How to Dress for an Interview

Congratulations! You were selected for an interview! That means your resume did a good job of reflecting your experiences and skills and the recruiter or hiring leader thinks that you might have what it takes for the job. Now it is time to prepare for the interview. Planning what you will wear, is an important part of the interview preparation process. You need to dress to impress and wear something that will make you feel confident. A nice suit is often the way to go but there are other options too. I have been an interviewee many times and I have also been an interviewer. All of my experience comes from more corporate-type environments. My opinions may not accurately reflect all industries but I imagine they would apply to most! Let’s review some dos and don’ts.

Do

When interviewing for a job, a suit is always a great choice. You will look professional and reliable when wearing a well-fitted, clean, wrinkle-free suit. Also, how can you not feel at least a little more confident in a suit?! Confidence is very important when interviewing. You need to sell that you have what it takes for the job and that you will be a good fit for the company. Suits come in many different colors. Pick a color that helps you feel confident but try to stick with neutral colors (black, gray, brown, tan, dark blue). Probably ignore that if you are interviewing for a position in the fashion industry, I would imagine you need a little more flair when working in fashion. A suit should include a jacket, dress slacks, or a skirt. Not just any skirt, a suit skirt. Wear a nice button-up shirt or blouse with the suit. Add a nice pair of professional-looking dress shoes and you are good to go! Ladies, if you are wearing heels, make sure it is a pair you have broken in and that you can walk in, just in case they want to give you a tour.

You may be asking if a suit is always necessary. No, not always. It really depends on what role you are interviewing for. If you are interviewing for an entry-level role or staff-level position, you would probably be fine wearing business casual attire. Just don’t get too casual.

Here are some examples of business casual attire.

Dress pants with a button-up shirt
Dress pants with a nice blouse and a cardigan
Dress pants with a nice sweater or sweater vest
A solid print or simple patterned dress
A dress with a blazer
A solid color or simple patterned skirt with a nice blouse

If you are interviewing for a management or senior leader level position, or for a professional type of position such as a lawyer, doctor, professor, advisor, etc. A suit is likely your best option.

Don't

Now that we know what should be worn to an interview. Let’s clarify and review what shouldn’t be worn. Remember, you are not dressing to go out for drinks, dinner with friends, or to run errands around town. You are trying to make a great first impression and are trying to get a job.

It is important to make a great first impression when you are interviewing for a job. Even if you are not 100% certain that you want the job, you should still make every effort just in case. Looking like you just strolled in from running errands does not make a good first impression. It should look like you care about getting the position and that you put forth some effort by getting ready for the interview. There are many outfits that can look really nice with jeans – if you are going out for dinner or to a party but not a job interview. I will admit, that maybe there are some young, new, cool start-up companies out there that are more modern, even with their interview expectations but I would recommend erring on the side of caution and wearing more traditional interview attire. It definitely won’t hurt to be overdressed. If they are debating between you and another candidate with similar education and experiences, the decision might just come down to who looked more professional.

Here are some examples of what not to wear to a job interview.

Jeans – regardless of what they are paired with or how nice they are
Leggings, yoga pants, or any type of athletic type clothing
Joggers and sweatpants
Shorts – even dress shorts
Short skirts or dresses
Low-cut tops, tank tops, or crop tops
Graphic t-shirts or sports attire
Hoodies or sweatshirts
Most sandals, Ugg-style boots, or bright-colored sneakers
Hats

This is not a complete list, but you should get the idea. Some companies have a more relaxed dress code and allow employees to wear jeans, hoodies, and other comfortable clothing but save that for when you actually get the job. Remember, dress to impress!

Do you agree or disagree with these suggestions? Leave a comment!

What inspired this post?

I’ve been working for over 20 years at this point in my life so I’ve had my fair share of interviews. I’ve learned a lot about the process throughout the years and have been successful with acquiring just about every job that I’ve interviewed for and wanted. It does take some planning but it is worth it when you land a job that you want. I’ve also been a hiring supervisor before and have been an interviewer. Through that experience, I’ve seen people who… well… really didn’t know how to dress for an interview. I’ve often found myself wondering if they just didn’t care to put an effort into their appearance for the interview, or if no one told them that they should or what to wear and/or not wear. Either way, I thought I’d write a couple of interview-related posts to help those who care about getting a certain job and just need a little help to get started on the right foot. If you’ve read this far, I sincerely wish you all the best in your upcoming interview(s)!