Perhaps one of the most important aspects of preparing for an interview is finding out what to wear for an interview. Of course you can not wear just anything to the interview, because you will want to portray a certain image to your future employer, school, or pageant competition.
Everyday individuals are judged by the type of clothes they wear, how tailored their clothes are, and the overall essence that their look gives off. For example, if you see a nice dressed man that is wearing a suit with a collared shirt and a nice tie, you would probably assume that he is in a profession such as insurance or banking. Likewise, if you see a girl that is in her mid 20s wearing a casual outfit, you would probably assume that she is a student at a local university.
This same rule of thumb applies to you as a job application and employment candidate, you WILL be judged by the clothes that you wear and how you carry yourself. Remember in an interview, the interviewer is looking for things to critique you on including your outfit and your authentic appearance. Generally your interviewer is not supposed to judge you based off of you looks, but human nature takes over and people will judge you based off of the smallest things.
So What Exactly Are You Supposed To Wear For An Interview?
When choosing clothes for an interview you have to ask yourself what type of image you want your interviewer to see. When choosing clothes for an interview, make sure they are well-pressed (no wrinkles) and that they look professional. Looking professional means that you know that you are the RIGHT candidate for the job and you are the best candidate that is being interviewed. At least this is what you need to make your interviewer think. Also always for a interview you should wear a suit that is blue or grey. You can wear a black suit but make sure that it does not look too dressy. You do not want to look like you are going to a ball or awards ceremony in a black suit.
Tailoring for your clothes is very important and can contribute to how clean cut that you look. And trust me, you want to look very clean cut for your interview because it makes you look very well put together and makes you look reliable. When looking to get your clothes tailored, the arms of your jacket should be at the right length and your pants should not be too short or too long.
Anything that is not proportional will put you in a bad position in someone else’s eyes. Another thing to remember, you do not want your clothes to be too tight or too lose. Because you will probably have to sit down for the interview, you want to make sure that your jacket, pants, or skirt leave you plenty of room to move around comfortably.
Interview Attire For Men
Men should always look very well groomed and have a new haircut. If you have facial hair of any type, it should be shaved clean and you face should be baby smooth. While removing facial hair is not a requirement for all job positions, most corporate jobs require that you have absolutely no facial hair. So if you plan to work on Wallstreet in New York City, be prepared to shave all of your facial hair.
Men should always wear suits with a collared shirt, nice tie, and as stated above a blue, navy, or grey suit. A black suit can be worn but you just have to make sure that it is the best look for you. You suit should be free of wrinkles and have no apparent stains on it. Make sure you use a lent brush before you go into your interview and you should carry an extra one in your briefcase just in case.
Another important piece of your outfit you should consider is your shoes. There is an old saying that states, “people can tell alot about you by your shoes”. This is a very true statement and applies for employers also. If your shoes are not in good to great condition, this could be one thing that keeps your from getting the job or being called back for another job position within the company. Make sure that your shoes are polished and in good condition, if not consider taking a trip to the shoe store before your interview.
Interview Attire For Women
Women should always look feminine and very tasteful when dressing for an interview. Women should also wear a suit or a very nice business dress. Usually employers and interviewers alike wish to see women in dresses or skirts rather than pants. I know this is an old tradition but it still holds true to this very day. The color of the suit for women is a little more flexible for men as women are meant to look more outstanding in appearance than men.Another very important point is to make sure that your skirt or dress is not too short. The appropriate length should be right above your knee and make sure that the skirt does not ride up too much when you sit down. The neckline of your shirt or suit should be tasteful and you should not show a vast amount of cleavage, as employers and interviewers find this inappropriate.
Women should fix their hair in a very appropriate, professional manner as well. That means no outlandish hair styles or bright eye-popping hair colors. If you hair is dyed and you have dark roots showing, you should probably get your hair fixed at the salon beforehand because a if you have neglected your appearance, employers and interviewers will think that you neglect other responsibilities as well. Women can wear their hair up or down for the interview, but make sure that your hair does not completely cover your face because you will want the interviewer to be able to see your facial expressions fully. Another topic concerning interview attire for women is hosiery. While it is very traditional to wear panty hose for interviews and other business or dressy functions, the new reality is that no one wears panty hose anymore. For this reason, I suggest that you not wear hosiery for your interview because our culture is getting away from hosiery. Make sure that your legs are shaved and very nice looking as the interviewer will look at you from head to toe.
