Recently, a friend of mine attended an interview for a practicum placement for her doctoral program. As a doctoral student with well-developed interests in forensic psychology and over a year of working at the U.S. Probation Office, she knew that the interview for the practicum placement—which was at a maximum security state prison—would be unlike most. For good reason, each of the interviewees were instructed long before the interview to wear something “casual”, insofar as part of their interview would include a tour of the prison. Imagine my friend’s surprise when she discovered that the person with whom she was carpooling to the practicum site not only categorically dismissed this advice, but decided to wear a sheer top with a low cut front and back into a maximum security prison. Unfortunately, her carpooling buddy learned the hard way that while dressing-up may impress your interviewers and project an air of professionalism, her decision to attend an interview in such garb in this instance actually demonstrated a lack of professionalism and judgment. However, her choice of garb, even in another context, would have been interpreted as unprofessional.
Have you ever toiled over the decision of what you should wear to an interview? It’s not an easy decision. While much emphasis and weight is given to the answers you supply while in the interview, how you dress says as much about you as your answers to hard questions. Dress, within the context of an interview, should not be taken lightly; though, as my friend’s carpooling partner learned, not every interview demands that applicants come in parading their nicest apparel. Specifically, there are a few things you may want to keep in mind when dressing yourself for an interview.
- The position. Obviously, if the position you are seeking and the interview for involves something more than a discussion—taking a stroll through a maximum security prison, delivering a foal, or repairing machinery, for example—you may not want to wear your Sunday’s best. Thinking carefully about the position for which you are interviewing, what that interview may entail, and what the expectation of your interviewer may be.
- Instructions. If you are provided explicit directions about how to dress to an interview, even if you mean well and are trying to put your best foot forward, employers want to know that job applicants are capable of following even the simplest of instructions.
- Use your mirror. Regardless of whether you are instructed to wear casual apparel or are dressed to the nines, it is important that you use your mirror as a means of refining your look and ensuring that you present yourself in both a tidy and professional way.
If you have additional questions about what is, or is not appropriate, feel free to email the Office of Career Services at careerserivces@apus.edu.
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