Your subject knowledge and affability are important in a job interview, but your attire will also play a dominant role in dictating the result. First impressions are immediate, and it takes seconds for a total stranger to express a negative or positive opinion of you based on your appearance alone.
Knowing what to dress for a job interview is an old dilemma. Fashions come and go, but style lasts, and for both informal and formal interviews, there are some fast and hard rules. College students may dress casually in the school, but they should always professionally dress when meeting an interview for an internship or professional job.
There is no space for experimentation in your wardrobe for your interview, so here is a guide to pull a successful outfit for the job that you are applying.
Attire for Men
Men should dress in a suit, tie, and wear shoes to most interviews. The suit should be a solid color and subdued like deep gray and navy, and the shoes must be black or brown. Wear a button-down, long sleeve shirt, either white or another color that is perfect for your suit, and a subdued tie. Classic stripes or small dots design work well.
Use black socks so that you will look professional if you cross your ankles. Even though the workers usually dress in a casual business style, you might still choose to wear a suit and tie.
But, if the interviewer or the employer says that you must wear casual attire, or you are confident that they prefer a casual attire, you can dress in a sports jacket or blazer with matching slacks, and either a button-down shirt or a sweater.
Always make sure that your coat and pants match and that your sweater or shirt is not too bright, animated or too vibrant with patterns. Wear black or brown shoes and black socks. Your style must be polished. Iron your clothes the night before and your shoes must be clean.
Attire for Women
A woman’s clothing has faintly more choices for a professional interview. A suit, either skirt suit or pantsuit with a button-down blouse or shirt is most suitable for a professional interview. The suit should be in a neutral color, such as dark gray, navy or black.
You can choose any color for your blouse or shirt that will match the suit. But never opt for a shirt with loud patterns or with a ravishing color. Ensure your blouse doesn’t have a very low cut neck, and if you think that it is just very revealing, don’t wear it. Wear shoes that are neutral in color, either flats or heels that are not more than two to three inches.
If the employer or interviewer says that you should dress casually, or you are sure that they prefer a casual attire, you can wear slacks or a skirt with a button-down shirt or blouse and a blazer. If you don’t have a blazer, you can wear a neutral sweater or cardigan instead.
The slacks or skirt and blazer must be a solid, neutral color, like black, dark gray or navy. Again, ensure that your blouse or shirt is not too brightly patterned or too low cut. If you choose to wear a skirt, you might consider wearing nude pantyhose, most especially if you have an interview for a very conservative company.
Takeaway
Who would want to show up for a job interview wearing a t-shirt, shorts or jeans, and grubby sneakers? Wearing outlandish or inappropriate attire to a job interview can cost you the job. How you present yourself during an interview is important.
What you dress to an interview can create a perception or image of what kind of person you are, that’s why choosing your style is essential to presenting yourself as the perfect applicant to hire.
This article is written by Javier Olivo who is a fashion blogger who has a deep passion for fashion. He took Fashion Designing when he was still in college. Currently, Javier already made her way in the world of fashion and is now catering various clients around the world. During his leisure time, he writes for different blog sites about fashion and some fashion icons.