Have you ever heard the expression, “don’t judge a book by its cover?” Or “it’s not about looks but more about your personality?” Well, when you are preparing yourself for a job interview those expressions should go in one ear and out the other. Job interviews are very important, especially for college students who are scheduling numerous interviews in their field of choice before they graduate.
One thing every employer is going to do before you even introduce yourself is look at how you have presented yourself for the interview. This means what outfit you chose, nail polish color, amount of jewelry, shoe heel height, how you wear your hair, everything from head to toe matters in this situation all before they even know your name. First impression is a key factor and so is the ability to dress professionally outside of your everyday social attire. So, what exactly is business attire for women going on a job interview?
Well, as much as we would all love to just throw on a dress for these kinds of things; believe it or not that is not considered business attire. It is most appropriate for
women to wear a business suit in a conservative color such as beige, gray, black or navy blue. A skirt business suit is what is preferred instead of pantsin a professional atmosphere.
What can be tricky about that is deciding on a good length for the skirt. Not only should your thighs be covered while you are standing up but also when you sit down. Your thighs should never show in any professional setting. The key word when dressing for a job interview is ‘conservative.’ So, that means when you are choosing a pair of shoes to wear with your business suit, the heel should not be any higher than 2-3 inches. However, to be safe, flats are always an option.
Conservative hosiery consists of skin tone color or close to it. No need for designs and patterns, this will do nothing but draw attention to the wrong places. In this particular setting you can look great without doing a whole lot with accessories.
Jewelry is good to have as long as it is to a minimum. One pair of small dainty earrings will complement the business look we are going for. This means no large hoop style and especially no extravagant chandelier earrings. All accessories need to be simple. If you are going to wear rings, you only need one on each hand. This means bracelets as well, just something simple and negligible.
Another thing to keep in mind is your make-up. Make up should be toned down and very minimal as well. Be careful with eye shadows. No extravagant and bright colors on your eye lids. Just keep it conservative and neutral. Nail polish is something that should also be neutral. Nothing bright, just a simple and safe clear coat or a light tan base is considered conservative. Hand bags and purses should also be small and in a color such as black, beige, gray or navy blue.
So ladies, those are some helpful tips on the do’s and don’ts when dressing for a job interview. The employer wants to see first and foremost how you present yourself in a business setting. They want to see how capable you are of not only representing yourself professionally but possible representing their company if you were to be hired. First impressions are everything in a job interview and before you even introduce yourself 50% of the interview goes to the employer just looking at you and noticing every bit of how you have presented yourself.
As college students, job interviews are what separate you from that dream job you have been studying so hard to attain. The first step of getting the interview is done, the next step is looking the part.