What to Wear to a Job Interview

What does your interviewer really think about what you wear to the interview? Not dressing appropriately for your interview is high on the list of top 10 interview mistakes.

I did my own survey of hiring managers to find out what they expect you to wear in a job interview. Do they expect to see a female candidate in a skirt or dress? Or are pants OK? What about facial hair, jewelry, suits vs. coordinating outfit, even the heel height on your shoes? Does it affect the salary you’re offered…IF you get the job? I not only got them to vote on it, I got their comments and thoughts. Here is what they had to say:

Is there a preference for a skirted suit or a pantsuit for female candidates?

You might be surprised, but most said no.

64.7% had no preference, although 35.3% preferred the candidate to wear a skirt.

Of the responses we received, many of the managers went on to make some of these comments…

“I believe that a pantsuit would look professional for an interview because skirts can vary in lengths and styles.”
“I would almost always recommend a pantsuit for a woman interviewing for a corporate job. I may only recommend a skirted suit for interviews regarding fashion or retail.”

“I think it is more important that the candidate is comfortable in what they wear and not keep adjusting their clothes.”

“If you wear a skirt that isn’t appropriate, you might not get the job.”

We asked if it would affect their hiring decision, and overwhelmingly, they said it would not—78.8% vs. 21.2% who said that it would. My opinion is that if you would like to wear a pantsuit, which would not hurt you a bit. I would never counsel any of my candidates to prefer one over the other. Just dress professionally.

Does the heel height or shoe style of female candidates matter?

58% say that your shoes matter. From the comments we received, the most important factor was whether it’s a workable length and if the first impression is a stylish impression, and one that communicates professionalism and those other things that you want to communicate in an interview.

Now, for men:

Must a full suit be worn to the interview, or are pants with a coordinating jacket ever acceptable?

52% said a full suit is required, and 47% said that a coordinating jacket is okay.

I will tell you though, I communicate with my male candidates, that I want them to wear a full suit.

Some comments about this were…

“Wearing a suit shows respect to the interviewer, the position and the seriousness of the candidate.”
“Uncoordinated attire shows lack of attention to detail and shows a casual attitude.”

How do currents fashion trends affect interview attire? (For example: If a candidate wears cuffs on pants that are not in style?)

Here’s what managers had to say…

“Looks are very important (especially in the sales industry). If you look outdated, then more than likely, you will not be taken seriously.”

“If the clothes look too far out of date, you wonder that other current information the applicant is missing.”

But most seemed to think that if you dress professionally, you won’t be out of style.

Is a tie a must for male candidates?

Almost 90% said yes, wear a tie. 10% said that the tie is optional. So definitely wear a tie. What kind of tie? They said things like,

“A solid or stripe is fine; not too trendy or flashy.”

“Just conservative…no loud colors or pictures.”

Do you notice a candidate’s briefcase/portfolio?

No one really talks about this, but it’s important to know that 93% of them notice what you’re carrying.

Do you notice a candidate’s jewelry?

93% also said that they notice your jewelry. They said don’t overdo it; keep it simple; less is more.

Have you ever rejected a candidate because she/he wore too much perfume or cologne?

There are a few that noticed this. Over 35% of these hiring managers didn’t hire someone because that person wore too much perfume or cologne.

Does a male candidate’s facial hair affect your evaluation of him?

82% of sales managers said that it does affect the evaluation. They want clean cut candidates. If you choose to sport facial hair anyway, it absolutely MUST be trimmed, clean, and well-maintained.

I actually lost a candidate this year because of this. The company really liked him; they wanted to make him an offer, but they couldn’t get past the facial hair. They felt that his goatee didn’t communicate the professionalism required in order to make connections needed.

Do short hairstyles make a female candidate seem more professional than long hairstyles?

85% said no. As long as your hair is clean, well-maintained, neat, and polished-looking, most are fine. But it does matter a lot.

Does what a candidate wears affect your intentions toward what salary to offer?

46% of sales managers said that it does. I can tell you that it does for me as well.

Can a candidate be overdressed for the interview?

Yes they can…53% said you can overdress, 46% said no, that’s not possible. But if you’re wearing wedding garb instead of professional business, you might be over dressed.

Do you ever tell candidates to wear “business casual” to the interview?

Some said yes, and I would suggest that you need to be very careful about business casual. I think you should dress one step above what you think business casual should be, because this is still an interview. But if they ask for business casual, follow directions.

A couple of common comments were these:

“If they were told specifically “business casual” and they came in a dress-suit, they don’t have good listening skills.”

“This can often be a simple test of whether the candidate can follow instructions.”

Are there any interview faux pas that you have experienced that you can share?

They opened right up about these:

Chewing gum

Answering cell phones

Pushy personalities

Using cuss words

Rambling

No eye contact

Way too much eye contact

Unkempt clothing with wrinkles

Will you give us a specific example of how interview attire has affected your decision on a candidate?

We had a manager talk about athletic shoes… “So Cal candidate came into an interview in athletic shoes and a t-shirt. His demeanor was a stereotype for southern California as it relates to informality. I thought he was more interested in having fun and relaxing that in progressing professionally.”

Another said: “Trashy outfits stop the interview before it starts. I talk with them for appearances sake, but always find an early exit. Men in suits so tight they are obviously over tailored to show off their physique are in the same boat.”

How has your interview attire expectations changed over the last decade?

The overall opinion seemed to be “no.” They believe that professional dress is professional dress, and that doesn’t change much.

“Not much. What is professional is professional, no matter what era or decade we are in.”

“I expect decent, professional attire- even from support staff- during all interviews.”

I hope this information was helpful to you and I wish you the best of luck in your next interview.