In today's tight job market, the landing the interview is half the battle. The other half? Making a good enough impression on your interviewers that you actually get a job offer. A large part of making a good impression is how you're dressed. The old euphemism goes, "Dress to impress", and that is most certainly the case for job interviews. If you have a job interview on the horizon and are wondering how you can dress to impress, here are a few handy tips:
1) First, you should familiarize yourself with the company you're interviewing with, and what the corporate culture is like. This is the best way to get a feel for what the universal dress code is like. If you know anyone at the company, ask them what they wore for their interview. Or if you're feeling especially gutsy, stake out the front entrance and see what the people going in are wearing while heading into the job.
2) If you're going into a more formal industry like finance or law, a suit is a must. That means a crisp black, navy or dray gray suit is essential. Also, be sure that your button down dress shirts are ironed, the collars are starched, etc. Also, when choosing a shirt from your closet of button down dress shirts, you should be sure that it matches with the suit. If your suit is pinstripe, don't chose a striped shirt. Make sure that your shoes coordinate with your suit and are polished and shiny. Be sure that the laces are tied! It's a small thing, but walking up to shake the hand of your potential employer with untied laces give the impression of sloppiness.
3) If you know that the company you're interviewing with doesn't really do suits, then dressy casual is your best bet. This entails crisp button down dress shirts, wrinkle free slacks, a nice belt and shiny shoes. You can go tie or no tie on this one, it's up to you. Just make sure the tie is low key--save the wacky prints for another day. Also, and this is a small but important thing, be sure that your belt matches your shoes. If you're wearing brown shoes, wear a brown belt. Same goes for any other colors.
4) Keep any necessary interview accessories professional. You should bring a brief case or a nice leather bound portfolio to carry your resume or sample of your work. Don't forget this! Showing up with a manila file folder, or a cheap 3-ring binder looks bad.
5) Avoid cologne or aftershave--something that the interviewer could dislike, or even worse, be allergic to. Remember to put your cell phone on silent, or better yet, turn it off during the interview. You don't want that going off during your interview. That could make or break your chances of landing the job.
Best of luck with your job interview. If you follow these tips, you're sure to look like a winning candidate for the position.
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