Dressing for success before the Interview

We were always taught never to judge a book by its cover, but what happens if you can only see the cover?

Dressing for success is an important facet of an interview, at the risk of sounding fickle, how you go about dressing for an interview does have an impact!

Avoid Preconceptions

In dressing for success, you ensure that you eliminate any preconceptions about first impressions.

During the interview, if you are concerned about the manner in which you have dressed, then there is less focus on the interview itself, which is essentially more important!

Take the time to consider what defines dressing for success? both from your own, and your prospective employers perspective!

Organizational culture

Different organizations have different cultures and work ethics, this has an influence on dressing for success.

Before the interview, you need to :

  • Conduct research on the type of organisation

  • What are their successful products / services (conservative / conventional / extreme)?

  • Who are their clients (conservative / conventional / extreme)?

  • Are they a bureaucratic / government or private enterprise?

This will not only give you additional insight into the organization, which you can use in the interview, but it will give you an idea of what would be appropriate to wear, in dressing for success in respect of the interview.

Organizational Culture

If the client / service and organisation are of a conventional nature, it becomes quite apparent that dressing for success would not encompass a leopard skin cat suit to be worn during the interview!

An organisation that encourages creativity and risk taking, might lend itself towards a completely different focus determining the definition of dressing for a success in respect of the interview ? you are a lot more likely to get away with your cat suit, or whatever dress is an indication of your own personal and creative style which encompasses your success.

The Interview

During the interview, how do you wish to portray yourself?

Good attention to detail?

If so to dressing for a success in respect of the interview would require a neat appearance. Leaving buttons undone, having a skew tie, would not define, dress for a success at the interview in this context.

Think about how you wish to portray yourself during the interview;

  • Profes

Once this has been defined, it should go a long way in determining how you go about dressing for success. Good luck! But don't forget dressing for success is only one aspect of Preparing for the interview