With the attitude to personal appearance forever developing in the workplace, it can be confusing for graduates to understand what exactly to wear when attending interviews. From 'smart casual' to 'formal business attire' we have created a carefully researched guide to help you walk into your interview dressed with the confidence for the role.
Do Your Research
Understand the industry that you are interviewing in. Do your research the more you know about the organisation you're applying for, the more chance you will be able to give off the impression of 'how well you are suited for the position'. If you are unsure, look at the organisation's social media platform; Often, they will have photos of their employees in their day-to-day dress code. If this information is unavailable: dress professionally and formally, it is always better to be overdressed. You mean business, show it.
Confidently Comfortable
Dress in your most empowering outfit, it is important that you feel the most confidence in yourself before leaving the house. However, bear in mind that the interview process is going to be uncomfortable enough to make sure that your outfit drives your confidence, whilst giving you the comfortability to endure your interview process. Avoid brand new clothing without wearing them in, they could crease terribly or may be too tight, which may impact your confidence. Therefore you should aim to choose an outfit that has been trialled and tested.
Show Ambition
With studies suggesting that employees are 61% more productive with informal dress attire, some businesses have begun to adopt the contagious casual culture. This being said, your interview attire should aim to be one to two levels of formality higher than that of the role you are applying for. For instance when applying for a waitress role, interview in similar attire to that of a manager. As the saying goes, you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. This mentality will show your interviewer that you have ambition and drive, therefore forcing your interviewer to take you more seriously.
Conclusion
Your interview should reflect upon yourself and your abilities. Aim to enhance this with the appropriate clothing and makeup. For instance, if you have applied for a make-up artist role or a web designers role then you could showcase your make up abilities or show your style through your clothing. However, if you’re applying for office-based roles then we suggest that you could aim towards conventional attire. Whichever job you're dressing for, remember that your capabilities are the aspect which your interviewer should remember you by. Ensure your outfit doesn’t outshine you, by leaving the flamboyant jewellery at home and opting to showcase your individuality through your C.V or extra-curricular activities.
