What is appropriate dress for interviews in our business casual world? As a Technical Recruiter working for one of the largest staffing firms in North America I am often asked this question by my consultants prior to sending them out for an interview. It seems that this question is much more common now, when the employment market has been at its worst levels, than at the beginning of my career in the 90’s when there seemed to be too many jobs and not enough people. Somehow in the past decade it seems that how to dress "appropriately" for an interview has become a lost art. It is no wonder, it seems every company has moved to some variation of business casual and trust me the variation is wide. I have seen companies where business casual means replacing suits and jackets with trousers and golf shirts; whereas other companies have adopted a "whatever goes" attitude where people wonder around in shorts and flip flops. When facing the prospect of interviewing with a company there is a litany of information available about the company products, profits, business model, etc...But is often hard to decipher something as basic as the dress code. While this topic does seem somewhat silly, dress code does say a lot about the company’s unspoken culture. How you dress on your first meeting with a prospective company does leave an impression of how you will fit in with the environment. That being said, here are some helpful tips on how to dress appropriately and feel confident about your dress choices going into an interview. Generally speaking using some "caution" and dressing a bit more conservatively is always the safe way to go.
Dress a Level Up. There is a saying, "Dress for the position you want, not the position you have". Generally by dressing a level up from the position you are interviewing for you are starting off the interview with a good impression. It shows the interviewers that you care about this opportunity and cared enough to dress appropriately. Even if the work environment is business casual and your interviewer is dressed casual, remember they are already working at the company you are interviewing with, you are not. They do not have to follow the same interview etiquette and rule you do. Unfair, probably – but it is what it is.....so generally "Dress for Success".
Exercise some "Caution" in your Fashion Choices. I for one have been known to wear a red shoe, flashy color, or jewelry that is a bit more edgy to work. However in an interview, you don’t know the dress code and culture, so here it is best to follow the rule of "less is more". Many experts will tell you that within 1 minute of the interview the interviewers can tell whether or not they are interested in the person they are speaking with for the position. Pretty frightening when you think about it, that means in about 1 minute the manager is deciding whether or not you are a real candidate for the job or not. If in that minute they have decided that you are not a fit, they have stopped listening to you and are moving on to other things. So yes, first impressions do matter. By being a bit more conservative in your fashion choices you will not un-intentionally disqualifying yourself from consideration on the position. Again, is this unfair judgment – probably, but it is what it is.
But the Dress Code is Business Casual, Why Can’t I dress Business Casual in the Interview? The answer is simple: You do not work there yet. You should not assume that your definition of Business Casual is the same as the company you are interviewing with. This also gets back to the points made above. You are trying to impress a company and get hired for the position you are interviewing on. By dressing a step above, you are showing respect for the company, the interviewer, and this will also provide you with an extras boost of confidence – which is always a good thing right before you enter an interview room.
Always use your Best Judgment. While the general rule is to dress in a Business Professional Manner, it doesn’t mean you always need to be in full business suit. In many cases a Shirt, Tie, & Nice Dress Slacks (for men) and a nice blouse, dress trousers/skirt (for women) is perfectly acceptable. Just keep the style and colors relatively simple and conservative and then you have struck the balance between dressed up and casual.
Be Aware of Personal Hygiene. While to many people it is pretty obvious to make sure that you are well groomed for an interview, there is also such a thing as "over-groomed". Go to any store and there is a litany of choices of scented soaps, creams, shampoos, body sprays, colognes/perfumes, hairsprays, etc. When interviewing use caution on the amounts of scented products you use. What may smell appealing to you may actually be distracting and in some cases unhealthy to your interviewer. People don’t always realize how overpowering their perfume or cologne is to others. I have even had some clients request before an interview that the consultant we have interviewing not wear any scented lotions, colognes or such. In most cases it is distracting, but in some cases the customer has a medical condition, like asthma/allergies/etc., where heavy doses of cologne and perfume can actually make them sick. Nothing will ruin an interview quicker than when you make the hiring manager physically ill or so distracted by the cologne/perfume/lotion you are wearing that they can’t even focus. It sounds far fetched that someone would be so over groomed that it can actually distract, but I have had numerous people come in to interview with me and I have been so over-powered by their cologne and perfume that I couldn’t even think.
At the end of the day it can feel a bit like you are playing a game. Why should you have to dress differently than what you wear everyday for an interview. I get it; if I had my choice I would work everyday in T-Shirts and Yoga Pants. But the truth is that our professional image is important and the image you portray does reflect on you, and yes, as unfair as it sounds; you are judge based on your appearance. When you are interviewing for any position, you are taken more seriously dressed like you are going to work than if you were dressed for a day at the beach. Just some food for thought.
