What To Wear For Job Interview Success!
By Careers Desk
Friday, June 19, 2020.
Job interviews are always stressful, no matter how confident you try to act. The more interviews you go to, the more stressful they become as you start to get desperate for an offer. If you want to enjoy success at your interviews, you have to put yourself forward as a desirable candidate. Yes, a huge chunk of this revolves around what you say and do at the interview. If you answer all the questions and put in an excellent performance, then you’ve definitely shown your worth.
However, there might be dozens of other applicants that are equally impressive and hold CVs that rival your own. So, how do employers differentiate between you? Effectively, it comes down to the impression you create and the feeling they get from you. If you give off positive vibes and present yourself as a professional, you’re more likely to be hired over someone more relaxed.
In a way, you have to approach things as if you are a brand. Basically, you’re marketing yourself to the employers in the hope that they’ll higher you. A massive aspect of this comes down to how you dress and what you wear. In an ideal world, the way you look won’t have a bearing on if you get a job or not. But, we don’t live in an ideal world, do we? People will make presumptions either consciously or subconsciously based on how you present yourself.
So, what can you wear to job interviews to increase your chances of success?
Dress appropriately
Your first instinct is to put on a suit to attend a job interview. This seems like the best way to create a good impression and present yourself as a consummate professional. However, wearing a suit doesn’t always make sense. It’s all about reading the room, so to speak. You have to think about how the people interviewing you will dress. If they’re wearing casual clothes and you turn up in a full-on suit, it might not have the desired effect.
The good news is that it’s usually easy to figure out what’s appropriate and what isn’t. You should already research the company before attending an interview, as this is a big part of preparing for your job interview. Therefore, you will gauge whether or not they’re strictly professional. If they are, you can wear a suit. If not, dress smartly, but don’t go overboard.
For instances where you’re confused, the safest option is to dress smart and simple. For a guy, wear a shirt and tie with some simple trousers and shoes. For a woman, wear the same, or maybe swap the trousers for a skirt. This is professional without going too crazy.
Avoid showing too much skin
This applies to everyone, though some of you may think it’s only relevant to women. It’s not a good idea to show off too much skin at a job interview. It can be taken the wrong way and may seem like you’re trying to be too provocative. More to the point, it doesn’t really look that professional at all. This is a big job interview and you’re sat there with your shirt unbuttoned flashing a hairy chest? It’s an easy way to create a bad first impression the moment you walk in through the door.
The same goes for your legs as well – don’t wear shorts, wear trousers! If you’re a woman, then wear tights with your skirts. This can all sound really archaic and old fashioned, but job interviews are sadly like this. You can’t afford to take any chances, so keep it simple and cover yourself up.
Credit (CC0 License)
Don’t wear too many piercings
Nowadays, it’s seen as discriminatory to deny someone a job because they have piercings. Unfortunately, you can never really prove this. If someone else gets hired, it can easily be argued that it was because they had a better application and a better interview. The sad reality is that employers do judge you based on how you present yourself at a job interview. If you turn up with nose rings and loads of piercings on your face, it creates a negative first impression. I want to stress that I don’t think this is right, but it’s, unfortunately, the way things are.
So, avoid wearing too many piercings, or at least making them too obvious. A pair of earrings isn’t going to have a negative effect – in fact, it could improve the image you put across. Some small silver nose studs are hardly going to make an impact, so they’re okay as well. Just avoid the blatantly obvious piercings that detract the attention away from the rest of you. Think about it this way, it’s a small sacrifice to make if it helps you get a job. Plus, if you wear all your piercings when you’re hired and they fire you, then you can sue them for discrimination!
Make sure everything is clean and crisp
The final point is to be sure all of your clothing items are clean. Wash them beforehand and don’t wear them until it’s time to step out the door. Also, be sure you iron your clothes before you go out, so there are no creases. This instantly improves the impression you give off. If you turn up in creased clothing with stains on it, you will probably not even get through the full interview. They’ll make an excuse to cut it short as they have instantly discounted you as a candidate.
Also, don’t neglect your shoes! They’re so easy for you to forget about, meaning you turn up in dirty or shabby footwear. Take the time to give them a proper clean before the interview. I’d do this a few days in advance as your shoes may be beyond saving. If this is the case, you’ll need to go out and buy a new pair.
By following these tips, you will be dressed to impress. Now, you have to focus on preparing for the interview and nailing that side of things. When you combine your great performance with an excellent visual impression, the chances of landing the job go through the roof.
