As much as we hate to acknowledge it, first impressions, including how we dress, matter a lot in the world of college, jobs, interviews, and meetings. So in light of this harsh reality, here are some tips on how to dress for success.
You don’t need a lot of clothes for interviews, but what you have should be of good quality, fit properly, and be clean, ironed, and reflective of current business styles.
Business Professional
Women
- Conservative pant suit, skirt suit, or suit dress with jacket
- Blouse: without frills, preferably of a solid color
- Skirt: hits the top of the knee, avoid extreme slits
- Shoes: Shined basic close-toed, small or medium heels if heels are chosen
- Jewelry: limit to a few subtle pieces
- Nails: Short to slight medium length and polished
- Portfolio and small handbag
Men
- Face: well groomed or shaved
- Hair: well groomed and professional looking
- High quality dark suit (black, navy blue)
- Jacket: button American-cut blazer/jacket when standing
- Shirt: solid white or blue buttin down
- Tie: subdued, traditional
- Belt and shoes need to match (not brown shoes and black belt)
- Shoes: shined black or cordovan shoes
- Socks: dark, mid-calf socks
- Accessories: watch (nothing extremely flashy), avoid other jewelry
- Portfolio
Career Fair Tips for Everyone
- Bring a portfolio to hold resume copies and a pen
- Have clean, manicured fingernails
- Don’t wear too much cologne/perfume
- Don’t smell of smoke, alcohol, or other drugs
- Wear shoes that are well maintained
- Iron/press your clothing
- Select clothing that isn’t too tight or too loose
- Limited chest should show
- Look as yourself: is your hair neat? Is your shirt tucked in all the way around Is your tie knotted properly? Did you cut the slit tacking of your new coat and/or skirt?
Business Casual will vary greatly depending on the work environment. Remember to dress for the job you want, not the one you have, and that the goal is to be remembered for your contributions to the workplace, not your trendy wardrobe. However, there are certainly exceptions, like if you work in fashion for example. There is also a difference between business casual and just casual
Not Job Search Appropriate
- t-shirts
- Shorts
- jeans
- short skirts
- flip-flops
- tight or baggy fits
- excessive perfume or cologne
- missing buttons, tears, or rips
