4 Easy Ways to Decide What to Wear to an Interview

One of our clients came to us in a panic. He's a few weeks shy of graduating from college and he just landed an interview with a major corporation. He was in a panic because he didn’t know what to wear to his very first important job interview.

Of course we’re able to empathize with him - lots of people agonize over what they will wear to an interview.

The good news is, deciding what to wear doesn’t have to be as difficult as it may sound. We have four really easy ways that you can put your mind at ease when determining what to wear to a job interview.

1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Gone are the days when you didn’t know what to expect when going to a job interview. The internet has made the world so much smaller. Be sure to do your due diligence and research the company that you’re applying to.

LinkedIn is a great resource to find out who the key players are in professional organizations. Be sure to get a professional headshot taken and create a profile.

Doing this research can give you a leg up on personalities and office culture. You can even use some of this information learned as talking points during the interview.

2. DRESS 2 LEVELS UP

"The rule of thumb is that you dress one or two levels higher than the job that you're going for," explains Kate Wendleton, president and founder of the Five O'Clock Club, a national career counseling and outplacement firm. "If you were going for a job as a mechanic, you wouldn't go in there in dirty overalls, even though that's how you would dress for that kind of work. You would still go in there and show respect. You would go in with an open-collar shirt, clean pants and maybe a jacket.”

So, if you dress above the standard you will demonstrate that you care about the job and you know the game.

3. DRESS COMFORTABLY

Dressing comfortably will always help you feel more confident.

Plan ahead, by going shopping if necessary, and trying your clothes on. If you only have one great outfit, set it aside and only wear it when you’re going on an interview.

Be sure to wear clothes that fit well. If you’re wearing a blazer or pants, be sure that they are tailored and hemmed properly. If they’re not, Get a tailor! You can always call us if you need to.

If your clothes are on point and you're not worried about how you look, you can be confident and assertive. Remember, confidence is attractive while insecurity is obnoxiously loud.

If you’re having trouble with figuring it out, use your "call a friend lifeline"! At Gideon’s Needle our award winning designer can help you use items in your current wardrobe, along with Bespoke garments to create a winning interview look. You can schedule a Bespoke Closet Crawl™️ to get started today.

4. USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT

When in doubt, keep things main stream. If you don’t know the accepted “culture” of the company stay above board. If you’re usually an eclectic dresser, dress business casual or two levels up.

Chances are, if you dress on the conservative side, you won’t unintentionally disqualify yourself.

Next time you have an interview and you need help getting dressed, refer to these four easy tips to determine what's best to wear.

Have you gone on an interview lately? Share your tips for dressing for it below.