Written by Marion Abbott on 24 June 2014

How to Dress for the Interview

How to Dress for the Interview! Nothing is more exciting than landing a job interview with a company or a person you really respect & admire. Do you buy a new outfit/ Go conservative /get a haircut? Do you dress to fit the position image e.g. overalls – mechanic / baggies & T – lifesaver etc.?

1.) It’s Better to Overdress than to Underdress. When in doubt, dress up. No one can ever fault you for looking too good. Dressing up shows you respect yourself and the company you are interviewing for. – THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN TRUE OVER AND OVER.

2.) Keep Your Personal Style to a Minimum. Are you known for wearing crazy hats or are you a real fan of nail art? That’s wonderful but there is no room for that during an interview.
Show off your personal style with a great pair of shoes (closed toe), a bold coloured handbag, or a statement necklace.
I always say one conversation piece (a compliment inducing accessory) will do the trick.
For the ladies RED is a good colour if you are in Sales or PR but less of it will do if applying for anything other

3.) Get Groomed. You aren’t getting ready from prom but do set aside to get yourself together. Manicured nails and fresh blowout will not only make you feel more confident, potential employers take notice to how you care for yourself.
For Men clean and neat facial hair are the trick!
Should you too sport long hair at least tie it up for the interview should it be part of your personal style
NO – cut off / sleeveless shirts
CLEAN shoes is a biggie!!

And finally, I have just had to throw in these seemingly obvious no-nos …
– NO cut off shorts. I’ve had the extreme displeasure of interviewing a girl who wore cut off shorts
– NO crazy makeup. Save your YouTube tutorial makeup experiments for another day. Go natural and avoid bold lips- the chances of you getting lipstick on your teeth is too high.
– NO crazy hairstyles. Again, you are the star of the show – not your hair or your makeup. Keep your hair out of your face and “normal”
– NO ill-fitting clothing. Sure it fits the criteria style-wise for an interview outfit but if it doesn’t fit then it’s not perfect.

Put all your personal issues aside for 24 hours. Put on your happy confident self and grab the opportunity to sell yourself – stay true.

Be your Confident happy professional self!

Article Written by Marion Abbott