What Not To Wear to an Interview

Now, it is time we consider what you shouldn’t wear to your interviews.

While the right interview attire could set you apart from other job candidates, the wrong one could actually bring down your confidence and morale. You wouldn’t want your outfit to kill your chances of getting a hold of your dream job. If you do not have the right outfit, you can shop for one. An interview is a good reason to shop for clothes. You can actually revamp your interview wardrobe so that when you set out for that interview, you would strike the right chord and outshine others.

If you had made a mistake in the past, when next you go for your interview, make sure you do not make the same mistake. Here are some tips to guide you on the don’ts for your interview attire.

Tips and what not to wear to an interview

Below we discuss a couple of commonly made mistakes and what not to wear to an interview

1. Don’t go all flashy

If you are going for business interviews, get subdued attires. We don’t want you looking flashy and too bright for your interviews. Recruiters don’t want that either; it is distracting. Solid colors like black, grey, brown, or navy blue are still the best option when you are trying to portray professionalism. You can still accent to colors but don’t use too bright colors, otherwise, stick to your dark or neutral colors. Flashy outfits ma, however,r be allowed if you are interviewing for jobs in the creative and fashion industry.

2. Don’t be overly casual in your dressing

Even if it is a casual interview you are going for, don’t get too comfortable wearing clothes that are super- casual. Remember the interview is not a guarantee of hiring you; they are still testing the waters with you. Therefore, you have to be careful not to be too formal.

What comes to your mind when you hear casual dressing? Let me guess, pajamas, wrinkled dresses, headgears, hoodies, hats, shorts, flip-flops, ripped jeans? Great, they are all casual wear, but please don’t make the mistake of wearing those to your interview even if it is a casual interview. Wearing them could send the wrong message that you are simply nonchalant and not interested. It could ruin your chances of being hired.

3. Don’t wear ill-fitted clothes

We want you oozing some aura of confidence and charisma so please don’t go in there wearing clothes that look like you were thrown inside them. If you are swimming inside your suit, no matter how expensive the suit is, its wrong size will downgrade you. Likewise, if they are too tight, it would make you look like an unserious person. Professional recruiters frown at tight clothing, as it could form a major distraction for them. If the ones you have are in bad condition as mentioned above, then please get new ones for your next interview. If you feel the ready-made ones are too expensive and you cannot afford them, then you can arrange to have your tailor sew one with the right measurement for you.

4. Don’t wear too- revealing or ripped clothing to your interview

When planning for your interview attire, fashion trends for parties should not be your source of inspiration. Do away with any clothing that would reveal your underclothing or put your cleavage, midriffs, or excessive skin on display. Do not wear hole- filled or ripped clothing to your interviews all in the name of fashion. While ripped or sexy clothing could be trendy and could boost you outside of the work environment, it would only bring you down in the interview. Stick to the modest outfits.

5. Don’t go overboard with the accessories

Accessories form part of our dressing and complement our attire to a large extent but wearing too much of it to your job interviews is just not acceptable. Even though men are not left out in this, this is much more applicable to women. Your accessories should not be distracting to your interviewers and your fellow job applicants. Avoid too much or conspicuous jewelry and unnecessary facial piercings. Do not wear your perfume heavy or go for one that does not have a heavy scent.

6. Do away with all forms of distraction

We are emphasizing this because we want all attention to be on you, what you are saying and what your person has to offer to the company and not on some irrelevancies such as how heavy your eyelids were lined and how your eyebrows were drawn. Light make up will do. If you must wear jewelry, then just stick to your watch and not so bold earrings. If your watch is the type that comes with an alarm, put off the alarm, or put it on silence. Your hairstyle as well should be made simple and smart or cut to a responsible style.

7. Your shoes too should speak professionalism

Wear shoes that match your attire. Do not think of going too casual to the extent of wearing flip- flops. Even sandals won’t do justice to your interview attire unless maybe they are open-toed or slightly heeled sandals. Too high heeled shoes or brightly colored shoes can be distracting. No, let’s not break our professionalism code at this point. Do not wear ill-fitting shoes as well. The public would notice clothes that do not fit properly, but an ill-fitting shoe may not be noticed until you start limping. If the shoe is undersized or oversized, it is to your detriment, as you won’t be comfortable and free as others. This could be a distraction for you and ultimately have a negative effect on your performance in the interview. Do not wear shoes that are spoilt, tattered, and dirty. Get them polished and shining before your interview.

8. Don’t dress beneath your level

Your dressing or attire should not only depend on the company hiring, but it should also be dependent on the position you are seeking. It would not make sense that you are interviewing for the position of senior staff or the CEO position, and then you are dressed as a junior staff would. We want you to be modest in your dressing, but there is room for some display of charisma. Thus, you should dress up and own your status.

9. Yoga pants or other gym clothes

Athletic clothing such as your yoga pants may sound cool and trendy, but they are still considered inappropriate for interviews. Most conservative companies strongly kick against wearing them to job interviews.

• Do away with all forms of headwear

Hoodies, caps, and hats are not an acceptable outfit for your interviews unless maybe you wear one for religious or cultural reasons such as the Muslim hijabs. Otherwise, they are distracting and can put the interviewer off.

• Tattoos and piercings

Unless you know the culture of your target company and you are sure they would not mind them, then, by all means, try to cover your tattoos and piercings. If you wear a nose ring, you might consider taking it off for your interview. The same applies to multiple earrings. For the men, you might have to remove all earrings if you have them on. Some companies consider them as unprofessional.

In a nutshell, do not wear:

• Shorts
• Ripped jeans
• Tight or short skirts
• Undergarments (pants, bras, boxers) that show outside of your dress or that is visible to others
• Tops that are too short or too low cut and reveals the belly button or cleavage
• Pants that are too low- rise or that reveals the top of your underwear
• Too strong cologne
• Flashy clothing and flashy jewelry
• An outfit that gives you discomfort
• A dirty and rumpled outfit
• Earbuds or headphones
• Visible underwear

Here is a little advice for you:

• Don’t pick your interview attire before knowing the dress culture of the company

When researching a company, you check for everything concerning the company; that includes their dress code. Don’t pick out your attire until you have confirmed the acceptable dress code do avoid feeling out of place. Imagine a scenario whereby you are dressed up all in a suit and tie well knotted only to walk in and notice that everyone else is on casual wear. That feeling of being inappropriately dressed leaves one drained of confidence. It could also make the recruiters question your qualification for the job. You should research beforehand to avoid such embarrassing situations.

• Make plans ahead of time

If you know that you are seeking for a job or you would be seeking for a job anytime soon, then it is only reasonable that you plan ahead of it. Place at least one or two interview attires in your wardrobe so that when the time comes for the interview, you will not be taken unawares.

• shop wisely

There may be a need for you to go shopping if you do not have the appropriate interview attire. You do not have to spend your whole savings on this. Visit shop outlets or online shops but try to use your money judiciously. You might be lucky to see the ones that sell with discounts.

Job Interview Topics – Common Job Interview Questions & Answers

Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!

1. Accomplishments
2. Adaptability
3. Admission
4. Behavioral
5. Career Change
6. Career Goals
7. Communication
8. Competency
9. Conflict Resolution
10. Creative Thinking
11. Cultural Fit
12. Customer Service
13. Direct
14. Experience
15. Government
16. Graduate
17. Growth Potential
18. Honesty & Integrity
19. Illegal
20. Inappropriate
21. Job Satisfaction
22. Leadership
23. Management
24. Entry-Level & No experience
25. Performance-Based
26. Personal
27. Prioritization & Time Management
28. Problem-solving
29. Salary
30. Situational & Scenario-based
31. Stress Management
32. Teamwork
33. Telephone Interview
34. Tough
35. Uncomfortable
36. Work Ethic