The short-sleeve, skin-tight muscle-T-shirt may flatter Bruce Willis, but certainly will even further expose your rotund tummy.
Understand the corporate culture and you are less likely to commit a faux pas. Making the right impression will not be very difficult if you keep three things in mind.
- Presentation matters
- Don’t dress slovenly
- Dress like you are upward-bound and ready to meet clients
Some guys are lucky. The company has a prescribed dress code and you can follow their directions, just as you’d follow a recipe in a cookbook, down to the last teaspoonful. Just carry the dress code to the store and pick the right stuff.
But many companies, in fact most, don’t have written standards, then the onus is on you to get it right. If you don’t want to get into too many details, here’s a thumb rule. Simple elegance is a hundred times better than wearing what your favorite model or rock stars are wearing.
Remember you are not dressing for your friend’s birthday bash, or going to the pub for a drink with friends. You’re dressing to show your professionalism and competence. When you are interviewing for a job or sitting down to a new one, it becomes all the more important to create a good first-impression. Can you un-ring a bell. Neither can you overcome a bad first impression.
Many kids, in their youthful exuberance, fail to understand the seriousness of dressing up right and have no comprehension of a professional wardrobe. For their entire lives they have spent money on party and fancy clothes. They assume if they look attractive in them, they’ll work for the interview as well.
Here are some basic guidelines.
Dress as you want yourself to be perceived. Serious, professional and corporate cultured.
If you are unsure, play safe. It’s hard to go wrong with a button-down blue or white shirt, polished black leather shoes, a blue or gray jacket and a conservative necktie. The women can wear a skirt that is just above the knee, slacks or pantsuits. Keep the makeup and jewelry simple. Stilettos are out, settle for either polished flats or moderate heels.
Always observe what others are wearing. It is quite likely that they have also put in a lot of thought and effort into deciding what to wear for this important day. Their sartorial choices would be a practical and realistic benchmark for you to follow.
It is also worth knowing what clothes or accessories are absolute no-no’s. Avoiding fashion blunders are one way of not making them.
Loud nail polish, on extremely long or uncut nails, is a real turnoff, too. Your nails should be groomed and neat. Don’t wear facial jewelry. Open-toed or backless shoes, keep them for a more relaxed occasion, please.
Take out all facial piercings and conceal all tattoos – art is what company’s like to see on their walls and not on their employee’s bodies.
Suits are expensive and you may not be able to afford a new one, but you much rather go in a shirt and trousers, rather than an outdated suit. Out-of-date suits create a very poor impression.
Short skirts should never be worn. Ladies should remember not to show too much skin.
Interviews are no places to make a fashion statement and it is not worth the risk. Whatever you wear should reflect the fact that you're a professional.
Make no mistake about it, the interviewer has already based his initial opinions of you by your appearance, even before you’ve opened your mouth to say ‘hello.’ Your outward appearance screams loudly to the people who have just laid their eyes on you. So it is in your own interests that you cash it for it’s worth.
