What to Wear to a Job Interview

According to Jean Baur, a career coach and author of the book The Essential Job Interview Handbook, it only takes interviewers about three seconds to determine whether they like you or want to do business with you in the future. In short, you want to make your first impression count. You’ll want to ensure that you’re prepared and dressed appropriately. What constitutes appropriate, however, can change based on the sector of the job.

Here are our tips on what to wear to a job interview:

Corporate Position

When interviewing for corporate roles, your safest bet is to dress conservatively and formally. Don’t opt for pieces that are too trendy or flashy, as you don’t want your clothing to deter the focus from you and what you’re saying.

Wear a suit, tie, dress shoes, and a neutral dress shirt. You could also don a blazer, collared shirt, dress pants/skirt, flats or low heeled shoes.

Creative Positions

When interviewing for a creative role, your interview attire is slightly different. Utilize colors and subtle accessories to showcase your style and your personality. You do still want the “bones” of the outfit to be professional pieces.

Showcase your style and creativity with a pop of color - whether that be in the form of jewelry, fashionable shoes, or a colored cardigan. You can also follow classic interview attire, but instead of wearing a black suit, wear a gray or navy blue suit. Or, stick to a black suit, but wear a fun tie to demonstrate your creativity and personality (but don’t choose something too flashy or colorful!)

Skilled Trades

Most people believe dressing up for an interview only applies to corporate interviews. However, this is not the case. Although you won’t have to wear formal attire, you should still take care and make sure your clothing are clean, wrinkle-free and don’t show excessive skin.

Wear dark denim or black pants with a plain or simple printed collared shirt, belt, and casual dress shoes. Alternatively, you could wear a knee-length dress with sleeves, knee-length skirt, or a nice blouse with dark denim or black pants. For your shoes, choose something closed-toe with or without a heel.

For our latest tips on interview preparation and career guidance, visit our blog. To learn why our consultants believe you should always dress up for work, click here.