A common question when preparing for an interview is on what to wear. A tie? A blazer? Is a dress okay or pants? Are sneakers too casual?How does one determine what's appropriate and what's over the top?
First, it's important to understand that dress is only one factor when it comes to making a first impression. There's also your personality, grooming, how you talk, your body language, your portfolio and resume. It's a long list of things that contribute to another person's overall perception of you. Remember the interview scene in The Pursuit of Happiness? Chris Gardner (portrayed by Will Smith) shows up to his interview in dirty clothes that he had been painting in. The executives are visibly disturbed by his appearance, but in the end his reputation and his personality win them over. These made a greater impact to their impression of him than his lack of appropriate attire.
Nevertheless, when it comes to clothes, it's never universal. Every place of work is unique. What do the people at this prospective employer dress like? Are they casual, business casual, semi-formal? Go on their website and look at the team photos; this is a curated picture of how the leadership wants to present itself and a good hint at what they might expect a prospective new team member to look like.
Model your interview wardrobe after what you know (and learn) about the group of people you are going to meet. If you know someone at this firm, ask them what they recommend. Our main aim is to not drastically over-dress (a tuxedo, for example) or under-dress (your pajamas). We want to be somewhere in the middle. Do your research and dress according to your audience.
A hiring manager told me years ago that it's always a good idea to dress slightly above the average of the place you are interviewing at. For me that meant, if they wore jeans, then I wore chinos, if they wore t-shirts, then I wore an untucked button down. It always proved to be a fruitful strategy.
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