“First impressions are critical. What you wear is the first thing people see, before you even say a word,”
Whether we like it or not, fashion matters when it comes to landing your dream job—and having your closet ready with job interview outfits can help take a little pressure off an already stressful situation.
Hiring managers evaluate your appearance because they don’t know you yet, and they don’t have a lot to go on.
When deciding what to wear to a job interview, you want to fit in to the company culture—but also, of course, stand out from the pack—and navigating the two can be a challenge.
- If you’re interviewing for a creative job, while you shouldn’t show up in a skirt suit, don’t show show up in something wild or trend driven either. Shoes should be closed toe, pants should be black or dark denim, and accessories kept to a minimum.
- If you’re interviewing for a client based corporate job, be well-groomed. Don’t wear too much makeup and have your hair clean and simple. Keep colors conservative.
- If you’re interviewing for a fashion job, keep clothes simple and instead make accessories the focal point. Have stylish shoes, a sharp bag and modern jewelry displaying your great taste. Keep the aesthetics of the brand in mind while getting dressed, but please don’t show up in a head-to-toe runway look.
- If you’re interviewing for a finance job, wear a dark, two-piece pantsuit or skirt suit. Lighten it up with a white or softly-colored blouse and conservative accessories. If your suit has a skirt, it should be knee-length or below and tailored appropriately. don’t wear colorful or patterned tights, open-toe shoes, super-high heels, or low-cut tops.
- If you’re interviewing for a Tech job, Opt for dark denim and a tucked-in blouse, or a stylish skirt with a chambray button-down and blazer or basic sweater, and accessorize from there. Coming in wearing a corporate-style suit makes it look like you know nothing about the industry.