Cracking a job interview is not only about your qualifications and skills, nowadays the companies are very smart, they decide from your first impression that you are worth it or not. Therefore, in the first 10 seconds of the interview, make them believe you are the best fit and they need you in the business. For this, learn how to present yourself and the art of power dressing. So to know what to wear to a job interview and how to present yourself to make a statement, learn the basics first.
What To Wear To A Job Interview
Basic Dressing Tips For Interviews
1. The Culture –
Every company has a culture and to get a job in a particular organization, dress up according to them.
While preparing for an interview, know the dress code of that company.
If you wear shirt-pant for an interview where the dress code is a formal suit, then they will feel that you are not the right person for their business.
Therefore, before the interview, research about the company and find out what clothes their employees wear and what is the official dress code there.
The easiest way to find out is that you go to the official website of that organization and see photos in the gallery section, or you can ask about it any employee there.
This way you will be able to dress according to the company’s culture and this increases the additional possibilities for you.
2. Perfect Fit –
It does not matter how expensive clothes you have worn; you are not ready until they are not perfectly fit for your body.
Remember, fit is the king, fit makes you look more well-dressed and professional.
Therefore, always keep in mind that the clothes you wear for your interview should fit your body flawlessly.
They should neither be loose nor tight, they should rest lightly on your body so you can feel comfortable and confident.
3. Shoes –
If you are going for an interview with this attitude that you have to be selected there, then first make sure that you are miles away from formal sandals and Birkenstocks.
Always wear dress shoes for an interview. You can wear black or dark brown dress shoes according to your choice.
Polish your shoes nicely and keep them neat, never wear dirty shoes for an interview because they can take down your impression within a second.
Match your belt’s color with your shoe’s color and balance the overall contrast.
Prefer cap toe oxford shoes and avoid brogues because they are less formal and not appropriate for interviews.
4. Colors –
For an interview, you can’t wear yellow or red or other bright colors.
You should always wear neutral colors for such formal events.
This is not rocket science. For your shirt, you have white, light blue, or light pink, but white is the best and most versatile.
For pants or trousers, you can wear black or charcoal black.
If you’re going to wear a suit, you can go for a gray, navy or black suit.
Well, it can be different for the company you are going to give an Interview in but these colors are the most formal and universal.
Also, the color combination is very important, make sure that you balance the contrast nicely. For example: with dark-colored pants, wear a light-colored shirt.
5. Dress On The Formal Side –
Many people do so that they wear casual attire for interviews, which is a huge mistake and you should never make such a silly blunder.
Come on, It’s about your career and you have to be a little serious here.
Always dress on the formal side. If your company allows you can also go for business casual attire but if you are not sure about the dress code, always wear formals.
So these were some basic points which you have to follow and now let’s understand what to wear to a job interview and some tips for making the best interview impression.
Professional/Corporate Interview Attire
Dressing for a corporate interview is very easy. You just need to pull off a formal suit and that’s all you have to do.
For the business professional, corporate, and business formal interviews you should dress most formally.
So remember that you don’t even think about the t-shirts, jeans, and brogues.
So let’s know what should be the dress code for a corporate job interview and what things we should take care of.
How To Dress For A Corporate Interview –
(A) You should wear a well-tailored suit and the color should be dark (navy or gray).
(B) With the suit you should wear a white or light blue button-down dress shirt.
(C) Wear black or dark brown oxford shoes paired with dark-colored socks.
(D) For accessories you should wear a minimal leather strap analog dress watch.
(E) To complete the look, wear a dark-colored tie with a silver tie-bar and minimal cufflinks.
So this is the best dress code you can opt for a corporate Interview.
This is a more professional dress code to make you look ideal for a professional job.
Make sure that you dress while keeping the basics in your mind.
Business Casual Interview Attire
So what is business casual?
As it is clear from the name that business casual attire is more casual than business professional, it means that you don’t need suits. But here the casual does not mean that you can wear jeans and T-shirts.
So let’s know what you can wear for a business casual interview.
How To Dress For A Business Casual Interview –
(A) You should not wear a formal suit and tie for a business casual job interview.
(B) You can wear a solid polo t-shirt or a collared shirt (white, light blue, light pink).
(C) You can wear trousers, chinos or dress pants.
(D) In winter, wear a Sportcoat/Blazer or sweater.
(E) For footwear, you can go for dress shoes/wingtips or dress boots.
So thus you can dress for a business casual interview.
Remember that you follow all the basics and don’t wear jeans and sneakers at all.
Casual Interview Attire
If you’re going to give an interview in a small business or customer service company, then you will need to wear casual interview attire.
Whether they may allow wearing jeans and sneakers etc, but you should not wear jeans because you have better casual dressing options.
So what are the options? Let’s see.
How To Dress For A Casual Interview –
(A) Instead of jeans, wear chinos because they are more professional and are more comfortable as well.
(B) With chinos you should wear a white oxford shirt.
(C) Make sure that you don’t wear a tie with this outfit.
(D) To complete the dress code, you can wear penny or Gucci loafers.
Thus you can dress sharply for a more casual Interview.
Make sure that your shirt and pants are well-tailored according to your body.
Along with this, wear a leather belt and an analog watch.
Entry-Level Interview Attire
If you are going to give an interview for an entry-level position, you should not look overdressed, nor underdressed.
Therefore, you should no jeans, no casual t-shirts, no casual shirts, etc.
Keep your appearance classic, casual and professional as well.
So let’s understand what you should wear to an entry-level job interview.
How To Dress For An Entry-Level Interview –
(A) You should wear a nice pair of well-tailored chinos.
(B) Wear a clean and solid polo t-shirt to maintain the required casual essence in the outfit.
(C) Tuck in your polo t-shirt, it will make you look more professional and well-dressed.
(D) You should wear loafers that flatter your overall look.
Make sure that you balance the contrast nicely in the outfit.
Also, avoid polos with brand logos and prints.
So these were the best outfits for job interviews and you can pick any dress code according to your requirement.
Now, let’s learn what accessories you should wear to an interview.
How To Choose Accessories For Interviews
Accessories are the game-changer in dressing but most people do not pay enough attention to them and as a result, they kill the attraction factor and spoil their look.
While some people wear a lot of rings, lockets, bracelets, etc, which is also a colossal blunder.
But you can not take any risk in an interview, and therefore you have to play safe.
Remember, less is always more so you should not wear bracelets, lockets, earrings, sunglasses, and rings, although an engagement ring is not a problem, you can wear that.
The only accessory every man should wear is a classic, minimal, leather strap analog dress watch.
It complements your outfit and completes your look.
You can go for a black or brown dress watch and you can wear it according to your dress code.
So we have talked about the things that you should wear for an interview, now let’s know you should not wear to an interview.
What Not To Wear To An Interview
1. Denim Jeans –
Denim Jeans are a more casual piece of clothing and to look impressive, always dress on the formal side, even if they allow the jeans in that company, in which you are going to give an interview, you should not wear jeans.
Instead of denim jeans you can wear chinos, they look elegant; they are timeless and they are more formal than denim jeans.
2. Bright Colors –
Bright Colors for interviews is a big No-No.
As I’ve already mentioned in the beginning – you should not wear bright colors because they are super casual and very hard to pull off. Go for neutral colors.
3. Fancy Accessory –
No fancy rings, no necklaces, no bracelets, no earrings.
Yes, accessories are essential to elevating your look, but for a job interview, you can’t wear flashy jewelry, even not a digital watch.
Wear a nice formal dress watch and that’s all you need.
4. Colorful Socks –
Maybe you think that who will see the socks, even nobody will notice them but no it is wrong.
Yes, when you are standing, your pants will hide your socks, but when you will sit, people will see them.
Therefore, you should not take the risk here and avoid colorful socks.
Wear socks that are similar to your trousers’ color or simply wear black-colored socks.
5. Sloppy Clothing –
When you’re going for an interview, look attractive, well-dressed, and professional.
Never wear sloppy clothing or you’ll ruin your chance to get a good job.
6. Canvas Shoes –
Gentleman, you’re not going for a long drive. Canvas shoes aren’t even an option for you.
However, they are very comfortable and stylish but you can’t wear them in Interviews.
7. Bright Colored Tie –
The necktie is an important element of formal dressing but pick the color wisely.
You should not wear a floral print or bright-colored tie.
Wear a dark-colored tie that flatters your overall outfit and makes you look more attractive.
8. Brogues –
Last but not the least, many people wear brogues in Interviews but this is a huge fashion mistake.
Brogues are more casual shoes, you can wear them to casual events and parties but not in a job interview.
So these are the things that you should avoid while dressing for an interview and of course you stuck with us until the end, so here are some bonus tips for you.
Bonus Tips
(A) While going for an interview, wear little or no cologne, a very strong fragrance can take down your impression. The best option is that wear a premium cologne one night before the interview.
(B) Be a well-groomed man. Take a nice and neat haircut at least 3-4 days before your interview. Trim your beard nicely and if you don’t have a full beard, opt for a clean-shaven look.
(C) Prepare everything before going to bed. If you think you’ll manage everything in the morning, you’ll regret it.
(D) Your tie should be nicely knotted, not too tight nor too loose.
Conclusion
Interviews are a very integral part of our lives, so don’t be nervous and be confident.
If you’ll be confident, you will look more attractive and your interview will also be in your favor.
Do not let anything or anybody dominate you, be in charge, walk like alpha and show them you are perfect for that job.
And if they reject you, rejection should not disappoint you, improve yourself and try until you get your goal.
We wish you all the very best for your bright future. If you have any doubt in your mind, please ask in the comments section.
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