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How to Dress for a Job Interview - Men

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By eHow Contributing Writer
(97 Ratings)
Suit yourself for job success
Suit yourself for job success

Skills, experience and attitude will land you a job, but your interview attire is more important than you think. It's an opportunity to make a good first impression with a potential employer or future boss.

From Quick Guide: Dress for a Job Interview: Men
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  1. Step 1

    Know the company you will be interviewing with, and research the industry that it's a part of to familiarize yourself with the universal dress code. Ask a friend at the company or stake out the front door to find out what current employees wear on the job.

  2. Step 2

    Go in a suit and tie to any company that's part of a more formal industry, such as banking or law. Choose a basic black, dark gray or dark navy suit, a matching tie and black leather lace-up shoes. Borrow anything that you may be leery of investing in well in advance to ensure that it's clean and fits well.

  3. Step 3

    Opt for dressy casual attire for a company that you know doesn't expect suits. Pressed khakis or slacks, a clean, ironed button-down shirt, a belt and a leather loafer will serve you well.

  4. Step 4

    Match the belt to the color of your shoes. Choose black if your outfit consists of dark grays, navys, browns or black. Opt for dark brown if you'll be wearing tans, muted pastels or medium toned colors.

  5. Step 5

    Polish or clean your shoes the night before your interview. Scuff marks on your shoes reveal a lack of forethought and attention to detail.

  6. Step 6

    Keep interview accessories professional. Take a briefcase or nice leather- or vinyl-bound portfolio to carry résumé, references or other pertinent documents. Leave tattered manila folders or college logo folders at home.

  7. Step 7

    Avoid cologne or aftershave that may overpower the interviewer. Place your watch in your pocket once you make it to the front door so that you're not tempted to look at it during the interview.

Tips & Warnings
  • Check your appearance before heading into an interview. Ensure your tie is straight, your teeth are clean and your hair is groomed.
  • Let your talent and personality get you noticed, not your clothes. Save the bright colors, wild prints and trendy fashions for another occasion.

Comments  

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on 6/25/2009 There is a company which helps you to fax your resumes to organizations of your choice for few cents. http://www.find-construction-jobs.com gives you the option to send your resume via fax or email to Construction, Architecture, Engineering and Manufacturing Companies. Seems pretty cool since, we have the choice to select the companies we would like to work with and the cost is just few cents.

willowman1 said

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on 5/24/2009 Looking for a job?, you may need to shop online to see what jobs are perfect for you. You Should look at http://www.Hound.com After reading this article I found a great job search solution is http://www.Hound.com, no matter who you are, you can find the best quality jobs on this site. I like using to look for jobs because it has jobs only from employer websites and far more jobs than you will find on other job boards. It is fun, easy and it really works and you can start right now. I was really impressed by this website and I know you'll love it too. Happy searching

xiara said

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on 2/11/2009 Great!!!

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on 2/9/2009 I was always told to dress two positions above the one you are going for.

kamoguy said

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on 3/12/2008 If you can resist the temptation to look and have a conservative watch with some class it might be worth wearing, as it can leave the interviewer with an impression of your good taste and cast an aura of timeliness about you.

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