Your first interview is typically your first step towards your career. Maybe you are just out of college or school, a first interview is always going to be your first experience of the hiring process. Even though first interviews are far less thorough than the following interviews you still want to make the best impression.

One of the things that you have to keep in mind is that your outfit is going to differ from company to company and from job position to job position. There are some “rules” that apply to the vast majority of interviews and we are going to see them below.

Don’t wear bright and flashy colors

While wearing bright colors is a good way to impress when you are out, it’s a big no for interviews. Wearing bright colors such as red is not appropriate for the majority of the interviews that you are going to attend. Even though, there are still some exceptions for job positions that could allow you to wear bright colors.

Don’t over-do it on Perfume or Cologne

You should avoid intense perfumes since there are people with allergies that could be irritated by your smell. The right way to do it is to put on a light perfume before the interview or don’t put one at all.

Keep Accessories to the Minimum

Both men and women shouldn’t wear a lot of accessories. Men should avoid wearing fancy or bold watches, ties or anything that you might wear at a bar. On the other hand, women should avoid excess jewelry. Opt for classic jewelry such as classic studs. Necklaces sunglasses etc. should be avoided.

What to wear on your first interview

In order to decide what you will wear at your interview, you need to examine the company and to get a sense of the level of formality that is appropriate. Have a look at the photos of the company on the Social media Profiles and try to see what the employees are wearing during their day.

For casual workplaces, smart casual job interview attire is appropriate.

For women:

  • Dark jeans, a t-shirt and optionally a cardigan
  • A knee-length skirt and a shirt or a blouse
  • You can wear flat shoes or heels in both cases. Just make sure to avoid open-toe shoes

For men:

  • Dark jeans or chinos and a shirt or formal polo
  • This can be worn with any smart casual shoes such as boat shoes, Chelsea shoes or even single color slip-on.

For a business casual environment, you’ll need to dress up a bit more professional.

For women:

  • Dark color dress pants or dark color pencil skirt
  • White or light color shirt and cardigan or jacket
  • Neutral color flats or heels

For men:

  • Black or navy dress pants with a belt, shirt, and single color
  • A blazer if it’s cold
  • Oxford shoes or loafers

For a formal workplace, you will need to dress up fully professional

For men:

For Women:

  • Dark color tailored dress with matching jacker or suit pants or pencil skirt with a matching jacket.

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay