said Alan Sworski, general manager of New York Life Insurance for Ventura County. “We’re more concerned with what a person has on the inside. The outside can be changed.”

Sworski said earring-wearing salesmen come to realize that some clients do not respond well to the look, and they begin to leave their jewelry at home. He recalled a similar experience that he had 20 years ago.

“When I started in this business, I came into the interview with high-heeled shoes. I had bell bottoms, and I had hair down to my shoulders. If my company had judged me on my looks and not given me an opportunity, I wouldn’t be in this position right now,” he said.

So, there you have it. Conform and be embraced by the masses, or stick to your guns and hope that there are more bosses out there like Sworski.

But, be aware that navel jewelry is still avant-garde. If this is your style, better play it safe with a covered midriff.