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What to Wear For a Job Interview? A New Approach to Dressing For Success

Posted on 09. Feb, 2009 posted by Bill in Employment News, Interviewing

It used to be easy. If you had a job interview, you wore a suit. But it’s not so easy anymore. In fact, chances are good that if do arrive wearing a suit, you’ll feel overdressed. Deciding what to wear for a job interview has become a quite a challenge. But it’s not a lost cause. There are a few things you can do to ensure you’re dressed just right.

The key is to avoid being either overdressed or underdressed. While being underdressed could convey disrespect, overdressing could be just as problematic. It could make the interviewer uncomfortable, and it could make you come cross as too conservative for the company.

While it may seem difficult to get it just right, there is one simple rule that applies across the board: Dress one step above what you would wear on the job.

Let’s say you are interviewing for an executive position in an office where a shirt and a tie is appropriate for a man, and a conservative business outfit is suitable for a woman. In this case, you should choose something slightly formal. Whether you’re a man or a woman, you might want to add a blazer or sports jacket to your outfit.

Other professionals work in very casual environments. Some IT companies encourage this and certain government offices are also quite flexible in this regard. In a setting like that, you should try to go to the place of business and have a look around to see how workers at your professional level are dressed.

In offices where T-shirts and casual pants are acceptable, you should consider adding a neatly ironed buttoned shirt if you’re a man, and dress pants combined with a nice blouse if you’re a woman.

Dressing a little more formally for the interview signals respect, just as long as you don’t out-dress your interviewers.

The second rule of thumb, to dress conservatively, still applies in many contexts. Next time you walk down the street in your local business district, take a look around and pay attention to the variation of styles. What one person thinks is professional and attractive may be quite different for another person.

There’s a third rule of thumb as well, and this may well be the most important of all: wear something that makes you look good. If you look washed out in black or navy, be sure to wear a more brightly colored shirt or blouse to offset the darker basic business colors. If you’re a woman, and a richly toned blue jacket makes you just glow, by all means, wear it to the job interview.

Ultimately, you want to look not just appropriately dressed but also attractive, confident, and comfortable. If you choose an outfit at the suitable level of formality that also makes you look good and feel good about yourself, you’ll be way ahead of the game.

And here’s a FREE resource with more information on how to find and get that perfect job for you: Great Job Finder Expert Pam Jonsson’s FREE downloadable audio and ebook at http://www.JobSatisfactionGuaranteed.com.

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