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An interview is a great opportunity to sell your skills, experience and personality. But if you are going to get the job then you will need to dress the part.
In an interview, it is crucial that you make a good first impression, so what you wear can affect whether or not you get the job. You want to appear smart and professional; but also relaxed and confident. The outfit that sends this message requires some thought, as well as some different pieces of clothing. What exactly these clothes are will depend on where you are going for your interview, but there are ways to adapt your attire accordingly.
The best way to find out what to wear is by carrying out research on the company or organization that has invited you for an interview – and with the help of this guide!
if you’re interviewing for a job at a casual restaurant, like McDonald’s or Taco Bell, you can wear jeans, a nice shirt and some sneakers. If you’re interviewing for a more high-end restaurant such as Olive Garden or The Cheesecake Factory you should wear something nicer. Maybe some khakis and a sweater or something.
It’s important to dress appropriately for your restaurant interview. Even if you’re meeting the hiring manager at a McDonalds or Starbucks, remember that it’s still an interview, so you want to make a good impression. You want the manager to focus on your excellent customer service skills and positive attitude, not what you’re wearing (or not wearing).
You can dress casually, but in a more mature way than the usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. If it’s hot out and you’re interviewing at a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s or Taco Bell, wear jeans or shorts with a nice shirt, some sneakers and bring a jacket in case it gets cold inside. If it’s cold outside (or even if it isn’t), wear khaki pants or jeans with a nice sweater over your shirt and closed toe shoes (not sandals). No flip flops!
If you are interviewing at an upscale restaurant such as The Cheesecake Factory or Olive Garden, do not show up in baggy pants, flip flops and sunglasses on top of your head. Upscale restaurants are often frequented by older customers who don’t appreciate this style of clothes for men or women. In this case, men should wear khaki pants with button down shirts (wear t-shirts under the button downs so they don’t show). Women should wear slacks (pants) or skirts with blouses (no low cut tops) and minimal jewelry – no earrings longer than 1 inch!
when you go to your interview make sure that your clothes are clean, ironed, and wrinkle free. When it comes to dressier jobs,”you don’t want to be the guy who shows up in shorts and a T-shirt.”
When you go to your interview make sure that your clothes are clean, ironed, and wrinkle free. When it comes to dressier jobs,”you don’t want to be the guy who shows up in shorts and a T-shirt.”
- Make sure that your clothes are appropriate for the type of job
- Make sure that your clothes fit well
- Make sure that your clothes are not too revealing
- Make sure that your clothes are not too casual
Consider the type of job for which you’re applying when choosing what to wear. Casual employers will appreciate candidates who dress comfortably but professionally. If the job is in an office environment, wear professional attire such as slacks, long sleeve shirts and polished dress shoes.
If you’re applying to a non-traditional job, such as a camp counselor or lifeguard, wear similar clothes to what you’d wear when working. For example, if you’ll be leading hikes, wear comfortable khaki shorts and hiking shoes with a collared shirt and cardigan.
If you’re interviewing for an office job, the best thing to do is dress conservatively. Avoid tight fabrics, short skirts or shirts that are too low-cut. Stick with dark colors like black or blue for your pants and tops. If you want to wear something more colorful stick with accessories rather than clothing. A brightly colored belt can add some pizazz to an otherwise dull outfit without being distracting in an interview setting.
Wear business attire if the interview is at an office. If the job pays more than minimum wage, it’s safe to assume that you’ll need to dress professionally for the interview. You could wear dark pants or khakis with a button-down shirt/blouse and closed-toed shoes — but no sneakers!
If you go to the interview in a t-shirt and jeans, your potential employer will see you as immature, lazy and uninterested in the job.
To avoid looking that way, bring along a dark pair of pants or khakis, a button-down shirt/blouse and closed-toed shoes. Don’t wear sneakers to a job interview! You want to look clean and professional.
Conclusion
To recap, here are a few of the most important things to keep in mind when choosing your interview outfit:
- Keep it conservative. Showing up in your favorite Spongebob Squarepants shirt may be more fun for you than wearing something plain and black, but the employer is going to focus more on your skills than on what you’re wearing.
- Dress for success. Ideally, you’ll want to pick an outfit that makes you feel confident and powerful. That could mean a business suit or an outfit that makes you feel like yourself; either way, feeling like a rockstar is crucial.
- Dress comfortably. It’s hard to be at your best if you’re pulling at imaginary wedgies or tugging down your sleeve line every other second just because it doesn’t fit right—you might not even realize how distracting it is until after the fact. You want to focus on giving your interviewer answers that make them go “wow!” not “ouch.”
