Are you looking for jobs for the first time as your academic education comes to a close? Exciting, isn’t it? You make your first resume, start sending it out, get callbacks, and even invitations to interviews. Well, if you’re in it to win it then you must carefully consider what you’ll wear to the interview.
Real-life studies indicate that the interviewee’s outfit and general appearance can greatly affect the outcome of the job interview. How you dress and how you approach your look can usually say a lot about who you are. So, here are several helpful pointers to get you started with your “job interview look”.
1. Inquire About the Dress Code
One of the first actions is to ask the interviewer about the dress code. A straight question might result in a simple answer, which will eliminate lots of headaches for you. Although this may seem like an obvious piece of advice, not that many people do this.
Taking initiative and inquiring about the dress code shows the employer that you’re very serious about the opportunity. Nothing bad can come out of asking, so, just don’t worry about it! Ask away and start making a good impression even before the interview starts.
2. Choose Clothes with a Straight, Normal Fit
Yes, we know how trendy oversized clothes are today. Nonetheless, no matter how cool they look, avoid putting them on for your job interview. You want to be at your most comfortable during the interview. After all, it’s quite stressful and can make you agitated.
So, with oversized clothing, you’ll just start anxiously adjusting it over and over. This can easily express that you can be jumpy and start to crumble under pressure. So, it’s a clear “No” to oversized pieces of clothing.
Furthermore, you don’t want to put on clothes that are too small for you. We know how stunning you look in your tight-fitting jeans, but during the interview, they’ll just make you uncomfortable.
So, be sure to put on some straight-fitting clothes that aren’t too big or too small for you. This will show to the job interviewer that you’re going to approach the job with a serious attitude. Often, this is a hard thing to communicate for students, so you should use every opportunity to show that you’re serious about the job.
3. Don’t Get Too Comfortable
Did you just buy a dissertation and feel like you’re on top of the world? Great, but it doesn’t mean that you should get too comfortable and put on your sweatpants and your favorite hoodie. No, that definitely won’t do.
Yes, many companies have already left the “suit and tie” policies in the past. However, you still shouldn’t treat the job interview like you’re just at home going to be watching some Netflix after the interview.
So, this means no to flip flops, no onesies, and no worn-out, dirty clothes! Usually, something out of your closet that’s business casual will be just the outfit for job interviews at several places.
4. Dress for the Occasion
Then, there’s also the question of fitting into the existing collection. From the start, you have to show that you would be a wonderful addition to the already existing line-up of employees. How can you show that? – Easy!
You’ll have to do some thinking and judge how people usually dress for their work every day at the place you’re having your interview. By dressing like that, you’ll be making an impression of a great fit for the team.
Still, having a hard time coming up with something? Let us provide you with a couple of examples. If you’re going to work at a typical office job related to banking or law, then you actually might want to go for a suit. If you’re interviewing for a start-up, then you should drop that “official” look and just put on some jeans with a simple top.
That’s how you adapt your clothing to the place of the interview. Of course, the interviewer might not notice subtleties in your clothing, but they will surely take notice of your intent.
5. Don’t Forget Your Confidence
Last but not least, don’t forget to be confident! Although it’s a cliché to say that you need to be confident during the interview, what can you do? It’s true, and a lot of people still come off as shy and uninterested in the job interviewer.
This ultimately leads to them not getting the position. So, of course, these words will be repeated again and again. We understand that confidence isn’t just a piece of clothing that you can easily put on. Nonetheless, if you don’t have that shining inner confidence – just fake it till you make it, and nobody will notice.
6. Believe in Yourself
If you’re going to come into the interview on a negative note, you’re probably not going to leave a good impression. So, believe in your capabilities and stun the interviewer with your charm and eagerness – good luck!
Keep being AllDayChic!
