We’ve made sure to give you the information that you need to be able to develop the skills required to have a good job interview. Those things are important but they only show half of the picture. If you really want to nail the interview then you have to work on a few things.
In other words, you should have a multi pronged approach to the interview so that you leave no stone unturned. For instance, did you know that you can fail your interview by wearing the wrong clothes? Or that your appearance will send the right or wrong signal to your interviewer?
It may not seem right as you don’t want to judge a book by its cover. Yet, this is the way the world works so you have to work within those parameters. This means that how you dress is going to partly determine your odds of success during the interview.
In this article, I will go over how to dress for a successful job interview.
Dress for the job you want
The thought process behind this is that even if you are going for an interview as a data entry services provider specialist, you should dress for the position of CEO of the company if that is your ultimate goal.
While this may be a little over the top, it pays to at least look at how you would dress for the position above what you are applying for. Check out how middle management is dressing and go for that if your position is below that, in other words.
One thing to keep in mind beyond just the type of clothes that you want to wear is how you present yourself in that outfit. It’s widely understood that taller people are more likely to be taken seriously than short people, so if you are of a smaller stature then you need to remedy that with your shoes. Wearing men’s elevator boots or shoes with risers will give you a few extra inches and actually help you look taller during the interview so keep this in mind.
Besides that, try to show an executive mentality by how you dress so you can show that you are serious and motivated. Interviewers decide very quickly, sometimes in less than 20 seconds, if they think there will be a second interview or not based on how you present yourself.
Make sure it fits
Your attire should fit well, but I mean that in two different ways.
First, it should actually, physically fit you well. Oversized or undersized clothes are going to make a very bad first impression. It can signify that you are sloppy and may not do the work with any attention to detail if your clothes are ill fitting.
If you plan to wear a suit, spend a little bit of extra money to have it tailored. Getting it fitted won’t cost you too much if you bring it to a dry cleaner that also offers that as a service. For the few extra dollars, it’s worth it to make a better impression. Very rarely do clothes come off the rack fitting you perfectly.
Also, if your clothes are too small, then this sends a terrible signal. Your decision making process will definitely be challenged if the interviewer sees you wearing tight clothing or sleeves that don’t reach your wrists.
The flip side of that is your clothes should fit who you are. You want to show your personality a bit too so make sure that the colors you choose are going to show more than just your initial appearance. The right style is going to impress your interviewer who will appreciate your good taste and give you a second look for a subsequent interview.
Keep it relevant
Even though we said to dress for the job you want, you should still make sure that you are dressing for the type of environment that you will be working under. The office where you want to work may not require ties, for instance so leave it at home while still dressing smartly.
You should also dress for the climate. If it is really hot at the time of the interview then wearing a wool suit with a thick shirt will cause you to sweat and look uncomfortable. Likewise if it is really cold then a thin shirt with linen pants will make a bad impression.
An interviewer wants to see if you can make good decisions so your choice of attire is going to signal whether you can or not.
