Dressing up for an interview should be taken up seriously. What you wear and how you carry it are very important when it comes to interviews. Glaring colors, too much of skin show, overly done makeup and too plain looks can all be quite damaging to your impression. They say, dress to express, but when it comes to the interviews, you have to dress to impress!
Interview dress code is a much talked-about subject though each company has its own way of interpreting the dress code. The best way to dress for an interview is to understand the company’s culture or stick to the basic formals as accepted in the industry. What works in one industry may not work in another. For example, the creative industry might prefer colorful casuals to radiate the creativity, but in the Banking or the Marketing sector, one is expected to be formal. IT can be totally different, from casuals to semi formals to complete formals! What matters more is the company’s culture rather than the norm in most of the cases.
Apart from what you wear, there are other aspects which can be commonly considered while dressing for interviews. In an Indian scenario, a salwar kameez, a formal kurta, a suit with pant or skirt or a saree are all considered formal dressing for women. There’s an evident difference between dressing formal and party. No ‘blings’ for an interview please! Avoid wearing anything that can distract the interviewers such as sparkling or way too large earrings. Of course, if you can carry it well, it wouldn’t stand out. Ideally, very little makeup is desirable for an interview, unless you are a media person.
For the men, too bright colors can be very distractive, though many women get away with it comfortably. Stick to formal or pastel colors and dress formally. Do not wear a three-fourth or jeans unless your interview letter asks you to! Shave or trim your facial hair and groom well, you wouldn’t want to scare off the interviewers. Uncombed hair is a sign of laziness and hence, not much appreciated by the recruiters!
Wear what you are confident wearing and can carry off comfortably. If you are not comfortable in a saree, please do not wear it unless you have been specifically asked to. In that case, you can get yourself accustomed to wearing one a week before itself. Make sure you pay attention to your footwear too. Match your attire with the right footwear and one that you are comfortable wearing. A misplaced button or a mismatched tie can cost you an amazing career opportunity. So pay detailed attention to your dressing for the interview. Ask a senior friend or colleague who can help you out with dressing. If it is your first interview, you can even practice a mock interview complete with a dress rehearsal.
Wear a confident smile to cover up all your fears and mind your body language too. Once you have paid attention to all these, it will be only a matter of finding the right company that suits your personality.
About the Author: MANJU is a Content Writer at Code9 Technologies, a Web design company in Cochin, Kerala. She is well-experienced in Web design and also a passionate about music, reading. She also works on some freelance marketplaces like Walk in Medical clinic Calgary.