Dressing For A Job Interview

I recently read a fairly controversial article on how to dress for job interviews.  The writer stated that the world is quickly changing and the “old rules” for job interview attire no longer apply (i.e., wearing a pants/skirt suit and a button down).  Most of the comments the writer received were from HR professionals, recruiters, hiring managers, and job search veterans who said it is almost always preferable to dress in your most professional clothes for an interview.  I’m going to discuss my opinion on each point the writer makes:

1. At a job interview, you should dress comfortably and (at most) a little more formally than the rest of the office.

I completely agree that you should be comfortable at a job interview.  By “comfortable” I mean not wearing a pair of pants that are too small or heels that you can barely walk in.  You should be comfortable enough for your clothing to not be a distraction to what you’re there for–to show your prospective employers how awesome you are.

“At most” a little more formally? I don’t think so. I have worked with dozens of career services professionals and employers who are responsible for recruiting, hiring, etc. Almost ALL of them say that you should be wearing business professional clothes, not business casual or casual. (Business professional=business suit, button down, a tie for guys, sensible heels for women. Business casual=what you probably wear to the office every day–slacks and a nice sweater or blouse, a simple dress, khakis, etc. Casual=jeans, shorts, capris, tank tops, t-shirts.)

I stand by the idea that a job interview is a time to be your best professional self.  If you aren’t professional enough to wear your best outfit to an interview before you even have the job, why in the heck would they think they can count on you to be professional once you’re employed?

Note: Most of these rules are for people applying to professional jobs.  If you are applying for a serving or retail position or student employment at your school, you will most likely be fine wearing your best business casual clothes.  Just make sure everything is neat, unwrinkled and that you do not go overboard with things like perfume, makeup, or jewelery.  Also, if you’re going to wear a business casual dress to a non-professional job interview, try and make sure you wear a sweater over it (for short sleeved or sleeveless) and that it’s an appropriate length (i.e., at least to your knees).

Before an interview, ask the recruiter or people at the office what the unofficial dress code is. Then come in, wearing comfortable clothes, and dressed similarly, (or just a little bit more formally) to what everyone else is wearing. You’ll fit in, and you’ll be comfortable and confident throughout the interview.

Wait, what? Um, no. I have had several of my colleagues in career services read this article and we all say an emphatic NO to this. You do NOT call the human resources manager and ask what the unofficial ANYTHING is. If you are interested in learning about the culture of a company (as you should be!) the time to ask tactful, appropriate questions is during the job interview.  By tactful and appropriate I mean asking something like “What is the culture of this office?” or “What’s the best part about working in this environment that I won’t be able to see from just a walk around the office?” or “What is YOUR favorite thing about working here?”

You never want to ask questions like, “How many days can someone be late before getting in trouble?” or “So, what’s the unofficial attendance policy/dress code?” or (heaven forbid) “Is there a lot of drama/gossip in the office?” For most organizations, their dress code is provided online.  If their dress code states “business casual,” I believe that stepping it up a notch is business professional.  And if it’s business professional, I think you should wear the most conservative business professional outfit you own (or can borrow). By conservative, I mean small stud earrings, a skirt hem a little past your knees, panty hose, closed toe kitten heels, minimal makeup and a neutral suit color (preferably, black or navy).

This is the writer’s final piece of advice:

Decide what dressing for success means for you- and then find an industry and organization where – at the interview and beyond – you can be comfortable, successful, and fit in with the corporate culture.

I agree.  And this advice doesn’t just have to be applied to “dressing for success.” You can substitute “being happy at work” or “being professionally fulfilled.” If you are absolutely not comfortable wearing conservative clothing, you may want to research other types of organizations where this isn’t an issue-tech companies, internet start ups, small non-profits, some family owned businesses, etc. Know what will make you happy at work and work to get a job that aligns with your values, interests, personality, priority, etc.

But, for goodness sake, wear a suit to the interview.

Source: The Proactive Professional