Nowadays, the way interviews are being carried out is very different to how they used to be eons ago. Thanks to the digital age, you can now have your interview even while you are on top of Kilimanjaro, provided you have your smartphone, or portable device, with Skype and a strong internet connection. Despite the amazing advantage of not having to be in the same room as your interviewer, you still need to look the part….being clean shaven and smart can make a difference, even on video link.
This week, I was sifting through my wardrobe for an interview outfit and discovered that most of my ‘corporate’ outfits were not as colourful as the rest of my wardrobe.
In trying to choose an appropriate outfit, I considered the following interview ‘fashion pros’:
* No matter how toned your arms are, going sleeveless in an interview can be deemed inappropriate, so wear a cardigan or jacket/blazer.
* Dark colours are the safest, for example blacks, navy, grey, browns, etc. Bright colours can come through as loud and too distracting to the interviewer(s).
* If you are not a suit person, wearing a nice ironed shirt and well fitted trousers or nice length skirt is just as good….but gents, please wear a tie!!
* No matter what outfit you chose to wear, be COMFORTABLE in it.
As it was a nice summer’s day, I opted for a tailored black and dark teal sleeveless dress with a short jacket to hide my arms. The outfit worked really well because when I took off my jacket right after the interview, I still looked professional!
I’ve also worn this brown trousers suit a few times to interviews and meetings alike. It’s classy, well-tailored and very comfortable.
No matter what line of work you’re in, when it comes to interviews, your ‘dress’ can speak volumes. As they say, ‘dress for the job you want, not for the job you have’.
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