How to Dress for an Interview

The first impression you make on a potential employer is the most important one. The first judgment an interviewer makes is going to be based on how you look and what you are wearing. That's why, in many cases, it is still important to dress professionally for a job interview, regardless of the work environment.What's the appropriate dress code for an interview? You'll want that first impression to be not just a good one, but, a great one. In general, the candidate dressed in a suit and tie is going to make a much better impression than the candidate dressed in scruffy jeans and a t-shirt.Here's more on what to wear to an interview for professional, casual and startup companies, when you want to make the best impression.


How to Dress for a Professional Interview

Men's Interview Attire

• Suit (solid color - navy or dark grey)
• Long sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
• Belt
• Tie
• Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
• Little or no jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Limit the aftershave
• Neatly trimmed nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Women's Interview Attire

• Suit (navy, black or dark grey)
• The suit skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably
• Coordinated blouse
• Conservative shoes
• Limited jewelry (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
• No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry
• Professional hairstyle
• Neutral pantyhose
• Light make-up and perfume
• Neatly manicured clean nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Less Formal Interview Attire

When the workplace or the job is less formal, the dress code may be as well. If you're not sure what to wear, it's fine check with the person scheduling the interview. However, it's still important not to dress like a slob. Here are some alternatives:

Business Casual

Start-up Casual

What Colors to Wear 

Wearing the right colors can help convey your confidence, professionalism and your ability to fit into an organization's environment. Here are tips for choosing the right colors for your interview attire.

What Not to Bring to the Interview

• Gum
• Cell phone
• Coffee or soda
• If you have lots of piercings, leave some of your rings at home (earrings only, is a good rule)
• Cover tattoos

Interview Attire Tips

Before you even think about going on an interview, make sure you have appropriate interview attire and everything fits correctly. Get your clothes ready the night before, so you don't have to spend time getting them ready on the day of the interview. If your clothes are dry clean only, take them to the cleaners after an interview, so they are ready for next time. Polish your shoes. Bring a breath mint and use it before you enter the building.

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What can you do better for us than the other candidates for the job?

Since most of us would rather be recognized for our own unique value than being compared to others, it can be challenging when employers ask us to elaborate on what makes us better than other candidates.For example, an employer might ask something like, "What can you do better for us than another candidate?," or, "Why should we pick you instead of someone else?" 


Be Careful When You Answer

this type of question can also be a trap to determine if you have an inflated view of yourself or will tend to be overly critical of your colleagues.  The best approach is usually to view this inquiry as an opportunity to convey your strengths to the employer, without implying that you are better than everyone around you. 

Start With a Disclaimer

It can be helpful to start with a disclaimer that you are not aware of the strengths of the other candidates, and you are sure there are some impressive individuals applying for such an attractive position.  Then you can go on to assert that you do have many assets that will enable you to make a solid contribution if you are hired.You might say, "Although I am not familiar with the others who you are interviewing, I am sure there are lots of talented people applying for such a position. However, given my unique background and experiences, I think I would be a strong candidate for this position."

Follow Up With Your Strengths

Then, you can follow up with a specific outline of your own strengths. But, it is not enough to answer in generalities. You should be prepared to reference 6 - 8 strengths in terms of skills, past experiences, areas of knowledge and personal qualities that will help you to excel in the job. 

Remember that your presentation will be most convincing if you share concrete examples of how you have applied your strengths to add value in jobs, internships, school projects or volunteer work. Describe situations or challenges, actions you took, and results you generated by tapping each asset. Review the description for your target job and identify the aspects of the position that seem to be of high priority to the employer.  Try to share as many of your assets as possible that will help you to carry out the core functions of the job. 

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Interview Question: How Do You View Yourself?

How Do View Yourself? Who Would You Compare Yourself To?

In order to assess your strengths and weaknesses during an interview, an employer might ask you to describe yourself. This type of question can take various forms, from "How do you view yourself?" to "Who would you compare yourself to?"


Best Answers:

The best way to answer is to share some of your strengths, particularly those that match the qualifications for the job.

In addition to discussing strengths that are central to the job, you should also include some other interesting personal qualities that are not particularly relevant, but will provide an authentic feel to your presentation.  For example, for a job in advertising, you might mention how you view yourself as a creative type of person and then also mention that you are a risk taker who enjoys skydiving or bungee jumping.

Follow Up Questions:

Be ready for follow up questions, such as a request for you to cite examples of whatever qualities that you mention. Be prepared to reference situations where you applied that strength and the impact which you had. Another line of follow up questioning might be to ask about your weaknesses if you have supplied a totally positive view of yourself. The best way to answer is to mention a weakness that won't directly hinder the outcome of the interview. For example, mention one that is not central to the job, could be construed as a strength or one that you've worked on to the point that it is no longer actually a weakness.

Comparing Yourself to Other People:

Some employers might ask you to compare yourself to someone else in order to determine more clearly how you view yourself. Generally, you should take a modest approach and avoid comparing yourself to iconic figures in business, politics or the entertainment world. A better tact can be to mention a personally inspiring individual such as an older sibling, parent, teacher or mentor. The key will be to point out some positive, common quality that makes you similar.  For example, you might say "I'm a lot like my Dad; he instilled in me a keen curiosity about scientific phenomenon." In answering this question, the key is to arrive at an answer that presents you in a positive light, but is at the same time humble and authentic.

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Best Answer For Most Common Job Interview

Q: "Tell me about yourself."

BEST ANSWER:

Interviewers will sometimes start an interview with an open-ended question like "Tell me about yourself." It's a way to break the ice and make you feel more comfortable during the interview process. It's also a way for the hiring manager to get insight into your personality to help determine if you're a good fit for the job.

Sharing too much or too little information isn't a good idea. The interviewer
doesn't want to know everything about you, but disclosing too little can make him or her wonder why you aren't more open.

What to Share With The Interviewer

Although it might be tempting to share a list of your most compelling qualifications for the job at hand, a more low-key approach will probably help you to develop a personal rapport with your interviewer. Try starting out by sharing some personal interests which don't relate directly to your work. Examples might include a hobby which you are passionate about like quilting, astronomy, chess, choral singing, golf, skiing, tennis, or antiquing. Interests like long distance running or yoga which help to represent your healthy, energetic side are worth mentioning. Pursuits like being an avid reader or solving crossword puzzles or brain teasers will help to showcase your intellectual leaning. Interests like golf, tennis, and gourmet food might have some value if you would be entertaining clients in your new job.

Volunteer work will demonstrate the seriousness of your character and commitment to the welfare of your community. Interactive roles like PTA volunteer, museum tour guide, fundraiser, or chair of a social club will help show your comfort with engaging others. 

Avoid Politics and Controversy Typically, you would steer clear of controversial topics like politics or religion. It's important to avoid any references to topics that would cause concern about your ethics, character, productivity, or work ethic. You also don't need to share personal information about your family. There is no need to discuss spouses, partners, children, or any other strictly personal information.

Transition to Professional from Personal 

After sharing a few interesting personal aspects of your background, you can transition to sharing some key professional skills that would help you to add value if you were hired for your target job. Consider using phrases like "In addition to those interests and passions, my professional life is a huge part of who I am, so I'd like to talk a bit about some of the strengths which I would bring to this job."

Share Your Expertise

Be ready to share three or four of the personal qualities, skills and/or areas of expertise which would help you to excel in the job for which you are interviewing. Ultimately, you will want to share several other strengths before the interview is over. Make a list of your strengths before you go into the interview, so you know what you will share. Look at the job description and match it with your skills. Then share the top few skills which make you an ideal candidate for the job. However, be careful not to overwhelm the interviewer with too much information. After mentioning three or four strengths, you might mention that you have several other assets which you would like to discuss as the interview unfolds. At first, you should only mention the asset and allude only briefly to some proof of how you have tapped it to your advantage. For example, you might say that you love to give presentations and that has helped you to generate lots of leads at sales dinners for prospective clients.Later in the interview, you will want to be more specific and detailed in discussing situations, interventions and results flowing from your strengths.

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