Interview Attire, For the Fellas

A few days ago we reviewed professional attire for the ladies, now it’s time to shift our attention to the fellas out there:

Men, you do not have as many options as women when they are dressing for an interview.  You really have few choices on how to dress appropriately for an interview. These tips are for you and should be taken seriously if you really want that job.

• Wear a suit, with tie
• This includes a long sleeve dress shirt, white in color, or matching the suit you are wearing
• Dress socks are a must
• A belt adds to the professional look, even if you do not require wearing one
• Dress shoes should be polished and shined
• Hair should be cut neatly
• Beards and mustaches must be trimmed
• Nails should be cut short and neat
• Briefcase, containing your portfolio

Next is a list of what should NOT be worn to an interview and applies to men and women.  If you find that you wear any of these items below, you may want to reconsider how you are dressing for interviews.

• Jeans, t-shirts, shorts, or cut-offs of any kind
• Tennis shoes, boots, or flip flops
• Excessive jewelry, keep it to a minimum
• Overpowering aftershave, colognes, or perfumes (notice deodorant is not included here)
• Cell phones are NOT part of dressing for an interview, leave it in the car
• Do not allow tattoos to show and if you have piercings in places other than your ears, take them out

Common sense rules that you should always apply, even though they are common sense sometimes people just don’t get it.

• Prepare your outfit the day before
• Do not go into the interview with chewing gum in your mouth
• Do not go in carrying a cup of coffee or a bottle of soda
• DO NOT BRING YOUR CELL PHONE INTO THE INTERVIEW

It would appear that this is a quite a bit of information to remember, but it really is not.  Once you have these basic tips down, the rest will follow.

CC Reflection: Think like a professional, dress like a professional, be a professional.

Meanwhile, as for my niece, she did finally get a job using the tips I had given her on how to dress, it is a starter job, but everyone has to start somewhere and the skills she will learn will help her in her future career.

Penned by Sharon Parker
Your CC Connection