Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from readers asking for advice on what to wear for a job interview. It seems that a lot of people are a little unsure of what to wear for a job interview. Do you dress up in a full suit with matching cufflinks and tie? Or do you dress down and turn up smart casual?
There are many varying opinions on the subject but, for me, there is one answer which fits better than any other. It depends.
It depends on the position you’re applying for. It depends on whether or not you’re comfortable wearing a full suit/tie ensemble. The general consensus that I get from speaking to my friends, and their friends, is that a safe option is always dress smarter than you think you need to.
First impressions in a job interview
Dressing smarter than you think you probably need to dress is the safest option because as the old saying goes, “You don’t get a second chance at a first impression!“. I’ve turned up to an interview dressed casually before and I have immediately regretted the decision once the interviewer looked me up and down with just a hint of disdain. Apparently jeans, trainers and a t-shirt with the slogan “fancy a fcuk” are not suitable for a job interview!
Fashion tips for a job interview
I’ve compiled a quick list of fashion tips to make sure that the preparation for your job interview goes smoothly. Obviously, I can’t guarantee that the interview will go so smoothly – that’s down to you!
- A plain white shirt. Nothing says professional better than a simple and stylish white shirt.
- Black shoes. Simple, elegant shoes can say more about a man than anything else. Make sure they’re well polished.
- Plain black socks. No one wants to see you rocking neon green socks at an interview! Leave them at home.
- A black belt. No, I don’t mean you need to be good at karate! A nice black belt to match your shoes will do just fine. Bonus points for a belt with a stylish (but not overly elaborate) buckle.
- A plain suit. For the first interview I’d keep it simple and stick to a plain suit with no patterns or pinstripes. Exude confidence and professionalism.
- A pink – yes, I did say PINK – tie. You need something to make you stand out from the crowd. Something to make the interviewer remember you. You can’t be wacky and outgoing because you need to look professional and competent. I have a hot pink tie which never ceases to become a conversation starter during, and after, my interviews. Real men can wear pink – if they choose to!
And now for the pi?ce de r?sistance:
There are other ways to stand out from the crowd of potentials that are applying for the same job, but wearing a bright coloured tie requires little effort. All you need now is to learn how to tie a tie.
General interview appearance
Of course, dressing the part won’t be enough if you smell like a hermit and your hair looks like you got dragged through a hedge backwards! You’ll also need to follow these extra appearances tips so that you don’t fall at the first hurdle:
- Don’t wear jewellery. Unless you’re Snoop Dogg (and if you are, you wouldn’t be attending a job interview), leave the bling at home!
- Make sure your hair is neat. The castaway look is out – so keep it looking tidy.
- Clean nails. You don’t want dirt under your nails when you go to shake hands with your interviewer. Also, keep them clipped and don’t bite them!
- Just a splash of aftershave. You don’t want to spray it on with a crop-duster and overpower them! A couple of splashes on your neck – oh and one for Big Ben. As Alfie says, “You never know where the day may take you.”
- Empty your pockets. There’s no need for jingling coins or bulges.
- Turn your phone off! Or at the very least, put it on silent.
Follow these tips and you won’t go far wrong. Above all else, make sure that your personality and individual talent gets you noticed. With my help you can walk the walk – but it’s you that has to talk the talk!
I’m looking to do a follow up feature on this article about the worst things that can (and do) happen to men during an interview. If you’ve got any funny or interesting interview stories that you’d like to share then drop a comment on this post and I’ll add it into the article. For those of you that just want to catch the next article – Subscribe to our feed.
Image by J.R Ball, Esq.
January 21st, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Awesome Christian – This was exactly what my best friend needed! He’s going to a job interview next thursday, and to be frank, he dresses awfully. I don’t think he’ll wear a pink tie, but I’m sure he can use a lot of your tips here. Thank you
January 21st, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Glad to hear you liked it, Alex. Let me know how your mate does in his interview!
Christian
January 24th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Very Informative post, Christian. Shoes are probably one of the most important (and least recognized) aspects of dressing well. Most guys put more effort into clean, pressed shirts and not enough into their “foot holders”.
January 25th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
All of these tips are great. Although, I don?t own a pink tie, I?ll have to consider it for any future interviews. A pink tie may help you stick out, but how do you want to be remembered? The interviewee should always look the part they are applying for. If you look serious and professional, then those giving the interview will take you seriously. A recent article published in the Providence Journal discussed how men in particular are choosing to ?dress up? more frequently. In some situations, it?s a requirement to ?dress up? to get the job. Professional dress can impact the impression you present and influence your ultimate success.
Professional appearance is key to giving that critical first impression. Additionally, details can also give a lasting impression; such as knowing company and industry news; or having extra resumes handy; or making sure your shoes have a perfect shine can really make all the difference in an interview. In fact, when it comes to shined shoes, people often forget the importance and visibility of shoes. My company recently conducted a survey and we found that 7 in 10 professionals agree people who dress professionally are more likely to earn a higher salary.
To make shining shoes a little easier, take a look at this new shoe polisher called Shine to Go (ShinetoGo.com) my company created. It?s designed to help guys maintain a professional look, whenever and wherever it?s needed. After all, what?s the point of wearing an amazing looking suit, if the shoes won?t help you impress when it matters most?
February 20th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Love the articles!
{{BIG HUGSS}}
Audra
February 20th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Real men wear Stacy Adams.
Audra
February 21st, 2008 at 1:28 pm
@Audra – Thanks for the comments (and the hug). As for Stacy Adams, is she hot?
February 27th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Mike Gross,
I interviewed with Kimberly-Clark last week (new grad. Chem. Eng), and I am still waiting to see if I get a call back. You don’t happen to be based out of Roswell do you? By the way, I did use the ShinetoGo product the night before the interview, and it worked very well.
Patrick
February 28th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Patrick–I’m glad you liked Shine to Go? shoe polisher! If you have a chance, please take our brief survey on our website at http://www.shinetogo.com. I AM based in Roswell–let me know if you’d like to discuss anything about K-C. Best of luck to you.
March 7th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Jewellery is not prohibited in my opinion, i think a nice watch could be nice.
March 13th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Re: Jewelry
Anything that is memorable yet not distracting (Pink tie, nice clothes, shined shoes) is generally good.
If you are Married, it is obviously OK to wear a wedding ring. However, depending on your employer’s needs you might be giving them information that they would like to know but cannot legally ask. Then again, if they want the “family man” then you’d probably want to wear one.
Sports watches are a no-no, but I agree with the above poster that a nice looking yet not overly pretentious watch is nice.
March 18th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
You asked for things that go wrong during interviews? I asked a young man who was being interviewed for a co-op placement one of our scripted questions, “Have you ever had to deal with conflict in the workplace and, if so, what steps did you take to resolve it?”
His answer was along the lines of “Well, at my last job my boss was pregnant so it was pretty hard to get ahold of her sometimes since she had to go to tons of appointments. But that conflict resolved itself when she got a cell phone so I could reach her if I had to.”
Putting aside that that’s not “conflict”, it’s needing your hand held by your boss for every minute of the day, I was almost 8 months pregnant at the time I was interviewing him.
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Great post Christian! You are right on so many points and this post possibly got me into a job I interviewed for last week!
During my searches, I came across this great blog which posts tips and tricks on dressing in the professional world. Recently they posted two guides for interview attire – one for women and one for men.
Guide to dressing for Interviews (Men):
http://execstyle.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-dress-for-interview-mens.html
Guide to dressing for Interviews (Women):
http://execstyle.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-dress-for-interview-women.html
A lot of it is overlap with your post, but I think the rest of the blog is great for anyone interested in the little details of dressing in the executive/office environment.
The blog itself is execstyle.blogspot.com – there are some great tips there.
Take care!
-J. Martin
February 6th, 2009 at 8:20 am
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