You spend your whole time in searching for job advertisements, improving your resume, and submitting job applications. You finally get an interview call, and you precisely prepare yourself for any question they could ask you. You are the right candidate, and you go with full confidence and with an attitude of success.
Do you think you will get the job if you attend the interview by wearing an old pair of shoes and jeans? It does not matter what preparations you have done if you are not dressed correctly, it symbolizes poor judgment and ignorance of convention and either way it is not the first impression that you want to make.
First impression matters
The first thing people are going to judge you, for better or worse, is the way you look. You will be judged as soon as you enter the room. The interviewer has already made an initial impression about you in the first few seconds based on your appearance. That may not be right, but this is the case. An interviewer expects the candidate to dress appropriately while coming for the interview. If you don’t dress appropriately, it shows the interviewer that you do not have the basics of what it needs to be successful in the workplace.
The different expectation for different jobs
There is an adage, “dress for the job you want” is all correct, but who knows which job wants which dress. Whilst for some jobs a tie and a suit are perfect, for other’s every day a casual dress is fine. Different industries follow different standards, and what is suitable for an accountant of one organization might not be appropriate for an art director.
One of the easiest ways to ensure that you are wearing the right attire is by researching the company and the requirement. You must go through the LinkedIn profiles of the employees working there. If possible, look for any photographs on the company’s website. Research about the dress code of that specific industry and try to contact someone who works in the same industry or in the same company. If you are not sure, you can always contact the HR or the reception and inquire about the dress code followed there.
Always dress a level up
While you always do not need to wear a tie and a suit for a job interview, that does not mean that you should dress casually, either. The rule of thumb is trying to dress one level up. In simple words, once you find what is the dress code of the company, take it up a notch on the day of the interview. If you were going for a job as a mechanic, you would not go in there in dirty overalls, even though this is how you would dress for that type of work. Just keep in mind not to take it too much far, as you do not want to look entirely different.
Girls can attend an interview in a blazer and button-down shirt accompanies with a tapered clack or knee-length pencil skirt, structured, or a smart knee-length dress with sleeves. Make sure you avoid wearing skirts that are too tight, too low, or too short. Girls should wear minimum accessories. Whether it is a belt, handbag, or jewellery, girls should try not to wear anything that is too much attractive.
Guys must wear a suit. Make sure it is well-fitted. It is worth investing in a good quality suit of you are going to wear that frequently. The shoes should be well-polished. As far as possible, avoid crazy ties as they can be a distraction, and the same applies to socks.