Knowing how to dress for an interview can be just the boost you need to get the job. Those first few moments when you meet a new person are always important, no matter how hard we try to deny it. They're even more important when you're searching for a job. The precious ten minutes you spend in an interview are often all you have, besides your resume, to make a good impression.
While it's always important to be an individual and have personal style, it's also important to know when to tidy things up and appear generally approachable. You want to show your best possible face during an interview, so stick with neutral fashions.
Basic Interview Dress Rules
The safest outfit any women can wear to an interview is a modest, but flattering, dress or skirt suit. Your skirt should end below or at your knee when standing and only an inch or two above the knee when sitting.
Pant suits are becoming more acceptable in women's fashion, and you can probably get away with wearing one to an interview. Try to avoid anything too stylized with extreme cuts or lavish decoration. Stick with a simple and nicely tailored jacket with matching pants.
Keep the neckline of any tops well above the cleavage line. You can wear something a little flirty and playful, just not too plunging or risqué. A well-fitted suit jacket looks as smart on a woman as it does on a man. Vests and scarves can also add an acceptable flair to your outfit, just avoid looking too casual by wearing sweaters or knit vests.
Always keep your legs covered for an interview. If you choose to wear a dress or skirt, make sure to throw on some pantyhose too. Open-toe shoes are never acceptable, since you'll need to wear socks or hose, which look tacky with open shoes.
You want to be as close to average height as possible, so pay attention to how high your heels are. Tall women should wear flats or very low heels to appear less intimidating. Short women should wear higher heels, but never stilettos, to appear more powerful.
 | Structured interviews with canned questions have become the norm at many companies. Structured interview questions may seem impersonal or even silly, but they're designed to ensure candidates are evaluated on equal terms. By remembering that interviews are more about chemistry than specific answers, you'll ace those structured interviews. |
 | What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest weaknesses? Name the biggest problem you've ever faced in the workplace. How did you solve that problem? |
During a job interview, you might fumble the answer to a question, or your mind will go completely blank. But, at other times, the problem with the interview isn't you. Interviewers who haven't been trained properly or who are trying to screen out candidates for reasons other than their qualifications might ask you personal questions that are awkward at best and illegal at worst. This Q&A can help you handle these nosy interview questions. |
Make sure you dress for success for your next interview to show that you are professional and interested in the job. |
During the days when I was still looking for a corporate job, I often wondered whether hiring managers sat around all day, thinking of the toughest interview questions to make prospective employees uncomfortable. |
