Reasons Why Women Should Not Bring Purses to an Interview

Over the years, I have performed countless interviews for many companies. When I began working as a business consultant, I found that I brought many of my pet peeves with me. There is a general consensus that I have found among interviewers that women should never bring their purses to an interview. Here's why.

Handshake Issue

I have often found that when a woman comes to an interview with a purse, she will have an issue as she fumbles for the first handshake. Remember, most people will have a purse, and at least one copy of the resume. It becomes a quick hassle as it is figured out about what should go where for the handshake.

Placement Distraction

When the average woman sits down for an interview, she will become distracted as she tries to figure out the best place to put her purse. After the best placement is found, she has to get back into focus for the interview. Slip-ups easily happen with the first few questions. If the purse is not brought in the first place, this issue is avoided.

Continued Distraction

After talking to women that I have interviewed, I have found that many of them keep the thought in the back of their minds about what is going on with their purse. I cannot count the number of times in which women have knocked over their purses during an interview and paused to attend to it. This breaks up the interview and causes for strain.

Security Issue

While some women that I have interviewed over the years have worried about their purses being stolen, I was always worried about theft from another angle. I was always watchful that the interviewee did not try to place any merchandise in her purse. I had this happen on two separate occasions. This became a distraction that I had to deal with, and in some case, it may have taxed the interview.

The Legal Aspect

For a long time, I told women that they could not bring their purse into the interview office. I could not believe the number of women that believed that it was illegal for me to tell them that they could not bring in their purse. There is no law in the United States that bars an interviewer from banning purses in the interview.

If you are going to an interview, make sure that you keep your purse hidden out in the car. You would not want any opportunity for yourself, or the interviewer to become distracted by your purse. If you are going to go to an interview, make sure that you do everything in your power to make sure it goes well.