Make The Right Impression: How To Dress For A Business Casual Interview

Ten years ago definition of appropriate interview attire was a lot different than it is today. While business and business casual are still words used to describe the general dress code of an office, there are no longer cut and dry concepts as to what this mean. Should you wear a suit coat and a matching skirt and blouse, or can your wear dress pants and a stylish sweater. Here are so guidelines to help you decide what to wear head to toe for your interview.

• Hair: Ask yourself what hair style you feel most comfortable in and what makes you look best. While you should never just throw your hair up in a pony tail for an interview, you should stay away from overly trendy hair styles. Keep your hair style simple for your interview and make sure it looks clean and well combed. It s also a good idea to keep the headbands, scarves, and fun clips for another day.



• Makeup: Your make up should be kept to a minimum. While ladies like Mimi on the Drew Carey show may have a job, chances are if you interviewed looking like a clown, your resume would be shredded the second you walked through the door. Apply the eye shadow, eyeliner, and blush conservatively and use a sensible color of lipstick or lip gloss. Your goal is to look polished not like you re ready to go on a hot night out on the town.



• Nails: Your finger nails say a lot about you. If they are dirty and chipped your prospective employer may see that as a very negative character flaw and use it against you when sorting through applications. If it s possible, have your nails manicured by a professional. If you re low on time, cash, or don t care to have your nails done by a professional, at the very least, make sure they care clean and well trimmed.



• Top: While it s not necessary to go to your interview with a suit coat, it is a good idea to stay on the business side of business casual. To be safe, a solid colored, tailored shirt is a great choice. Even though the office may have a very casual dress code, you still want to look professional. Stay away from T-shirts, tank tops, baggy sweaters, and patterned shirts.



• Pants/Skirts: Whether you wear a nice pair of tailored pants or a skirt is really up to you. If you re going to wear pants, wear something that fits appropriately. You don t want to see panty lines or a thong sticking out. Wear something that puts you in the realm of professionalism not that puts you on the cover of vogue in other words choose practical over trendy. If you plan on wearing a skirt never wear one that goes higher than slightly above the knee or one that s extremely tight. Wearing a tight miniskirt to an interview will paint you as cheap, not very professional, and will ultimately send red flags to your interviewer.



• Shoes: When deciding what shoes to wear, you may want to keep simplicity in mind. I sensible heel - no higher than three inches- is usually appropriate. It s also generally a good idea to wear a solid color shoe, not one with outrageous prints or neon colors.



• Purse: You will want to carry a purse or a brief case. If you choose a purse, you should find something sleek and stylish that will hold your resume, portfolio, and anything else you may need such as a wallet, lip gloss, breath mints, and a hair brush.

By: Jen Wasilewski

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