What to wear to an interview

Congrats!  You have an interview.  Now, what are you going to wear?  There are many ways you can go with this and a lot of it depends on where you are interviewing.  What industry is it in?  What is the culture of the company?  Who are you meeting with – HR or the CEO?  Do your best to talk to other people you know who work in the industry or look around on the company website to get a sense for what it’s like to work there and what people typically wear.  Of course you want to be professional and make a good first impression, but you also want to be comfortable and look appropriate.  Here are some ideas for what to wear to an interview depending on what type of job it’s for:

What to wear to an interview in a creative industry (advertising, design)

Interview in the creative industry

What to wear to an interview as a teacher

Interview as a teacher

What to wear to an interview at a corporate company (financial services, law firm)

Interview at a corporate company

Still need help deciding what to wear?  Leave a comment or email me (kristen@theclothingmenu.com)!

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    12 Comments

  1. 2011/04/07 at 21:18

    thank you for this post! i work in a school and have been hiring and interviewing applicants lately, they need to see this! wearing some acid wash looking jeans and neon pink shirt from the 80′s doesn’t fly!

  2. 2011/04/07 at 21:26

    That will be one stylish teacher! Loved the booties/shoes you chose! -xo

    Ladyofashion

  3. kristen
    2011/04/08 at 10:02

    Ha – wow Reni. Yes, acid wash jeans aren’t good for someone interviewing or just wearing day-to-day! :)

    Madison – thanks! Guess the teacher thing does depend on what type of school you are teaching at – this outfit isn’t necessarily appropriate for all schools!

  4. 2011/04/08 at 12:37

    Loving all 3 looks! I am totally wanting the entire look #1 though…. cute cute!

  5. kristen
    2011/04/08 at 14:37

    Yeah – #3 is my favorite too Jaime! Good thing I work in advertising and can wear things like that!

  6. 2011/04/08 at 21:30

    I work in a very conservative industry and it constantly amazes me what people think is appropriate to wear for an interview. Your outift #3 sums up perfectly what look you should be trying to achieve:

    neutral colours
    minimal (or no) jewellery
    skirt below the knee
    cleavage covered up
    heels OK, but only if you can walk in them ;)

    I only wish some of the people I’ve interviewed over the years (many of whom appeared to think it appropriate to dress for a party) had seen this first!

    SS

  7. 2011/04/09 at 16:35

    i loooove the suggestions! i want to wear the first one :)

  8. 2011/04/10 at 9:05

    Ha if I ever get an interview, which is very unlikey, I’ll definitely take this stuff in to consideration. Its so hard to be fashionable in the work place. I love the first one, especially the Michael Kors bag, simple yet chic.

  9. kristen
    2011/04/11 at 22:16

    Thanks ladies and thank you Sydney for agreeing with my recommendation on what to wear in a corporate setting. It is definitely amazing to hear that so many people don’t dress appropriately for interviews!

  10. ER
    2011/04/13 at 12:35

    Great post, K. What about a 2nd interview? Does it have to be the suit route again or how about a nice trou and tailored shirt? Is this a good time to show off a little more personality or should I continue to keep it conservative?

  11. kristen
    2011/04/13 at 17:19

    Good question Erica. Depends who your second interview is with. If it’s with the person who would be your poss, don’t go too casual. If it’s with someone who would be your boss, it’s ok to dress it down a little, but you still need to keep professional!

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