College men accustomed to wearing blue jeans, hooded sweatshirts and scruffy facial hair are often clueless when it comes to dressing to impress. Coordinating a wardrobe for a job interview isn't difficult, experts say, but it requires discipline and a few guidelines.
A simple outfit and conservative dress is best in most interview situations, Tara King, assistant director of the Ball State University Career Center, said. If the potential employer has a business casual dress policy, you can dress accordingly if you're hired, but until then, business-formal dress is the way to go, King said.
"You can't go wrong with being more on the conservative side rather than pushing the envelope," King said. "You never know how laid-back or stuffy they might be."
Your best bet on determining what dress is best is asking someone in your field, King said.
Don't pick an outfit that's too flashy or gimmicky, Norman Price, manager of men's suits and shoes at Macy's in Muncie, said. Your interviewer might not have the affinity for lightsabers and TIE fighters as you do, so leave the Star Wars outfit at home. You want your employer to remember you for your qualifications and attitude-¡-¡-not for what you wore, he said.
"Getting a job isn't necessarily about personality," Price said. "I think personality could get in the way in a lot of interviews. Personality will show through regardless of dress."
A modest outfit is best, Price said. You don't necessarily want an interviewer to notice what you're wearing or how your outfit is maintained.
"The most important thing is that they have a suit that fits well and that it's pressed," King said. "Some guys have a nice suit, but maybe they haven't taken very good care of it."
Ask for help from employees at the store you're buying your clothes from. Employees at places such as Macy's can help people coordinate an outfit for a specific interview, Price said.
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