How to Dress for the Interview!

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Read Time: Approx. 6 minutes

So you have an interview, CONGRATULATIONS 🎉 !

 

But now you’re probably wondering…

 

 

Well…. While these are ALL great questions and concerns you have, it’s pretty understandable you didn’t think of the lesser important details that can impact your interview.

‘What are they’ you ask? That’s a great question! But in reality, it's the things we brush aside that carry some of the greater impacts than we give them credit for. You didn’t know that? Well, you came to the right place. Did you know some of the most overlooked factors of a great interview come from things like our posture, our vocab, our habits, and how they manifest to others? Even our internal energy can affect the flow of the interview and can ultimately affect the outcome that we get. Crazy right?

But one of the biggest modern-day issues our current generation faces is that they don’t know how to dress for their interview! Dun, dun, dun….

While that might not seem like such a big deal to you it is. And the issue isn’t definitively that most people don’t know how to dress but rather that our generation (Gen Z, X, Boomers, and everyone in between) no longer sees the significance of appropriately dressing for their interview. And it has a bigger impact than you think. As of 2020 recent reports have found that 75% of managers and employers find that millennials dress inappropriately for interviews. And a surprising 68% find that they would hire more mature candidates because of the first impression their attire made.

This is crucial as 35% of the entire workforce in America is made up of millennials, yet hiring reps are more likely to hire an older candidate solely based on their outward impression made on interview day. And, I know, before the internet warriors get started, this has psychological implications as to why they would do this. The way we dress is the first impression that people get to see of our inward thinking and being. If you’re dressed neat, you show immediately how organized you are. If you’re dressed sloppily, you’re seen as disorganized and even disinterested in the job altogether. Though we may have those days where laundry isn’t done and we just didn’t have any other options, or whatever the case might be, we still want to put our best foot forward. How you dress indicated to others, your dedication to the job firsthand. Even though you're not been hired yet, the way you show up to a potential job opportunity lets interviewers know if you care at all, because you bothered (dedicated the effort) to dress well for the interview.

Believe it or not, a lot of companies in their training of interviewers, actually include looking at how you dress, in how they should evaluate your interview and consider you for employment. In my past interview training at my previous company, I was trained to pay attention to these details, because they let me know what kind of an individual I was working with and if I can take them seriously. Now, not every industry requires the same dress, and not every job may have a strictness to what you should put on, but to stay on the safe side always make your intention to look presentable and that you mean business. 

I mean hey, every big boss, and rich CEO in the movies dressed as if they had somewhere important to go, even if it was a five-minute meeting just to show face. Even their employees were expected to adhere to the dress standards, and those looking to move up in their careers dressed accordingly. As psychology proves to us, first impressions are everything. How you look tells what you’re about and what can be expected from you as an employee. It's best to use all resources available, to your disposal, and dress more professionally than you would normally dress for the sake of your interview. This shows respect to your interviewer and their time, and that you value yourself.

 

So what are the criteria you should generally follow?

Some good principles to follow are: 

Always dress neatly and cleanly. Simple as it may sound, just being neat is one of the greatest things you can do to show interviewers you're organized and professional and respect your shared time with them. Believe me, no one wants to sit in a room with someone who arrived post-workout from the gym and didn’t shower. Or worse, anyone walking in with unkept hair and poor presence, nothing says “I rushed to get here and failed to plan my time right” worse than that. And for interviewers, those are just some of the red flags. 

Brush your hair, shower, and brush your teeth. Maybe put on that cologne you’ve been saving for that high school reunion that’s six months away, it's worth it now to leave a good impression for your interview and get the job then let it sit on the self and wait for that time to come. 

 

Always have professional attire. Whether it's business professional, business casual, or business formal, dressing professionally for your interview is an important step a lot of people miss out on. How you dress, sets the impression in the interviewer's mind of what kind of person they’re dealing with. ‘Are you serious about working hard, or are you the laid back, most likely to complain kind of person?’ These are real questions they're going to ask themselves, and it's safer to give off the right vibe that you do possess the good qualities they're looking for.

 

Some good pieces to add to your closet:

 

When in doubt, plan it out. Nothing is worse than the day of the interview, the outfit you know you have in your closet and planned out in your head is nowhere to be found (or worse dirty). Trust me, skip the hassle and just plan in advance when you know the date of your interview, set aside that outfit in a secure place where it won’t get dirty, and you won't accidentally wear it. Avoid the stress and day-old B.O. and keep that outfit in a secure spot.

 

Get a good night's sleep.  Admittedly this is a tough one, especially in today’s modern age where every distraction and entertainment option imaginable is at your fingertips. We can find ourselves doing tasks and activities that can wait for the next day during night hours and deprive ourselves of needed sleep. But seriously, even though getting a good night's sleep is sometimes underrated, it is continuously preached about because it's necessary for our lives. It's worth waking up refreshed, able to think clearly, articulate your thoughts, and being composed rather than being underslept and unable to think about anything other than the sleep you wish you had gotten!

 

Less is more. Less makeup, less perfume, less cologne (yes gentlemen, less cologne is a lot better), and fewer distracting colors and patterns. Since you’re going to interviews, you want to look your best, but draw more attention to our skillset rather than what you decided to wear that day. It might seem counterintuitive, but in reality, the main thing you should focus on emphasizing is why you are the best candidate that deserves to be hired and how you can show the interviewer that. Thus, a good rule to follow would be ‘less is more’, the more simple your outfit, the more your communication skills can make you shine. 

 

Accessorize. With any good outfit, you want to aim for a polished look. One of the best ways to complete your professional outfit is to have the right accessories. Traditionally that would consist of a woman having to wear the right heels or men wearing the right tie, but accessorizing doesn’t just stop there. Some light jewelry for women or a watch for either men or women will add a boost of confidence to the look and bring the entire outfit together. 

Aside from these, any other jewelry in a professional setting is unnecessary (ie nose chains, eyebrow piercings, etc). Some fashion pieces may be acceptable while on the job, but until you get the job try to hold off on them. Aim for minimalistic fashion, even if you have a more eccentric and bold personality. For your interview, less is always more!

 

Confidence. You ever notice how in movies, they would give a “nerd” a really nice makeover and dress them up, but because of their low self-esteem, they still don’t look as confident as they hoped the clothes would make them seem? Cliche I know. But the moment they change their attitude, even if internally they're dying inside, the effect they were aiming for is achieved and they then feel more confident. Thats right. Always remember, the clothes don't make you, you make the clothes. You can dress up all you want, but the moment you get your attitude to express confidence and surety in yourself the more interviewers will feel confident in hiring you. And while confidence may not always come naturally, you should have confidence in the skillset you possess and your ability to do a great job. Remember that, relax, and be comfortable, and you will certainly nail your interview!  

Whether you have eccentric taste in fashion, or a more refined preference, following these simple principles will always lead you to success. 

 

Happy Job Hunting!

 

For more tips and job-related information, check out our other articles on our website or our youtube channel. Cheers!

 

Written by: Angel Champagne

Last updated: March 29thth, 2023