Dressing For A Job Interview BY NIKKI BRANCH
What you wear to an interview says more about you as a professional than you might think .
When I was conducting interviews for a branch of a multimillion dollar company , one of my colleagues taught me this trick for telling the difference between a candidate who wants a job and one who pays attention to detail – by the way , many employers use this technique .
“ Pay close attention during the interview to personal hygiene overall appearance of the candidate . Are their teeth brushed , hair done , eyebrows tweezed , make-up tidy and appropriate ? Through out the interview do they fidget with their clothes or hair ? When they leave , check the back of their shoes to see if they are dusty , or in need of repair . All of these things can make the difference between someone who dresses for an interview and someone who pays careful attention to minuscule details , aware of the bigger picture .”
Aside from things small details , there are some major do ’ s and don ’ ts for dressing for a successful interview . Keep your outfit simple and with purpose . Wearing a basic suit with a jacket , simple skirt or dress pants and a solid coloured dress shirt is a surefire way to dress appropriately for your interview without worry of underdressing or overdressing . Keep in mind that button up dress shirts should show little to no cleavage and skirts should be no shorter than 3 fingers above your knee . If you can wear heels , do . A simple black or solid colour , closed toe pump ( not stiletto ) with a heel no taller than 3 inches would be best but a flat , high quality shoe is also appropriate . Everything should be clean , ironed and fresh looking .
Do yourself a favour and NEVER wear jeans to an interview . It doesn ’ t matter if they are dark jeans with no visible stitching , the interviewer WILL notice . And while we ’ re on the topic of things the interviewer will notice , be sure to take care of your personal hygiene .
Brush your teeth , floss , use deodorant and make sure your hair and make up are classic and tidy . Don ’ t wear perfume or body spray in case of allergies .
One of the biggest mistakes any job seeker can make is to believe that their portfolio or resume will do all the speaking for them when they get to their interview . Whether or not you want to accept it , the truth is that employers look at everything about you- from the way your hair is done to whether or not you bothered to polish the back of your shoes . Yes ! They pay attention to that .
Dressing for a successful interview is less about what exactly you should be wearing and more about having an overall tidy and professional appearance that tells your future employer that you care about the position you are applying for AND that says you are serious about your career . That does not mean that you cannot play around with your look and dress in a way that is comfortable to you , it only means to stick to some basic rules that allow you to look like a seasoned professional . Happy interviewing !
PinkBlitz Magazine / Issue 002 / June 1 , 2013 7
Models: (left to right) Tammy Comeau and Christine Cormier.
Christine is wearing Monika's Closet.
Photo By: Marisa Echavarri