Yay you got the interview!! Now what do I wear? Do I still have any suits? Will they still FIT?? Ok – yoga pants it is! (actually I totally wore yoga pants to my last few interviews. Got all the offers 😉 )
Here’s the thing – your personal experience with this may vary widely depending on any number of factors. The company’s culture, dress code norms or best practices. What’s comfortable FOR YOU PERSONALLY. Of course the pandemic has messed us up in all kinds of ways, moving many interview to a virtual set up. Don’t get me started on the effects of being locked down in my house where all the food is.
In this week’s AMA Friday video, there are a couple of key ideas to consider around dress code and how to navigate this:
Ask The Recruiter!
Seriously. The recruiter knows the company best. Ask if there are any specific expectations for the interview. What’s the typical dress code for day to day? Don’t feel embarrassed or uncomfortable asking! Recruiters WANT you to succeed, and we understand you literally have NO way of knowing this if you don’t ask. So please – ask.
What Makes YOU Feel Good?
OK – I get that biases still exist. I hate it, but it’s out there. Hairstyles, tattoos, piercings, you name it – no matter what your personal style is, there’s some jackass out there who will judge you for it. Let us pray it’s not one of your interviewers. If it is, I hope you have many other opportunities in front of you so you can turn that one down. Nobody should be shamed for their personal style.
Anyway, point being, what puts you in “interview mode”? Maybe that IS a 3 piece suit! Maybe like me, comfort is key. It could also be a significant piece of jewelry (lucky charm, anyone?) or a certain lipstick. In fact, I have a favorite red that I wear whenever I’m going into a critical meeting or speaking engagement. Even if no one else notices, I just FEEL empowered.
THAT is how I want you walking into you next interview. EMPOWERED to slay that job search dragon and come out the other side with an offer!
Check out the video HERE. I’d love to know what’s the CRAZIEST interview attire you’ve ever seen – or worn yourself!
My interview attire story:
I was interviewing for a government position, so decided on business casual, which for me is a t-shirt, and suit. Made it through the 1st round and wore the same outfit for the 2nd round thinking I’d be interviewing with a new group of people. X. When we all noticed my outfit, I joked that if I had known I would have worn another outfit. We had a good chuckle and I was able to then focus on the interview, and not the embarrassment about wearing the same outfit.
Love it! 🙂 I wore a “will burn sage and bridges” t-shirt on a virtual interview once LOL. I was wearing a jacket over it, but the interviewer noticed the design and asked what my shirt said. I was so embarrassed, but we laughed about it and I still got an offer, if you can believe it! Ha!