I was perusing a job board the other day and came across a post from a guy who wondered if it was necessary to wear a tie to an interview. Several respondents answered along the lines of, What are you crazy? Of course it is!
Dressing for an interview is such a crucial step in the process of finding a job that it amazes me he would not consider wearing one, since the job was part of a business position. Don’t get me wrong, if you are going in to find work in a particular field, perhaps an artsy type of position, a tie may not matter one bit, but if you are going in to impressive a bunch of executives, you’d better dress the part.
Which brings me to today’s post: If you do not have a great interview outfit, get out there today and buy one. I can’t tell you how important it is to dress for success, particularly when you are interviewing for a new job.
But you are out of work and, therefore, don’t have enough money to purchase clothes, you say?
The cost of a new outfit for a potential job could make or break the deal. You may have to spend $100 or so on a new suit, new shoes or new dress, but that money may come back to you in the way of a new job. If you show up wearing something that is old, battered, worn, or just inappropriate for the position, you may as well not show up at all.
Face it: How we look when we meet a potential employer is important. Consider the employer. He is hoping to find someone that will represent his company. He is looking at not only your qualifications but how you present yourself as well, just as you would be looking at the same type of thing were you the person in the hiring chair.
Some things to consider when dressing for an interview:
Dress the way the locals do. If hose are not big in your area, you don’t have to wear them, but if you show up at an interview not wearing hose and the rest of the women are, chances are this will be noticed.
Dress for the job. If you are going in for an interview as a graphic designer, you may be fine in khakis and a nice top. If you are going in for the job of an administrative assistant, you’ll probably need to show up wearing a nice pair of slacks or a skirt. A lawyer? A suit. Dress the way that you would if you had already been hired and were working in the office.
Don’t know how to dress? Watch people. See what they wear. Sure, you may appear to be stalking the office prior to the interview, but by just sitting outside around quitting time for a few minutes you’ll get a chance to observe the other workers, see what they are wearing, and then copy that look when you show up for the interview the next day (as long as you aren’t wearing the exact same outfit as another coworker, of course!)