Dress in a manner that is professionally appropriate to the position you are applying for. Dress for success.
Most people form an opinion about you the first time they see you based on how you are dressed and carry yourself. Employers are not an exception. How you choose to dress for an interview can make or break your interview. The dress code may vary depending on the industry and company. Therefore, it is critical to find out as much as you can about a company’s dress code policy and their culture when invited for an interview.
The appropriate dress code also varies depending on the sector of a job. The following is a breakdown of what to wear to interviews of the various types of jobs.
Skilled trade interview
Skilled trade jobs are those which require specific training. Most skilled trade jobs involve manual work and are labour intensive hence physically demanding.
Just like a corporate interview, you should also look the part when going for a skilled trade interview. However, in this case, you don’t have to wear formal attire, a business casual look is appropriate. For men, it is allowed to wear denim or khaki pants, collared shirt and casual shoes. Ladies can dress in denim pants, knee-length dress or skirt, sweater or cardigan and shoes with closed toes or without a heel. Both men and women going for skilled trade interviews can wear long-sleeved shirts.
Creative position interview
As a creative, you’ll probably want to show off your style and personality. How you dress up for a creative job interview is important since it gives a statement about your capabilities and the confidence you have in yourself e.g. graphic designer.
Here is how you can strike a balance between a corporate and casual look for a creative industry job. Mixing and matching a blazer and denim or khaki pants always works for men in this industry who don’t want to keep things coordinated. However, a collared shirt is always preferable over a t-shirt. If you are playful with colours, it is advisable to choose relatively subtle colours. Loafers or sued shoes are good for job interviews in the creative industry. As for the ladies, while it might be okay not to show up in a skirt suit, it is advisable to tone on it down on jewellery and trend-driven attires that might not be appropriate.
Corporate interview
When interviewing for a corporate role, your options are limited to a formal look. In the corporate world, those who dress too informal are perceived to be having a casual attitude towards work and lack the understanding of business etiquette.
Wearing a suit, button-up shirt and a tie does the trick for men while for women, knee-length skirt, collared shirt, a blazer and low heeled shoes or flats will be appropriate.
As you pick out your best attire for an interview, remember to dress in a manner that is professionally appropriate to the position you are applying for. Dress for success.
