Dress for success in your Interview
Clothes are the frontline to who you are when interviewing. The first thing your interviewer will see is what you're wearing. What you wear makes it's easy to get "classed" as a personality type that you're not, or even get eliminated from hiring contention.
It's funny to think about in some ways. The individuals interviewing you may never iron their clothes, may wear two different socks each day or have holes in their shirt. However, regardless of their attire, they'll have a certain expectation of how you should look. If you don't meet that expectation, they'll most likely become hyper critical about you and end up look for / finding your faults.
Clothes should be exactly what they are - clothes.
You want your clothes to be seen and not heard.
You're clothes shouldn't be a distraction. Your clothes shouldn't tell your interviewer who you are or what your personality might be. Only you should be telling the interviewer(s) who you are.
Many people (men and women) find the line between loud and distracting or being frumpy and boring, hard to decipher.
I've helped take the guess work out what to wear.
Below is a collection of both Women's and Men's clothes.
You can purchase these directly from this lens or use them as ideas. Either way, I've found inexpensive to moderately priced clothes that can help you get your new job. Each item has additional notes on fabric styles, fabric blends, colors or how the item can be used with other items.
Take a look and let me know what you think at the end! I'd love to hear your comments! Use the Table of Contents below to skip to what you're looking for. However, be sure to check out my other lenses for other great interview tips!
If this is helpful to you, it's probably going to be helpful to others. Use the email link on the right hand side to email it your friends!
8 Part Series - See Below
Whether you're looking to get a new job or advance your career, utilizing the Best Job Interview Questions and this unique way of presenting yourself will help. As you explore these concepts open your mind, challenge yourself and get excited.How you present yourself can be a determining factor of your success in an interview. Start your new job with a solid foundation so you can have a successful and long term relationship with your new company.
You can view lens #4 at: Pre-Interview Phone Call
You can view lens #5 at: Preparing For Your Interview
You can view lens #6 at: The Best Job Interview Questions!
You can view lens #8 at: Post Interview Follow-Up
Mark me in your favorites so you can get a Squid Cast when my next lens in this series is released!
What Dressing for Success is....
- Why should I Dress for Success?
- Men's Interview Dress Shirts
- Men's Interview Dress Pant
- Win the Race!
- Great Neckties for your Interview - stand out the right way!
- The shoes make the Man! Don't lose the interview because of bad shoes!
- The Dress for Success shoe twitter debate...
- Ideas on what Women can wear
- Women's Pant Suit - great for interviews!
- Women's Interview Blouses
- Women's Dress Slacks for your Interview - several great options
- Women's Blazers - the added touch
- The Pant Suit versus Dress Suit debate...
- Here's are some of the articles featured on my blog!!!
- My favorite websites & lenses!!
- Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you!!!
Why should I Dress for Success?
It may sound a bit objectionable, but bear with me. Despite our personal feelings there is some reality in the expression.
I say this because the reality is: It's not your perception that matters in an interview....it's theirs.
Food for thought:
Q: If you walk into an interview with a tie-dyed shirt, ripped pants and a beanie, how do you think you'll be perceived?
A: You're going to put on trial and given your sentancing before you ever have the opportunity to speak a word. (I have nothing against tie-dye or beanies. However, they're really meant for after work or weekends.)
Q: If you walk in with stains on your shirt, your hair unkempt and your socks don't match, how do you think you'll be perceived?
A: You'll look unorganized, unprofessional and possibly perceived as a liability for being late or absent.
Dress like you want the job. Business Professional should be the only applicable attire for an interview. It doesn't matter if you are applying for a manger position or a deep sea diver.
You want to present yourself with confidence and professionalism. Keep your style simple and appropriate. The last thing you want your interview(ers) focusing their attention to is your clothes...except for the fact you take this interview seriously and you're dressed appropriately.
The focus should be on you, your skills and what you bring to the table.
I'm not suggesting that you go out and get a $1000.00 wardrobe. Most people can't afford it and getting a job shouldn't break your bank.
Utilize discount stores that carry high quality merchandise. Local favorites to me are TJ-MAX, Ross, Crossroads and Target. They all carry professional attire for low cost. Even if you can only afford one business professional outfit, that's ok. It's an important investment for your future career.
Below I've found clothes below that are great examples & great buys from Amazon. I encourage you to look at the styles and figure out what works best for you.
While you're at it, save yourself some time and just pick out your interview outfit while you're here! You may pay for shipping but you're saving on gas and time. As an added bonush, you're clothes are delivered to your front door. All while you just finished sending out 15 more resumes....
(I've added additional info to each item that talks about the fabrics blends, how each style can lend to another, etc. Pay attention to the notes!)
Men's Interview Dress Shirts
Recommendation: Wear a long sleeved shirt so your arms stay hidden.
Long sleeve shirts are more professional looking then short sleeve shirts. Also, if you're a man with lots of arm hair, a long sleeve shirt will keep your arms from being a distraction. In addition, if you have tattoos on your arms they'll be nicely covered up. It's just one more way of keeping the focus off of your clothes and keeping on your interview.
If you perspire a lot or have chest hair be sure to wear an undershirt. A relaxed fitting long sleeve shirt with an undershirt can hide perspiration from others. If you can't stop the perspiration then you may want to wear a suit jacket to keep your underarm perspiration hidden.
Men's Interview Dress Pant
Win the Race!
Your attire can help you win the race. Don't let your clothes be a distraction, don't get classified in a stereotype because of what you're wearing. Give yourself the opportunity to shine. Let your personality and attitude do the talking.
Be aware of the reflection that your clothes could have on you when going into an interview!
Great Neckties for your Interview - stand out the right way!
Wearing a "funny" tie is a big no, unless you're interviewing to be a comedian. I suggest strong power colors with a classy defined patter. Be sure that the pattern you pick doesn't overwhelm people or make them dizzy!
The shoes make the Man! Don't lose the interview because of bad shoes!
Don't get me wrong. They'll look at your tie and they'll take note of your clothes - but in the end, the shoes make the first impression.
Think about it this way: When you walk up to someone to shake their hand, where do most people initially look?
They glance at the ground to make sure they have a clear path to the person their greeting - or - when reaching to shake their hand they look to make sure their hand is connecting to yours. When they look at the ground for the clear path they see your shoes. When they shake your hand what's immediately in the background?...your shoes.
It doesn't matter how well your dressed if you wear bad shoes. Let your shoes do the talking and give you that first good impression.
Get them shined right out of the box. Yes, I understand their brand new. However, there's nothing that will take a pair of shoes and make them out stand the right way like a good shoe shining.
Ideas on what Women can wear
What women should realize is that with that diversity can come trouble. You're going into an interview, not a fashion show. The important aspect to remember is that you shine, not your clothes.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting you wear a gunny sack. Nor am I suggesting you wear a prom dress (or less). A woman can be both confident and business professional with a little attention to detail.
Women's Pant Suit - great for interviews!
Women's Interview Blouses
Legwork
Do a little leg work and you can find excellent deals. When you know exactly what you're looking for it makes it quick and easy to get in and out of stores. Hit the mall and check every clearance section. At the end if you still can't find what you're looking for then start looking full price.
Women's Dress Slacks for your Interview - several great options
Women's Blazers - the added touch
The Pant Suit versus Dress Suit debate...
Most women and men will have their idea on what's more professional. I'd like to hear both sides of the debate!
What's more business professional looking, a Woman's Pant Suit - or - a Woman's Dress Suit?
I say...
What others are saying...
Here's are some of the articles featured on my blog!!!
My favorite websites & lenses!!
- Pre-Interview Phone Call - #4 in the Series
- This is a link to my third lens, which is #4 out of the series of 8 that I'm completing.
- Preparing For Your Interview - #5 in the Series
- This is a link to the 5th lens in the series.
- The Best Job Interview Questions - #6 in the series
- This is a link to first lens, which is #6 out of the series of 8 that I'm completing. (Yes, I know I'm going out of order.)
- Post Interview Follow-Up - #8 in the series
- This is a link to second lens, which is #8 out of the series of 8 that I'm completing.
- RK Howard Enterprises - Technology and Virtual Solutions
- Here's a link to my website - take a look and learn more about me!
- How to become a Virtual Assistant!
- From high heels to slippers - learn about Angelina Howard by reading her lens!
- Where I teach my Interview Training Class!
- This is a link to my church in Roseville, CA - where I teach my Employment Interview Preparation and Training class. The class has been beneficial for my Church and the community!
Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you!!!
Give me some feedback, post your questions or just leave a comment!
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Brookelorren May 21, 2009 @ 2:28 am | delete
- Good job! I have to add, some tech jobs are completely casual... especially if they don't see clients at their site and they are run by younger people. My current boss told me to dress casually to the interview. But for many jobs, especially if they are not in the geek sector ;-), you'll want to dress just like your lens says.
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