What to wear to a job interview –
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Introduction 👋
First impressions count. 🙋♀️
Princeton University research has shown that people could decide whether they think that you’re trustworthy within 1 second of looking at you. ⏲️
If this wasn’t enough, research has also shown that before you even speak to someone, they will form an opinion on your levels of:
- Charisma 😏
- Leadership potential 👑
- Social status 🪜
- Success 🏆
A big part of how people form these opinions, will be on your personal presentation, and particularly what you wear.
Of course first impressions don’t stick forever, but it’s always good to try and start off with a good first impression.
Check the organisation’s dress code 👗
You could:
- Check the organisation’s website – they might have a dress code on there, to give you an idea of what to wear
- Re-check your interview invitation – they might have already put a dress code in there
- Check the organisation’s social media like Twitter or LinkedIn to see what people who work there wear – but always try to keep your outfit smart, even if people wear casual clothes to work there
If in doubt, go smart 👔
Clothes that are generally considered to be smart include:
- Dark coloured, closed-toe shoes
- Shoes that are clean, without scuff marks
- Ironed long-sleeve shirts with collars
- Suits – blazers with matching trousers/long dresses/long skirts
- Long skirts/dresses
- Clothes that aren’t too baggy
- A shirt and tie suit, with the shirt tucked into trousers
- Clothes that are “safe” colours like black, navy, and grey
- Matching socks!
- Clothes with simple patterns that aren’t too distracting
- Shoes that are easy to walk in
- Shoes with a smaller/low heel
What you should probably avoid wearing to a smart interview 🕺
Clothes that might give the wrong impression include:
- Flip flops or shoes that show off your toes
- T-shirts
- Clothes with slogans or distracting logos on them
- Pyjamas!
- Polo shirts
- Clothes that show off lots of skin or your underwear
- Swimwear
- Clothes that are sheer/see through
- Shorts
- Jeans
- Clothes with holes/rips/tears in them
- Really high heels
- Clothes that are wrinkly
Be the cleanest, best presented version of yourself 🧽
Try and make sure that you are as comfortable as possible in what you choose to wear to the interview.
It’s great to look impressive, but don’t feel like you have to pretend to be someone else in the interview. You should always be yourself– after all, the whole interview is to get to know you!
Wear clothes that make you happy. Be the cleanest, best-presented version of yourself.
Some things you can to do help you look clean include:
- Tidy hair – clean, brushed/styled
- Clean shoes
- Brushed teeth, and a big smile!
- Smell nice
- Clean, ironed clothes
- Wear smart clothes
- Clean face and body
What about piercings and tattoos? 👂
It’s no secret that some people can be offended by body modifications like piercings and tattoos.
But – does that mean you should hide them for a job interview?
Ideally you should be able to bring your whole self to work – including your job interview. Thankfully a lot of workplaces are very relaxed these days about body modifications.
However, not all workplaces are very welcoming when it comes to people having body modifications. 😟
The decision is yours – however some factors that might help you decide include:
- How formal the workplace appears on their website/social media 🤵
- The dress code for the workplace – workplaces with more relaxed dress codes are less likely to have issues with body modifications 👖
- How desperately you want the job – would you be more inclined to “play it safe” and hide them, or are you happy taking the risk of a bad reaction? 🙏
- How willing you’d be to hide your body modifications again if you got the job – if you hide them for your interview, you might be asked to hide them whilst working 🩹
Conclusion 👍
So that’s it!
Hopefully our tips have helped you to decide what to wear for an interview.
Remember that no matter how the interview goes, you’re trying and that’s what counts! Building experience is the best way to learn to ace an interview.
If you know any friends or family members who might benefit from learning about what to wear to a job interview, share this post with them!
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