Dress for the Occasion: The Job Interview

Lately, I've received questions regarding the appropriate attire to wear for a job interview.  Now for those that may not fully understand. before I discuss clothing I need to set it up by stating that the purpose of a job interview is to have a formal exchange of information between an employer and a prospective employee with the ultimate goal of the latter receiving a job offer.  

 

When the employer's representative meets the prospective employee it's likely that his first interaction will be visual.  Therefore, I can't stress how important it is for the prospect to make a great first impression.  As the saying goes you only get to make a good first impression one time.  You want the interviewer to see you as one that will look the part even before you start to engage in conversation. 

 

There are hundreds of different occupations and for each one you need to dress appropriate for the specific job.  It's likely that a banker will dress differently than an artist.  Therefore, for the position you're interested in I'd suggest you do research and  network to find out the appropriate attire for the job and company. 

 

As I mentioned above there are literally hundreds of different occupations but for the purpose of my post I'll present the proper attire for corporate America.  Today, many corporations have gone business casual but in order to dress in that manner you first have to get the job so you still need to dress appropriately for the interview.

In consideration of the person you'll be interviewing with, more than likely that person will be stranger to you so you need to dress in a conservative manner.  There are some basic clothing items to consider: 

Brooks Brother Navy Single Breast Suit

Ralph Lauren Charcoal Gray Single Breast Suit

 

Solid White Point Collar Shirt

 

 

 

Gucci Gray Silk Tie

 

 

 

 

Calvin Klein Navy Silk Tie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Cap Toe Shoes 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Wing Tip Shoes

 

By the way, if you're on a tight budget you should consider shopping at a thrift store as you can find some excellent, clean reasonably priced clothing. 

 

Just to summarize:

 

There's an old saying, "When in Rome, Do as the Romans do"!  I'm going to borrow from that "When in Rome, Dress as the Romans dress"!

 

Do wear a Navy or Charcoal Gray Suit Single Breasted Suit.

Don't wear the new Slim Fit Suit.  (The suit jacket is a couple of inches shorter in the body of the jacket).

 

 

Do wear a long sleeve white shirt with a point collar and barrel cuffs.  (Short sleeves shirts aren't considered to be professional).

Don't wear a patterned or striped shirt with French cuffs (for cuff links).

 

 

Do wear a Navy or Gray solid or small patterned tie.

Don't wear a Red or brightly colored tie.  The Red tie is considered by some to connote power.  At this point, you don't have any relative to the job in which you're interviewing.  Again, you don't want any distractions and the tie could send you down the wrong path meaning you set the wrong tone for the interview.

 

 

Do make sure your black cap toe or wing tip shoes are in good condition and shined.

Don't wear any other color shoes. 

 

 

Do make sure the color of your socks match the color of your pants or shoes.

Don't wear ankle or crew socks such that your skin may show. 

  

 

Do make sure you're well groomed for your interview.

Don't overdose on the cologne and you should consider not applying any as it may prove to be a distraction. You want the focus of the interview to be on you and not how you look or smell.

 

Lastly:

Do go to the interview confident you're going to get that job.

Don't fail to do the research necessary to learn about the company and the position.

 

BEST WISHES ON THE INTERVIEW!!!!