How to Dress for an Interview

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Vanity FairLingerie. I received product samples to facilitate my review and compensation to thank me for my participation.

Back in the day, I was a manager of a very popular clothing store. One of my job responsibilities was to conduct job interviews. I had always been told how to behave and prepare for an interview, but it wasn’t until I was on the other side of the desk that I realized that how you dress and present yourself is just as important as what you say. What you wear says a lot about who you are and how seriously you take the position you are interviewing for. Here are my tips for dressing for a job interview:

Dress appropriately for the job you are interviewing for. No matter what, I say wear a suit or a dress. I worked for a casual clothing store, but I was still impressed when my interviewees came dressed in a skirt. It is always better to be over dressed than under dressed.

Keep to the basics, nothing to flashy or sheer. Solid, conservative colors are less distracting.

Make sure your clothing fits properly. As a woman, this is the number one offense I see happening during interviews. You don’t want to wear anything extremely tight or low cut. Not only can it be unprofessional, but you will not be comfortable. You want to be as relaxed as possible going into your meeting. As a general rule, if you would wear it to the club or on a date, it is probably not the best look for an interview or work.

Shoes should be in good condition. Stay away from really tall heels. A neutral pump or pair of nice flats are perfect.

You also want to make sure to keep makeup and jewelry minimal and your hair neat and well groomed.

Being a woman in the workplace can be hard, especially if you are currently unemployed and seeking employment, or if you are a single mom. Lucky for us Dress for Success^® is available to help women through this transition, and see them through professional success. Because they believe, like I do, that a job is so much more than a career. It can be a passion, it can be empowering for your self esteem, a job can be the stepping stone to a new life.

You may have heard about Dress For Success’s suiting program. They provide professional attire for women-in-need for job interviews. But their services are so much more than just clothing. Dress For Success started in 1997 serving women living below the poverty line. Today they serve women from all types of backgrounds who are facing difficulties finding or retaining employment in today’s market. 70% of the women they serve are mothers with 2-3 children.

In addition to their Suiting Program, Dress For Success offers several other programs to help women succeed. From interview skills and long term support to financial literacy education, Dress For Success is ready to help you get and keep a job, as well as progress to the professional level they desire to achieve. They really want to make sure that the women they are serving feel self sufficient, meaning not only are they dressed for success, but they feel confident in being independent in all aspects of their life.

Last year, Vanity Fair Bras partnered with Dress For Success to donate over 5,000 new bras to the women they serve. This year they are back with with their amazing support! Find out more about how they are helping here.

What does a job mean to you?