DRESS TO IMPRESS
What to wear for a job interview ?

The way we package and present ourselves as a whole, including personal appearance, body language, gestures, facial expressions and voice, represents a significant part of how others judge us. Therefore appearances count! You should work on leaving a positive first impression on that front during a job interview. Whether you like it or not, what you wear and how it looks play a key role in the interviewer's mind when determining how you "fit" within the organization and how "professional" you are. Will dressing properly get you the job? Of course not, but it will give you a competitive edge and a positive first impression.

Having witnessed thousands of interview situations over the years, skill-link.com is pleased to present you with the following advice:

The golden rule for both men and women is: make it clean, neat and fitting with the environment of the potential employer. Clean and neat are self explanatory, "fitting" is the key issue; it means you should look like you belong to the place. For example in an Internet service provider (ISP) or a software house, all employees may be in extremely casual wear; if you wear a suit you would be overdressed. On the other hand going to an interview in a large bank, law firm or a five star hotel chain, wearing anything other than a formal / conservative suit will label you as underdressed.

How do you find out what is proper to wear for a particular job / company? You can either call someone you know that happens to work there, or simply visit the company's offices - under any excuse - and observe the attire current employees are wearing. A good standard is to dress a step above how the best-dressed person dresses for a similar job. When in doubt, go wrong on the conservative side!

You appearance is not only the garments you wear, but the way your hair looks (for men: a well shaved face) in addition to body smell. Both heavy sweat and very strong perfumes would reflect negatively on you!

Here are some key rules to observe:

A. The looks

• Well-groomed hairstyle, (men: hair not too long or too short).
• No body odor (shower before you go) or strong perfume/eau de cologne, your "scent" should not linger after you leave.
• Well brushed teeth and fresh breath
• No gum, or candy in your mouth (avoid smoking unless invited to)
• Cleaned and trimmed fingernails
• Tattoos or Henna: ladies, do not walk into an interview with a tattoo appearing on your arm from your recent party or summer vacation.

B. Garments

A general rule: Wear something that fits correctly. Not too big or small. If it doesn't fit don't wear it.

For men: where formal attire is required (based on your investigation or when in doubt, it is safer to be formal)

• A conservative dark two-piece business suit, ideally dark blue or gray. You should avoid plain black suits, they are too formal and only suitable for weddings and formal dinners, wearing it signals either poor taste or you are not used to wearing suits and this is the only suit you have. Also, refrain from buttoning the bottom button of a jacket.
• A classic long-sleeved shirt, color matching the suit, white and light blue are safe choices.
• A conservative tie (no wild patterns) that matches the colors of your suit and shirt. Best choices for ties are solid, stripes, or small patterns and an excellent color is burgundy or another serious color (avoid pink or yellow). The tie must be properly worn, i.e. not too short (showing your belly) or too long (falling way below your belt line).
• Nicely polished formal black shoes (brown in case you are wearing a brown suit)
• Dark socks should be worn… avoid white socks. The socks should be long enough not to allow any skin to show when you cross your legs.
• A leather belt, fitting the color of your shoes should be worn.

For men: where casual attire is required (based on your investigation):

• Do not make it too casual, try and select a shirt with a quiet color and little if no patterns on single color trousers. No jeans or T-shirt under any circumstance.· Shoes not necessarily formal, but never sandals or sports shoes.

For women: where rather formal attire is required (based on your investigation or when in doubt, it is safer to be formal)

• Where a suit (tailleur) if possible with a skirt or trousers, avoid wearing a dress.
• Trousers or skirt should not be too tight; skirt below-knee length
• Blouses should be cotton or silk and should be white, or some other light color.
• Shoes should be low-heeled.
• Make-up should be minimal, with lipstick and nail polish conservative tones.
• Jewelry should be conservative and kept to a minimum.

For women: where smart casual attire is required (based on your investigation)

• No suits (tailleur) is necessary, a blouse and skirt / trousers would do.
• Other rules of formal attire apply.

To summarize to both men and women: garments should be clean and well ironed. The shoes must be really well polished.

And finally, your appearance is not only the garments you wear and your cleanliness (odor, hair, teeth and nails); it is also affected by your posture (how you stand, walk, sit, talk and shake hands). Posture sends out a signal of your confidence and power potential. Stand straight, walk straight, and most of all sit straight. Please remember to start with a firm handshake; regardless of your interviewer being a man or a woman.