“Dress for the job you want.”
No matter how much change we are seeing in the ever-evolving workplace, there is one topic that will always pop up—work attire. While many offices are moving toward a more causal environment these days when it comes to interviewing for a role have the rules changed?
What should you wear to a job interview?
This is a question that varies from company to company, and for a job seeker, it is important to know the answer for many reasons, specifically, to prepare for the interview and the role.
So, how do you know if the company you are interviewing for maintains a business professional wardrobe including a suit and tie? Or, if they have opted for a more laidback attire requirement including jeans and t-shirts? Knowing which manner to dress is key to a successful job interview.
I recently read a Forbes article that covers this topic and decided to add some of my own suggestions. As the writer of this article explains that the old adage, “dress as though you have the job” simply is not relevant anymore and job seekers must adapt to the changing workforce.
Learn 6 Style Tips For Your Next Interview below.
1. Ask HR.
This is the simplest way you can get an idea of what to wear to an upcoming job interview. When responding to a hiring manager’s invitation to interview with the organization, ask for their guidance on what to wear to the interview. It’s a good first step to learning more about the dress code as well as the culture.
2. Do your research.
You might have received an answer from the hiring manager regarding workplace attire, however, a job seeker can also use that information as a steppingstone to further detail. I suggest checking out the company’s website or LinkedIn profile to see if there are photos of their employees at work. This will give job seekers a sense of what to wear in an interview.
3. Wear something that makes you feel confident.
Ever hear the old saying, “Look good, feel good”? While it might be cliché, it holds truth. There’s something to be said about peoples’ self-esteem when they’re wearing their go-to tie or necklace. While I’m not suggesting that a job seeker wears their old lucky baseball cap to a professional job interview, I do suggest job seekers wear a piece that they feel confident in. Whether that’s a necklace, a pair of heels or a great jacket, wear what you know you feel good in.
4. Take it up a notch.
This ties into the company’s culture—if upon researching the company you find that most people wear jeans on a daily basis, take it up a notch in a job interview. As a general rule, I recommend that candidates dress business professional for interviews. The underlying suggestion here is to dress more formal than what the company’s employees regularly wear. That way, a job seeker doesn’t come off as underdressed.
5. Plan your outfit before the day of the interview.
This step allows a job seeker to focus their attention to the interview itself on the day of, and it’s a good way to be prepared in advance. You wouldn’t want to wake up the day of an interview only to realize the shirt you wanted to wear to your interview is dirty and needs to be dry cleaned. If possible, take a look at your interview outfit at 1-2 days before the interview to be well prepared.
6. Be you.
Lastly, the best piece of advice I can give is to be yourself. Of course it’s important to use best judgement, but instead of presenting a different version of yourself in an interview, be yourself. If a job seeker puts on a masquerade in a job interview and gets hired, it’ll be difficult to maintain that image every day in a new role.
Do you have other suggestions about what to wear to a job interview? Comment below and let us know.