Job Interviews I: What to Wear
A friend of mine had his first post-college job interview yesterday. He wasn’t sure what to wear so I thought I would put up a brief post on the attire you should wear to an interview.
For guys the answer is very simple to what to wear to an interview. You want to be clean and conservative. First, you should wear a suit. If you only own one then I guess that is the suit you’re wearing. If you have options or are considering buying a suit then your first choice should be navy. If you don’t own navy then black (preferably without pinstripe) and then I guess whatever is available. Navy is the typical office uniform. It is simple, conservative, and goes with everything.
You should wear a white shirt to an interview. If that is not an option then blue will work. You do not want to wear anything shiny or flashy. Don’t wear stripes, pink, purple, or or anything else that is not very conservative. While there are options besides white that work, when in doubt wear white.
Conservative and low key is the same idea for the tie. You should wear either a solid or simple striped tie in a dark color. Red is the best color of choice, but blue, or a number of other options work as well. Again, if you are reading this post, then you probably shouldn’t trust your own judgment so trust mine. Wear a solid or striped red tie to an interview. If you don’t own one of these try for the most conservative tie you have. I’d also like to note that black shoes are better than brown.
Girls should basically wear similar clothing to the guys. A navy suit would be preferable, but black or gray will work. Wear a white shirt, and conservative shoes. A word of caution to females would be to keep your shirt buttoned all the way up and your skirt at least a few inches below your knees.
Besides what you are wearing you should make sure that you are perfectly groomed. If you are a guy, get a haircut. Make sure everything is in place. Shave the morning of your interview. Clip your nails. Make sure your suit, shirt, and tie are clean and not wrinkled. Shine your shoes. Finally make sure to brush your teeth immediately before, and if this isn’t an option then chew some gum or a tic tac. Just make sure the gum is out of your mouth before actually going into the interview.
If you want to take away a simple thought here it is. Be clean, conservative, and well-dressed.
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