What do I wear for an interview?
I've always wondered what is considered appropriate for an interview. I went with a short sleeve shirt to an interview, but I was then told that I had to wear a long sleeve.
#interview-preparation
#job-interview
#interview #interviews #interviewing #job-interview #interviewing-skills
60 answers
Austin’s Answer
Hi Yomaris,
Good question. Showing up for an interview can be stressful, and having to pick the right outfit is even more stressful. Despite the stress, I have learned a few things about how to properly dress for an interview from having interviewed for jobs at least 10 times.
For guys, suit and tie is the standard. It really depends on the job that you are applying for, but having a well fitted suit, nice tie, wrinkle free shirt, and shiny shoes is the standard that all guys should operate by when showing up to an interview. If you aren't working in an office or you are interviewing for a job that requires physical labor (i.e. farmer, fireman, forklift driver etc) then a suit/tie combination might me a little bit overkill. Guys, always remember to do your hair, shave, and brush your teeth; these little things make a huge difference when you are meeting your employer for the first time.
For girls (pardon my lack of familiarity as I am a man), a suit, nice dress, blouse+nice pants, and nice foot wear (think heels, nice flats, or wedges) are the standard. Every place has its own culture so you are going to have to judge for yourself what is the most appropriate to wear. Similar to the guys, little things go a long way so you likely do not want to show up with really messy hair. It is always better to play it safe and overdress than show up really under-dressed in tattered jeans and a T-shirt.
It's hard to say that you should "100% of the time wear X" as every employer has a different working culture and expectations. You will likely have to do some research and judge for yourself what is the proper attire to wear.
I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!!
Best,
Austin
Matt’s Answer
In tech, especially US west-coast tech, showing up in a business suit is off-putting, and inappropriate. Showing up in a dirty hoodie and sandals with socks is probably equally poor form.
You can do a little recon to get an idea of what people wear in their day to day lives, to set your baseline: show up at a casual lunch spot in the neighborhood where you're applying for jobs, and look around. Find people who look professional, but not stuffy, and emulate them.
Your goal here is to dress in a way that is unsurprising, but pleasant. You don't want your fashion choices to be a part of the decision making process.
Karina’s Answer
The industry dress code to be followed for interviews is wearing the 'Business Professional aka Full Business aka Formal Business' attire. What it means is:
1) Clothes should be solid, dark or neutral colors
2) Light colors can be worn underneath
3) No stripes or bright colors or bright prints
4) The color of your suit/jacket (whichever you are using) should be the same as that of your pants/skirt (whichever you are using). This means that a black suit/jacket with black pants/skirt works.
5) Shoes should be closed-toe heel or dress shoes
P.S.: This dress code can be followed for career fairs, professional networking and presentation events, business meetings, formal celebratory occasions as well.
Hope this helps!!!
Samantha’s Answer
Drew’s Answer
1. Match your clothes to the culture of the company - The most important thing to do is to pick up on the culture and vibe of where you are interviewing.
2. Dress nicer than normal - You will definitely want to dress a little bit nicer than the normal working day, but you don't wan to look so nice that you are out of place.
3. Pick a comfortable and confident outfit - You want to wear something that you are comfortable in and that won't be bugging you all day. For example, don't wear an itchy sweater (even if it's cute or looks nice) because it will distract you from the interview. If you're confident in your outfit, then it will show in small ways.
TL;DR: Blending in visually can help it look like you are already part of the team and fit in. I don't think it's something that people notice consciously, but it does make an impact.
Albanitza’s Answer
It depends on the company you are interviewing with and the role as well. That would also be a great question to ask anyone you've maybe interacted with prior to any virtual or in-person interviews.
However, I would recommend dressing professionally and there are a ton of great examples in the answers provided within the thread.
Best of luck to you!
Michele’s Answer
What you should wear to an interview varies quite a bit depending on your potential employer and your industry. Focusing on overall neatness (no wrinkles, lints, stains), personal grooming, and dressing for comfort are important regardless of what you're wearing.
While you may feel embarrassed to ask (you shouldn't - it's always best to avoid assumptions), you can ask the person who contacted to you arrange the interview. Some companies even volunteer this information to job candidates in advance of their interview.
Mark’s Answer
What you should wear to an interview varies quite a bit depending on your potential employer. It always good to ask the person / recruiter who contacted you to share the dress code for the environment. Some work places are more casual attire and others can be more polished requiring a suit and tie for example. I would focus on overall neatness, personal grooming, along with dressing for comfort are important regardless of what you're wearing. Don't assume what you should wear, take that extra step to find out and set yourself up for success ( first impressions make an impact ).
Angela’s Answer
Radhika’s Answer
2. Positivity with a confident smile
3. Any dress just make sure they are comfortable clothes preferably light colored shirt and polished shoes
Catherine’s Answer
Hello, Reminder, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Recommend the following for Interview dress
•No sleeveless shirts - in my experience short sleeve is permissible but really base that on the weather, temperature; comfortable shoes may have to walk around workspace, meet other Interviewers in different parts of building
• Have your clothes pressed
• Clothes should be comfortable
• avoid too tight, too short
• If have belt loops, wear a belt
• Jewelry – Minimal
• No perfume or aftershave
• Comb your hair
Catherine recommends the following next steps:
Sara’s Answer
Gloria’s Answer
This is a great question. You have gotten quite a bit of feedback, but I wanted to reinforce one point - it varies by business sectors and various companies. Some companies will tell you dress code requirements on their sites or in the job description. I would recommend that you dress on level above dress code. So if it is casual, then dress business casual. It is also safer to dress and appear more conservatively. Avoid showing too much skin (arms, legs, back), make sure that your hair and clothes are neat and clean, wear clothing that makes you feel confident about yourself.
Good luck with your interviews,
Gloria
William’s Answer
Ryan’s Answer
Bradley’s Answer
You should always try to dress for the job that you want. Not the job you have. It is never a bad idea to be over dressed but it can absolutely be a turn off for interviewers if you show up underdressed. It can give off a vibe of unprofessionalism or can say that you aren't taking the interview seriously.