Interview Chic

I pick up the phone and it’s an employer calling. She has just finished interviewing four young women who I helped to prepare, and I’m hoping she’s calling to make an offer to one of them. But I’m wrong. She’s not happy.

“What do you tell these girls to wear to interviews?” she asks in an exasperated voice.

“Business attire, a business suit or a blouse and dress pants or skirt,” I answer, knowing this is likely inconsistent with what happened.

“Well, let me tell you, lululemons a dress pant does not make.”

I calm her down with the promise to do a better job of preparing my students' attire for future interviews, then fire off an angry e-mail to the four candidates.

So, for the benefit of all, here are some tips when applying to a professional position: 

What Not to Wear

-    yoga pants, jeans, shorts

-    really low-cut or tight-fitting tops (skip the cleavage unless you are applying to work at a bar)

-    really high skirts and bare legs

-    heavy perfume or scented deodorant

-    flip flops, ugg boots, sneakers, or running shoes

-    stilettos heels too high that you can’t handle

-    any jewelry that you will play with during an interview

-    clinky bracelets if you are a hand-talker (very distracting)

-    anything with stains or rips

A general rule is that you want to be dressing one level more formal than you would dress for the job. So, if it’s a corporate culture and you’d be wearing twinsets and skirts to work, you better have a suit for the interview. If it’s more of a casual atmosphere like at a tech company and you’d be wearing jeans and tees to work, then you can get away with chinos and a collared shirt for the interview. 

Remember, you want to exude professionalism and confidence in every aspect of the interview process. And the way you dress is integral to setting that first impression. People make assumptions about you based on what you wear. If you walk in with wrinkled pants, they might assume you are lazy; or with a stained top, they might question your attention to detail. Now, that doesn’t mean you can only wear a stiff navy blue suit. You can incorporate your own fashion sense into your choices. Just be sure your outfit will help you put your best professional persona forward. That alone could put you ahead of the competition.

Image courtesy Creative Commons.