So how do you dress appropriatly for an interview? Well what you wear at an interview is very important as first impressions really do count and although it doesn’t outweigh the importance of your ability to do the job you are applying for it will form part of the overall selection process. What to wear at an interview and the general protocol of dress code at work in today’s modern society differs greatly from standards that were seen as “acceptable” in years gone by. Both industry and the workplace has dramatically changed over the years including the types of industries that now exist. Obviously the traditional professional industry sectors such as Banking, Accountancy, Insurance, Sales and Legal fields all remain which carry their own standards (generally speaking employees work wear would comprise suit, shit and tie for men and smart dress or business suit for ladies) but in the last 20 years or so there have been new industries develop with the arrival of the Information Technology and Internet sectors which seem to carry their own more casual and more informal dress code standards.
So what is the Dress Code at your potential new employers workplace and more importantly how are you going to dress to impress at your interview? Well there are two ways in which you can find out how the employees at your new firm dress and these are;
(a) Ring the company and ask them what the dress code is - the simple way!;
(b) Visit the company during work hours and take a look at what the staff are wearing. It’s a bit of a time consuming job but if you really want to make sure that you look the part and feel at home then it’s worth putting in that little extra bit of effort. Remember take a good look at all the staff, not just the first few that fly out of the door, just in case you get it wrong!
When you have ascertained the general level of dress code in order to find out what to wear at an interview it is always a good idea to dress yourself a little smarter than the norm. A word of caution, try not to wear things that are going to make you stand out like a sore thumb and don’t wear outrageously colours. The idea when trying to assess the dress code for an interview is to try and dress as smartly, professional and neutral as possible. Of course if you are attending an interview internally then you will already know what the companies dress code is however keep your mind focused, it may be acceptable to wear smart casual clothing in the design room but if you are applying for a role in management then it may be expected that you wear a suit and tie – again, do your research!