Dressing For Your Job Interview

							                           Dressing For Your Job Interview




Dressing For Success at Your Job Interview

Stay Away From Scents: Some offices have a scent-free policy that does not allow workers
wearing perfumes, colognes, and strongly smelling deodorants. You should also stay away from
wearing scents when interviewing. This goes for men and women. Many people are irritated by
odours. Others might have mental associations with certain scents. A perfume can quickly
remind them of someone they dislike and you do not want to be the one reminding them.

Dress Comfortably: You do not want to look uncomfortable in the clothes you are wearing.
However, you should have a polished professional look. Dress for the job you want to do. If
you are applying for work as a construction worker, leave home the suit and tie. If you are
looking for an office job, do not wear jeans. Dress conservatively: perfect grooming, clean
shoes, no run in your nylons, clean nails, hair out of the face.

You should dress a touch better than the job that you want. A good standard for a
management job interview is a traditional dark suit, with a clean, ironed shirt and matching tie.
Remember to wear comfortable dress shoes with dark dress socks.

For women, the same standard applies. Remember that you want to project a professional
image. A good standard to use is a nice fitted suit jacket in a neutral color like navy with either
matching pants or skirt with a neutral blouse. Your shoes should be classic and just blend into
your outfit. Do not forget plain pantyhose. Feeling comfortable helps you look confident and
successful.

Do Not Stick Out: It is important to use the basics and to be professional. The purpose of the
interview is to get across how qualified you are and how your skills will be a great fit for the
company. Do not give them anything else to remember you by other than your words.

When interviewing, wear clothes that are or look new. Women should not wear clothes that
show cleavage, skirts that are too short, see-through tops, or very high-heeled shoes.
Coordinate your colours. Women, refrain from wearing loud makeup. Choose transparent
colours for your nails and soft colours for your lips. Men, choose a coat that blends and fits in
with your suit if seeking an office related position.

Hygiene: Remember to look and smell nice to be around.
Before Your Interview:
 Try on your clothes a few days before to make sure everything fits as it should. Snip off any
stray threads from your clothes and fix any loose buttons. You do not want something coming
apart unexpectedly.
The night before, iron everything that needs ironing. Do not wait until the day of the
interview, in case your iron does not work properly. Take an extra few minutes to quickly polish
your shoes.
Take any fuzz or stray hair off of your outfit, especially if you have pets in your home.
Keep jewellery to a minimum - a ring, and a subtle watch, and plain earrings for women.
Women, bring an extra pair of pantyhose with you.
If you have any doubts about wearing a certain outfit, piece of clothing, or item of jewellery
at an interview, leave it at home.

Following these simple steps should help you feel confident, prepared, and polished for your
interview.




                   DRESSING FOR AN INTERVIEW
You are sending a message with the way you dress

Whether you follow the latest fashion or you are someone who has been wearing the same suit
for years, you should know what message you send with your interview clothes. Your interview
is not the place to be making a fashion statement; it is to demonstrate your professionalism.
The clothes that you are wearing have to be appropriate and communicate that you are serious
and mature and that you don't take this opportunity lightly.

It is important for you to be in touch with corporate culture. Try to impress the employer with
your skills, knowledge and your great interpersonal abilities but make sure that your dress also
shows that you understand what the company’s culture is all about.

Don’ts

A good rule to observe is to not wear anything that would distract the interviewer. Tight or
form-fitting clothing, for example, is inappropriate. Even though slim fitting clothes may be
fashionable for both women AND men, they do not belong in the office.

If someone comes in with a tight red dress showing curves, how seriously can that person be
taken? If you wear clothing that distracts from your intelligence and your capabilities, then you
are doing YOURSELF a disfavour. You do want to set yourself apart, but it should not be with
your clothes.
Culturally oriented attire is not appropriate for a business interview. However, once you are on
the job, you can add more cultural elements into your style if you wish.

Do's

The suit is an interview attire that will certainly not cause distraction. You cannot go wrong
with the basics, the classics—blues, blacks, grays and browns. It is very possible that someone
in the organization will be wearing that.

The appropriate attire for women is a skirt and jacket. You might feel plain in professional
basics, but choose wisely if you are looking to spice up your outfit. Using colors to make your
outfit stand out can be a good thing. For men, it can be a colourful tie. For a woman it could
be a bright, beautiful fuchsia blouse. Those are nice accent pieces, but remember that they only
are accent pieces.

Visit the company if you can, even if you just stand in the lobby, to see how people dress there.


Lasting impression

When choosing the right clothes for your interview, consider how you may be viewed by the
interviewer. Your interview clothes can say a lot about you, but there are things you DO NOT
you want them to say about you. You do not want them to say, look at me for what I look like
instead of look at me for what is in my head.

It is important to mould yourself to the corporate culture and show that you are able to fit into
the organization and still deliver outstanding results with the work that you perform daily.