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PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS: GET RID OF YOUR MOUTH/BODY ODOUR (MO/BO)



I have mentioned this in passing in an earlier write up but recent events have necessitated the need for me to discuss this in detail. Do you know that Body/Mouth odour could hinder your career goals? Imagine turning up for an interview and the interviewer(s) cannot breathe properly because of the body odour /mouth odour coming from you? Isn’t that a big disadvantage already?

I recently read a write up which talked about how persistent body odour affected an Executive from making CEO. And guess what? He did not know. Be it a fresh graduate or an experienced hire, know that your chances at getting your desired job or opportunity may be well hindered if your show up at an interview with MO or BO.

As an interviewer, it puts me in an uncomfortable place. I most likely will find it hard telling you and I am also thinking, “When this candidate resumes will his/her colleagues have to deal with this type of smell on the regular?” Please make our jobs easy.



Tips for dealing with Mouth and Body Odour:

Google provides a wide range of knowledge to tackle this, visit there to read more. Here are some tips to dealing with odour as a result of causes other than underlying diseases e.g. reasons such as sweat, bacteria growth on the skin, improper hygiene etc.
  1. Brush twice a day (morning and night).
  2. When you eat foods like garlic, groundnuts, onions etc., make sure you clean your mouth. It’s even better to avoid such before an interview.
  3. Lick/chew minty or sweet smelling candy/chewing gum.
  4. Bathe once - twice daily. This will help wash off sweat residues and some unwanted bacteria off your body and leave you feeling clean and fresh. Also regular bathing with anti-bacterial soap can help here.
  5. When you bathe, towel off well paying close attention to the areas you sweat a lot. A dry skin makes it harder for bacteria to breed.
  6. Use an (anti-perspirant) deodorant. They are available from mild to high strength levels depending on how much you sweat. It pertinent to note here that perfumed body sprays are not the deodorant I speak of here. Brands like Dove, Nivea, Sure, Rexona etc. offer a variety of very good sweat controlling deodorants.
  7. Change your underwear regularly. E.g. As a guy you should not wear the same smelly unwashed boxers for forever.
  8. Cut back on certain foods which may affect your body & mouth odour. Spicy foods & drinks with caffeine which make you sweat a lot or foods with aromas like garlic, groundnut and onions which may linger in your mouth and be carried in your sweat.
  9. Avoid strong smelling perfumes. Let me explain, there are beautiful smelling perfumes and there are some so heavy they belong to the Sosorobia family (lol!). Don’t use a perfume that’s going to destabilize a sensitive nostril and allergies like mine and keep me sneezing throughout the interview. It might affect your interviewer’s work of correctly assessing you fit for hire.


It’s important to note that sometimes you may not know how you smell, so ask a true friend; cover your mouth with your palm and blow air, lick your biro cover and smell. 😄

I hope you find these tips helpful. Make sure you #smellnice 😜

Again, for more help, please visit google! And if tips do not work, you should please see a doctor for medical help.

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