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You may think that it is easy for men to find their appropriate interview-ready attire, that it is easier for them than women. Many think that a professional look is easy to achieve, just put on a suit. Getting the right interview outfit is not that easy. The first step always is to know as well as understand your audience. If you are applying for a position in a startup that has its workers wearing hoodies and jeans, you do not want to show up in a suit.
Here are some steps you can follow to find your perfect interview outfit easily.
Follow and browse through the social media pages of the company. Look at their official website too, photos, videos of people working in their office and take a note of what they are wearing. This will help you understand the dress code that is followed in the company. Whether the official attire is casual or business, you must dress one step above it.
If you are unable to get a clue as to what their office wears online, think about the industry that you want the job in. Some industries are naturally more professionally and formally dressed. Prefer to dress more towards the professional side if you are applying for a job in the law industry, in the finance sector, for a government job, as a consultant, as a medical practitioner or in the real estate industry. For marketing, PR, multimedia, manufacturing, sports industry, tech India or education, you can get away with a casual business clothing option.
When you are interviewing for a job in the executive position, dress in formals even if the office attire is casual business. This is a reflection that you respect the company as well as have an understanding that a senior-level member of the company has to be formal and presentable as he is looked up to by the team members and as the organization leader. Dress in accordance with the seniority level of the role you are applying for as well as take into consideration the industry and the existing office dress code.
Regardless of the position that you are going to interview for, your goal is that the interviewers focus on your accomplishments and achievements rather than their focus going on your attire. Almost all interview situations for men call for the attire to be understated. This means you want to avoid flashy clothing choices like coloured socks, and head accessories or even printed shirts.
If you want to include accessories in your interview outfit, make it a rule of thumb to not go beyond 3. You can include watches, rings, tie clips or pocket squares. If the company you are interviewing for is formal and requires you to wear a suit, stick to grey or navy colours with white dress shirts and ties. Even with ties, you want to be subtle and avoid patterns for a formal reserved position, but go for a pattern if the job allows it.
If you have followed the above steps, you have your outfit planned. Now what is left to do is to better its appearance. If you have narrowed your choices down to 2 outfits, choose the one with better fitting always. Once before the interview, you must have tried your outfit to know it fits and is devoid of wrinkles and stains. This gives you time to take it for cleaning is necessary and not have a last moment crisis where you end up wearing your second-best suit and lower your confidence. You will also have time to alter the fitting or buy something altogether new if needed.
It is sometimes difficult and confusing to find the perfect ensemble for an interview or any other occasion. Every part of your interview attire should be picked with thought, planning and understanding. This is your first impression of your potential employers. Dressing for success is a key part of a good first impression. Here are some things you can include for the best interview attire.
It is not necessary for you to spend a lot of money or go through intensive fashion magazines for picking your interview clothes. Choose a few basic options, that is the first step to building your attire. Pick clothes that represent style, professionalism as well as tastefulness.
When you have an interview scheduled, it is very possible that you may not be aware of the dress code that the company follows. For non-professional positions and startup companies, it is safer to go for a casual look. For a formal job, stick to formal attire.
If you are not sure what look, casual or formal, the business you are interviewing at follows, you will be safer if you find a blend of a light colour blazer with suitable pants. A beige blazer has a much less harsh tone than suit coats. It is right on the edge between formal and casual business attire. You can wear this without a tie for those interviews where you are not sure of the dress code.
If you are confused about what a business casual look is, choose a sweater and a button-down. Depend more on neutral colouring such as black, brown and navy. These are preferred because they pair well with many different colours of shirts like pink, green, light blue and white. For a less formal interview environment, you can also pair chinos or jeans or khakis with a layered top.
This is usually the other option to a black suit. It is a must-have for an interview wardrobe. It can go with or without ties, depending on what dress code you are following. It will match many of your colour shirts as well. This piece of clothing has a lot of flexibility, so it is a great investment. It will give you the look of class as well as professionalism.
Do not think of ties as boring. Avoid flashy ties with bizarre patterns and prints. But you can experiment with colours. Statement ties work best with button-downs for business casual and with blazers and suits for formal looks.
Match your ties with a button-down if you want to go for a stylish yet sophisticated look. However, put some thought into choosing your button-down. For strictly formal attire use classic colours with no or subtle print. For casual attire, you can try a bolder button and do away with the tie. Find out what your look, your attire is. Ensure that the shirt you wear provides a complement to your looks and does not shadow your personality.
If you want to build a business final attire, you can go for the usual black suit, tie and white shirt. You can also go beyond this look but you have to put care into the coordination of the outfit. You can make use of colours that are modest but yet catch the eye. You can also go for a grey suit instead of a black. It gives the same air of sophistication.
If you are able to add texture to your outfit, it will give you a classy sophisticated look, a twist to an ordinary attire. The textured piece can be the blazer, with button-down and slacks. You can also use a corduroy blazer for the same effect. For a formal look, add a tie as well.
Need more detailing as per your specific case? Or do you need professional help in finding the nit-gritties for yourself? Confused about what to wear to your next interview? Have you covered all aspects of interview preparation? From professional attire tips and wardrobe selection to job interview training, we have you covered. IM Impeccable offers special training courses for Campus to Corporate transitions as well as for those switching companies.
For the best solutions that are tailored to your personal needs, professional goals and lifestyle, contact IM Impeccable today and book a session!
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