One of the seemingly simplest factors of an interview is what to wear, but you’d be surprised just how often our clients don’t know what’s appropriate attire for an interview. Below we have compiled a list of 4 things you need to consider in our continued series titled Denham’s Dos and Don’ts.
Your outfit sets the first crucial impression to the interviewer so make sure you consider your outfit carefully before arriving.
1. DO wear semi-formal to more formal attire for first impressions.
Just like we eat with our eyes, we judge character based on appearance. It is your chance to make a significant positive impact on the individual or group who is interviewing you. Make sure you get your shirt freshly pressed, with buttoned up collars, suit pants, and dress shoes. Dress to suit the company, so if you were applying for a mechanic position, a nice dress shirt and a pressed pair of dress pants should suffice but for luxury car brand companies, it would be advisable to invest in a proper suit with all the trimmings.
2. DON’T turn up to an interview with your favourite footy shirt, or slogan-studded apparel.
To exude professionalism, your interviewer will probably think you are not taking the position seriously enough if you arrive to an interview with a casual outfit, especially if it is printed with a logo of a company of any sort. This is especially a no-no as you are here to learn more about a new company, not promote one that you enjoy for any particular reason. In fact, many car companies sponsor sports teams so you don’t want your shirt to be a competitor team (that would be embarrassing to say the least!).
3. DO wear your outfit with pride, and make sure you follow interview etiquette in how you wear it.
What we mean is, if you’re wearing a blazer, rather than placing it on the interview table, place it gently on your arm as you sit or carefully lay it over the chair you are sitting on. This is not so much about how you look after your clothes but how considerate you are about the environment around you will earn you brownie points. It suggests that you’d know how to be professional and considerate with clients if the role was client-facing.
4. DON’T roll or unbutton your sleeves.
If you’ve been invited for an interview in an air-conditioned corporate-style office, we’d suggest you abstain from fiddling with your clothing as this would imply you were nervous, or couldn’t deal well with pressure. These elements are very psychological, they allude to internal factors that the interviewer will recall when they are assessing you after the interview.
