What to Wear to an Office Job Interview

So you landed that interview you've been hoping for and now in a split second your next thought is: what do I wear to my interview!?! Yikes! Not to worry, below we have compiled some excellent outfit ideas for you for your big day on your interview and also a few tips to help you land your new job successfully like a boss.

You should always make sure you do your due diligence on the company itself to figure out their dress code. With so many resources nowadays with the internet, twitter, YouTube, hashtags, a quick 10 minute search around the net and you're 99% sure to find something about the company and their dress code. First place I would check? their website or simply ask the person that is setting up the interview for you.. I know it seems like common sense but it's often overlooked.

Basics: Tuck Your Shirt In!

Let's get this out of the way first... obviously you should already know that you need to tuck your shirt in. It always depends on what your job title will be and for what position you are interviewing for but in our article we are speaking of office jobs, so let's stick to keeping the shirt tucked in. Keeping a shirt neatly tucked is no easy task and that's why we recommend Tucked Trunks, tuck it once and forget it. No need to keep retucking the shirt in over and over. Next....

Suits: Gray and Blue (Stick to these)

You want to pick a suit that is not too loud, so we recommend sticking to something more subtle like your grays and blues. With these types of suits you cannot go wrong. They are very neutral colors and won't make you seem like you are trying to convey the wrong message. Here are a few photos below of some examples:

Gray Suit:

Business Attire Tips:

Gents:

You should stick to white or pastel colored dress shirts. Stick to a modest tie, nothing that is over the top like pink with stripes, bright yellow, neon colors etc etc... something solid to compliment the suit works well, Navy blue tie with navy blue suit, you want to also focus on your socks, stick with some dark colors and of course a nice pair of dress shoes. If you don't have a new pair, that's ok, I would just take them to a shoe shine place and get them shined at least. You could also buy a shoe shine kit online and do it yourself at home if you want to.

Ladies:

you can wear a pant suit or skirt, for both options, accompany them with a blouse, hosiery and closed toe heels, something conservative, nothing too high. The photo above in the Navy blue suit is ideal but the heel is an example of something that is too "outgoing" although the suit is perfect, the heel should be more tame and also no low-cut shirts and try not to show cleavage (of course).

Both:

Make sure that any tattoos that are visible are covered to the best of your ability. Although, these should make no difference in a perfect world but unfortunately, in our society, sometimes they do sway the direction of the interviewer in one way or another if they see them. For the ladies, try not to wear too much perfume, you don't want it to overpower you or your interviewer, keep it subtle if possible.

Jewelry:

Keep this to a minimum, nothing that you might wear with your girlfriends or to a night out. Men, also if you have earnings or facial piercings, it's also a good time to remove them prior to the interview.

Men should wear a white or pastel shirt, conservative tie, dark socks, and dress shoes. Women can choose to wear a skirt or pant suit - for both options, accompany the suit with a blouse, hosiery, and closed toe shoes with a conservative heel. Women should avoid low-cut shirts (no cleavage, please) or short skirts.

I Got the Job Now What do I Wear?

Now that you've got the job, it's a great idea to familiarize yourself with the companies dress code policy. Is it always formal? do they have causal Friday? these sorts of things are most likely going to be stated in the handbook you get at your hire date. If you are unsure, you can always ask someone or even the interviewer and they would gladly go over that with you. If none of this works, it's always easy to observe what your colleagues wear on a daily basis so you can see what to wear and what not to wear.

Conclusion:

Getting an interview is not easy so when you do, make sure you are prepared. Go over this article and take a few notes, go over the companies website and get familiarized with the company, maybe take a drive to the actual company premises and get a feel for how the environment is, check out the lobby, you can always leverage this by bringing up things in the conversation (if there is time). This will show that you are very interested in their company enough that you even came and checked the place out ahead of time (in person), It will help you win the good graces of the interviewers, keep your shirt tucked in and most importantly, make sure you are 10-15 minutes early because remember, as the saying goes, if you're on time, you're late. Good Luck!

Pinterest Pin: