How many of you put any thought into what you wear when you interview for a position?
What are the guidelines for dressing for an interview in your field/country (I’m wondering if guidelines differ from country to country)?
here (in US), some industries allow for flexibility (I guess IT/nonprofits) while others are more conservative (finance and law)
While what ultimately gets you the job is how well you do at the interview (your skills and background), dressing well indicates respect for the person you’re meeting, and the general advice is to err on the side of conservative when it comes to clothing…
Im in a govt dept in Aus, and i wore shalwar kameez to an interview, and got the job. However, i have interviewed others and i hate it when they dress up really good for the interview but don't when they have the job and they came in sloppy for work. I had one guy wear a full suit and tie for an interview and then when he got the job he wears sloppy dress pants, with a polo shirt and rubber slippers... so i sent him home to get changed.
yes Sara, i wore shalwar kameez to the interview.. it was a plain maroon,no flowers no ribbons no laces etc. I got the job... but for the last couple of years i've started wearing kameez with trousers. People in the office compliment me on it, as do random people.
and yes i know it may sound paindu to some ppl, then so be it
I ALWAYS dress smart for an interview. Even after I get the job, I'll dress smart for at least a few weeks until I settle in.
I suppose it depends on what the dress-code for the other staff members are, but I wouldn't dress casually if I thought the managers wouldn't be happy with it or if I thought it looked sloppy, as most of my jobs have tended to rely on looking professional.
There was one guy in my last office who got told again and again not to wear his ratty jeans and t-shirt everyday, and he still did. The only time we saw him in a suit was when he had to re-apply for his own job :D
I always make a point to dress smart, even down to my shoes, cause when I’m interviewing i will always notice these small details in people, and it just goes to show how much effort they have taken in preparing for this interview.
i once challanged one of my managers to choose one candidate over the other cause she had louboutines on!!! seriously she was also very talented.
I remember reading once about how even make-up makes a difference in interviews, cos it tells whether you're willing to be presentable if you wear it, and makes you come across as enthusiastic, but you have to be careful HOW much you wear in case you look trampy :D
I've worn shalwar kameez to meetings (usually a plain, monochrome outfit with a printed dupatta) I've always gotten compliments and asked where I got them from. The key is to keep the outfit simple, not too busy and def not too many prints or loud colors. The fit should be tapered and accessories fairly small and not too flashy or OTT.
It depends on the field, but ultimately you have to look presentable. The last interview I had I decided to go very smart as it was for a professional job, I wore a black pencil skirt with a chiffon blouse paired with black heels. When I went for my interview for my previous job in clothing retail I went a little more relaxed, smart-casual so to speak.
I agree with Syraa that you have to look the part when you go for the interview. For all my interviews, I dress the same as they would expect me to come for a job. In north america at least, the office environment is business casual and polos and dress pants (smart pants for brit ppl) is the norm. For my interviews, I have gone in wearing dress shirts and dress pants. Only once have I gone for an interview in a suit and thats because the people wouldn't really expect me to wear suit at work either. If it was a bank job where suits are required I would def. wear a suit going in for the interview.
A topic near and dear to my heart! The key is to look professional, polished and quite frankly capable!
Your clothing (the style, fit, cut) and grooming says a lot about a person during an interview. Have I not hired someone because of their attire? Um, let's say all else being equal, the better groomed person got the job.
The clothes do not have be expensive, but clean and pressed is a must! Business professional is the norm in my industry for an interview. On a daily basis, we lean towards business casual (but never sloppy) to business professional. One of the rules of the industry is dress to the part of the next role you want to be in.
I know there are a lot of professions where work attire is much more relaxed and maybe wearing a suit would be overkill. But even then, you won't get penalized for wearing a suit to an interview - you'll come across as eager to please. You can ask at the interview what work attire is like and then you'll know how to dress for the job.
A topic near and dear to my heart! The key is to look professional, polished and quite frankly capable!
Your clothing (the style, fit, cut) and grooming says a lot about a person during an interview. Have I not hired someone because of their attire? Um, let's say all else being equal, the better groomed person got the job.
The clothes do not have be expensive, but clean and pressed is a must! Business professional is the norm in my industry for an interview. On a daily basis, we lean towards business casual (but never sloppy) to business professional. One of the rules of the industry is dress to the part of the next role you want to be in.
I know there are a lot of professions where work attire is much more relaxed and maybe wearing a suit would be overkill. But even then, you won't get penalized for wearing a suit to an interview - you'll come across as eager to please. You can ask at the interview what work attire is like and then you'll know how to dress for the job.
You know, that's what I always thought? but I was reading this article last night and some of the comments were really interesting...some said that if u wear a suit to an IT interview, your resume will get thrown away....Well....my husband is in the same field, and when he went for his first job interview after moving to the US, he got the job. So I still think wearing a suit is a good idea. I almost always wear suits to interviews, except my suit is so uncomfortable :(
Shoes were always a problem for me cz I don't wear heels, BUT I finally found a really nice pair and they are so comfortable to wear!
I leant out my one and only interview-appropriate purse and I don't know when i'll get it back. :/
You know, that's what I always thought? but I was reading this article last night and some of the comments were really interesting...some said that if u wear a suit to an IT interview, your resume will get thrown away....Well....my husband is in the same field, and when he went for his first job interview after moving to the US, he got the job. So I still think wearing a suit is a good idea. I almost always wear suits to interviews, except my suit is so uncomfortable :(
Shoes were always a problem for me cz I don't wear heels, BUT I finally found a really nice pair and they are so comfortable to wear!
I leant out my one and only interview-appropriate purse and I don't know when i'll get it back. :/
Not sure how true is the IT interview part since I m in IT and I always wear suits to my interviews and have gotten job offers.
Investigate a little about the organization's dressing policy/norms and dress accordingly.
I have been to interview in jeans and polo and I have been to interviews in business suit depending on their norms and post that I applied for.
Sara, there are many fields in IT its self. Ranging from creative lead to project manager, from programmer to QA and so on. I am an IT guy to and have done all sort of dressings. As long as you know what is the policy of the company, you should be good. In the past, If I was not sure about the policy, Khakis and dress shirt has always been best bet for me.
I have worked in Pakistan, US and Canada and have found that US has most relaxed attitude towards work-place dressing than rest of the two unless you are working in a capacity where you have to do lot of client dealings.
Sara, there are many fields in IT its self. Ranging from creative lead to project manager, from programmer to QA and so on. I am an IT guy to and have done all sort of dressings. As long as you know what is the policy of the company, you should be good. In the past, If I was not sure about the policy, Khakis and dress shirt has always been best bet for me.
You know, that's what I always thought? but I was reading this article last night and some of the comments were really interesting...some said that if u wear a suit to an IT interview, your resume will get thrown away....Well....my husband is in the same field, and when he went for his first job interview after moving to the US, he got the job. So I still think wearing a suit is a good idea. I almost always wear suits to interviews, except my suit is so uncomfortable :(
Shoes were always a problem for me cz I don't wear heels, BUT I finally found a really nice pair and they are so comfortable to wear!
I leant out my one and only interview-appropriate purse and I don't know when i'll get it back. :/
depends on the type of organization. Corporte IT go for suits. If you are interviewing for a more trendy / creative tech company like razorfish or twitter than skip the suit.
Need to have one suit that fit you and you can breathe and move properly. I got mine as a steal from Macys and it's my lucky interview suit because I think I am more comfortable also confident in it. Same goes for shoes. Nothing more annoying that a uncomfortable suits and shoes to take away from feeling your best at a interview.
seriously she was also very talented.