How To Dress For An Interview

How To Dress For An Interview

1. The Business Suit. You can never go wrong when you wear a business suit to an interview. This rule applies for men and women. Each student should own one business suit that is tailored to fit their body/shape. You don’t need to buy an Armani suit by any means. Purchase something simple and basic in a core colour Black, Brown, or Navy.

2. An interview is NOT the place to experiment with fashion. YOU want to get the job and grab the employers attention, NOT your outfit. Men, this means the color of your suit must go with the colour of your shoes (Black suit = Black Shoes, Brown Suit = Brown Shoes, Blue Suit = Brown Shoes). The shirts men and women wear under their suits should also compliment each other. For men and women Keep to simple colours underneath your business suits (Black Suit = white, grey, light blue shirt, Blue Suit = tan, white shirt, Brown Suit = tan, white, light blue shirt).

3. The Man Rule. If you decide to wear a white buttoned down/collared shirt you MUST wear an undershirt with it. If you put on a basic “wifebeater/tanktop” under your white shirt it WILL show through. This is NOT attractive and does not make you look like a professional. Also, men’s socks should be dark and blend in. White socks should not stick out from under your pants. Make sure your collars are properly creased into place. The proper ironing should be done to your entire outfit. Wrinkles aren’t acceptable. Make sure that if a belt is needed, that you have a belt that matches your suit. Come to the interview as “clean-shaven” as possible. Typically speaking, employers aren’t too fond of messy hair, lots of facial hair, piercings, or tattoos. If you do have piercings, I suggest removing them for the interview and trying to cover up any other body piercings or body art.

4. The Woman Rule. Again, interviews are definitely NOT the time to experiment with anything. Wear your hair the way you think it looks best. Avoid any crazy up do’s, braids, pigtails, “messy looks”, etc. Hair can be worn straight or pull it back into a neat pony tail. Jewelery should be simple. Keep your accessories simple and have one piece that stands out. If you have a great necklace, keep the earrings, rings, bracelets simple.

An interview is also not a cleavage show. As women, we want to avoid the cliche of the “seductress in the workplace”. I suggest =covering up and wearing a basic top with an appropriate neckline to your interview. A pants suit or a skirt suit is fine. Make sure the skirt is an appropriate length. The only way to really know is to look in the mirror and make a judgment call. We all know what “too short” looks like. You shouldn’t be showing any “legs” so if it looks sexy, its probably not the right choice. When choosing your shoes, try to avoid the trendy “platform heels” and schosse a medium heel. Heels are a better choice than flats for an interview. If you don’t want to wear a suit, select a simple dress or skirt and top combo. Remember to keep things simple and not too trendy. Button-down tops are nice but usually a little showing for women with larger busts. Some other ideas are pencil skirts, mock turtle-necks, suit jackets, boat neck tops. Stay away from Capri Pants, Jeans, Denim, Spandex, leggings, Flats, Flat Boots, Short Skirts.

5. No Jeans. No matter what you wear to your interview, jeans are not okay. Even if they are black jeans, stay away from them. The phrase,”I can’t believe they wore jeans to an interview”, is all too common.

6. Hesitation Equals No. If you aren’t sure about something you are wearing then scrap it. You should be confident in what you wear and if you are questioning anything than the employer is likely to question as well.

7. Straighten Up. Do a last minute check before you leave. Make sure your fly is up, buttons secured, collar pressed down, and everything is in place. You also might want to take a lint roller and make sure all dust, dog hair, etc. is off your clothing