Nose Studs OK for Library Interviews

I got my nose pierced when I was 20 or 21 years old. In this piercing, I have on occasion worn a nose ring, but I've mostly worn a nose stud. The stud itself is tiny, silver, and so unobtrusive. Ninety-eight percent of the time, I don't even think about it. I'm only aware of it when I have a cold...and when I have an interview.
 

Like hers, my nose stud is small, silver...and OK for interviews.
Image via Pinterest.com

When going on interviews, I would always wonder if I should remove my nose stud beforehand. Back when I interviewed for my current full-time job, I wore it and got hired anyway. For an interview earlier this month for a summer internship, I kept it in and was brought on anyway. I'm thinking it would be the same story if I was trying out for a library job: wearing a nose stud to the interview wouldn't hurt my chances of getting the position. A hiring manager for an academic library, who was recently interviewed for the website Hiring Librarians, would agree.

Emily at Hiring Librarians asked the hiring manager, who remained anonymous: Which jewelry may candidates wear to an interview? The hiring manager said:
 

• A few simple necklaces, bracelets, and/or rings
• Arty or more elaborate necklaces, bracelets, and/or rings
• Eyebrow ring, Monroe piercing, septum piercing, or other face piercing
• Earrings
• Multiple ear piercings
• Other: Nose stud, not ring

I think it's interesting that the hiring manager said nose studs are acceptable for an interview but nose rings aren't. I can only guess it's because nose studs are generally more discreet than nose rings, and that's why they're considered okay. But eyebrow rings, Monroe piercings, and septum piercings are much more obvious than nose rings in my opinion, so perhaps this hiring manager works at a small liberal arts college in a comparatively progressive part of the country. At any rate, my rule of thumb when dressing for interviews is, "Less is more": minimal jewelry, smell clean but no detectable fragrance, simple hairstyle, and an outfit that leans toward the conservative side. But the nose stud stays in.

For more interview attire tips from this hiring manager, you can read the Hiring Librarians article at THIS LINK. And if you happen to be an "alternative-looking" library job seeker, take heart in knowing that if the interviewer shrivels his or her nose at your piercings, tattoos, or blue hair, then that probably isn't a place where you would want to work anyway.