How to Dress for a Job Interview

In today’s economy, individuals need more than a strong resume to land a job. Employers consider a number of critical factors when making hiring decisions, and appearance is one of them. Both business professionals and style experts offered the following tips on how to dress to impress any interviewer:

·      Do your research: Individuals should determine an industry’s standard for attire and then dress accordingly. It pays to ask questions; observe what employees are wearing, and read as much as possible on appropriate workplace attire.

·      Stick to the b.e.s.t. (basic-elegant-simple-tailored):  A candidate’s performance and not their appearance should take center stage.  Expressing one’s individuality through clothing, while encouraged, should never be done at the cost of appearing unprofessional, says Rachel Yeomans of The Working Wardrobe.com.  Avoid bold prints, loud ties, strong perfume, oversized and excessive jewelry, and too much makeup. Generally, experts recommend wearing well fitting, tailored clothing in colors like tan, grey, black and navy. Investing in good shoes is a must. An attractive watch and a sleek briefcase or proper handbag help to achieve a polished look from head to toe.  The beauty of a classic look is that one can can modernize and add personal flair to it by adding a few tasteful accents, such as a subtle print silk blouse, scarf or understated jewelry.

·     Suit up for success: Dress in formal business attire unless you receive instructions otherwise. This means a suit or trousers and a sport jacket with a tie, for men.  Men should wear oxford or loafer style shoes with dark socks. Acceptable formal business attire for women includes knee length or longer dresses, tailored suits (pants or skirt) or coordinating separates with closed toe shoes of medium heel height.

·     Groom yourself for a position:  Results of a national survey showed that the status of a candidate’s grooming makes a huge impression on an employer. Carefully pressed clothing and shined shoes score big with recruiters, as does nicely styled hair, white teeth and manicured nails.

·     Don’t be a saboteur: Many corporate cultures prohibit certain style trends such as tattoos, multiple ear and facial piercings, and revealing clothing because they believe that these practices are not aligned with the image that they wish to project. So, if you show up with uncovered tattoos, you may be immediately eliminated from consideration for a position.

·     A pleasing appearance projects power: A person’s appearance provides others with a snapshot of their self image. An impeccable presence displays self confidence, attention to detail and readiness to assume professional responsibilities. What is your image saying about you?

A positive image projects personal power.