Deciding what the wear to an interview can be harder than making your menial summer job sound like the resume booster that it definitely wasn’t. You don’t want to look like a middle school-er wearing your mom’s suit, but professionalism is also key so avoiding looking sloppy is crucial.
Here are my five tips for making sure that your interview outfit helps you land your dream job:
TIP ONE: Air on the side of being too formal. Even if you’re interviewing with a small company where you know most people will be wearing jeans and hoodies (thanks for that trend, Facebook), don’t completely dress down for the occasion. You don’t want to look out of place in a full suit, but you don’t want to look like you don’t care either.
TIP TWO: Invest in one serious and one fun blazer. A simple, black blazer will always pair well with black pants or a pencil skirt for a super professional look. But a fun, more fashion forward look can make sure you still look young and shows a little personality.
TIP THREE: Wear shoes you can walk in. Face planting during the interview isn’t a surefire way to guarantee employment. Find a middle ground between full on stilettos and grandma-worthy loafers—there are a ton of cute flats out there that will show off your sense of style without a trip to the ER.
TIP FOUR: Use a professional looking purse. There’s a time and place for your going out bag and it certainly isn’t an interview. Use a bag that is big enough to comfortably fit your phone, wallet and even a copy of your resume or two.
TIP FIVE: Shop sales strategically. Shopping for interview worthy professional wear on a minimum wage salary is rough but luckily online sales are your saviors. H&M is always good for cheap dresses and Banana Republic has great, high quality clothes and good sales.