in this video we're covering our two rules on how you can decide on what to
wear to an interview and how to dress for an interview for three of the most
common work environments you'll walk away with outfit choices for the three
different work environments and we'll even include a free download that can
really help you what's your favorite thing to wear to a job interview do you
have a go-to uniform tell us in the comments below
I'm Norma Goodwin founder and CEO of career contessa a career site built for
women be sure to like this video and subscribe because we dropped videos
weekly in person job interviews are nerve-racking for a whole bunch of
reasons but one is because you're making that first impression with your
hopefully potential employer part of that first impression is about how you
present yourself and that includes what you're wearing when dressing for a job
interview we recommend following two golden rules 1 wear something you're
comfortable in and to wear something that makes you feel confident being
comfortable will really help you relax so you can focus more on the
conversation that you're having with your interviewer versus oh my goodness
my high-waisted pants are cutting off my circulation and if you're feeling
confident you'll perform better in the interview no doubt before your interview
you should have already done your research on the company and have a good
idea of the company culture beyond feeling comfortable and confident your
outfit should really match the work environment let's walk through three of
the most common work environment creative formal and startup startups for
our purposes we're defining a start-up as having a hundred employees or less
compared to other work environments wearing jeans and denim is pretty much
widely accepted in a start-up environment although denim does have a
more professional side stick to a dark wash Jean and add a blazer to really
pull the look together you can choose a nice print or pop of color for your
blazer if you keep everything else pretty neutral try a fitted top
underneath because this is an interview avoid any ripped jeans or sneakers that
would probably be allowed on any other day it's better to be safe than sorry
formal / corporate a safe bet is that a full suit will work really well in most
formal or corporate environments they might even have a dress code that they
talk to you about beforehand examples of these companies may include financial
services consulting government or higher education
try a fitted suit solid navy or black are always safe bets pair it with
classic jewelry comfortable heels and polished hair and makeup
the suit can be long or cropped depending on what you're most
comfortable in if you want to add some Flair try a statement necklace or a bold
lip creative there's definitely more room to experiment with your fashion
where you're going to interview at a creative environment I would just
recommend that even though you want to be creative and show off kind of your
ingenuity and the fact that you might work really well and fit in you
definitely want to keep it more on the professional side examples of creative
companies might be like a PR agency a digital media company or maybe something
that's in the advertising space try spicing it up or showing your
personality with fitted pieces and neat hair and makeup I'd recommend a colorful
pencil skirt a midi skirt or a long-sleeved dress you can pair these
with a bold printed top or a more solid neutral top depending on what you like
best maybe even add in some chunky jewelry pieces for some added style
if you're feeling uncertain or not sure where your company really falls into
with these work environments my general rule of thumb is to overdress versus
under dress remember this is one of the parts that goes into making a great
first impression with the interviewer while what you wear isn't everything our
goal here is to make sure that we're not distracting the interviewer from all the
great things that you're saying and your experience because of what you're
wearing to help you prep for that job interview download our free interview
questions flashcards we walk you through common questions and give advice on how
to give a strong answer what's your favorite outfit or power item to add to
your wardrobe before you go to an interview tell us in the comments below
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