Dress for Success on Your Next Job Interview

What to wear? 

It’s actually a really important question when you’re preparing for a job interview. 

Your clothes don’t only affect the first impression you make. Your outfit choice also affects your confidence level and how you perform during the interview.

3 Secrets for Dressing for Your Interview:

1) Be Professional

I’m sure you have a nice outfit to wear, and depending on the type of business where you’re interviewing, your outfit might be more conservative or more trendy. In either case, watch the height of any skirt, watch the dip in your blouse, and watch the color of the clothes. You might have an outfit you love, but it could be too bright. '

I once had a funny experience interviewing a young lady whose blouse was not quite covering her enough. I’m not sure if that was intentional because it was Victoria’s Secret or she just wasn’t aware. 

The result was that I didn’t know where to look when she spoke! I was looking above her head most of the time and not concentrating on her answers as much as I would have been otherwise. I kept thinking about my male colleague who was going to interview her next and where would he look. It was really awkward. I remember her outfit, but not her answers. You definitely don’t want to find yourself in that situation! 

2) Be Comfortable

Nothing’s worse than wearing a suit, skirt, jacket, blouse, or shirt that is sort of uncomfortable or doesn’t feel like you. You’re going to be more fidgety or uncomfortable and not concentrate in your answers. 

And remember, you need to be able to move your arms enough to use the body language secret weapon right before you go in for the interview!

[Learn how to nail the interview]

You want to take all the pressure off being self-conscious! This goes for shoes, too. Make sure you can get up and walk out of the room in those heels after sitting. Keep the height lower or wear flats, or even rock a cool tennis shoe. 

3) Keep It Simple

So many people dress in a way that distracts the interviewer from the person being interviewed. 

Don’t overdo the hair, the make-up, or the jewelry. Show up well groomed, but be your natural self, too. Getting ready that day should be easy and low-stress so you can focus your energy on the other parts of the interview prep. 

If you found these tips helpful and want to go deeper into how to get more confidence and less confusion when applying for jobs, schedule your free strategy session.

And remember… “Life doesn’t just happen. You make life happen.”