How to Dress for a Job Interview - Women

By eHow Careers & Work Editor

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Perfect grooming is your first assignment when you interview for a job, whether you want to be a CEO or an entry-level factory worker. To a prospective employer, how you dress says a great deal about you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Call the receptionist or secretary at the prospective employer's office for tips on what employees there wear.
Step2
Consider the job's location. If it's a library in a strip mall, you can wear a sweater and slacks. At a corporate office, wear a conservative business suit. A pantsuit with a sweater or blouse is appropriate for an informal office.
Step3
Choose between closed-toe shoes, pumps and loafers. If you are wearing a skirt, nylons are a must.
Step4
Avoid miniskirts, tight sweaters, sloppy overalls and sandals with straps.
Step5
Check your outfit for holes, tears, stains, scuffs or wrinkles.
Step6
Tone down the use of makeup, hair spray, perfume and jewelry. One nose ring is one too many and may cost you the job of your dreams.
Step7
Inspect your hair, nails, hems and the shine on your shoes.
Step8
Wear a silk scarf and carry a nice briefcase or portfolio. Leave the oversized, disorganized handbag at home.

Tips & Warnings

  • You have one chance to make a first impression; it's better to dress too formally than to dress too casually.
  • Trendy is fine, as long as you keep your style subtle. Clothes make a strong statement about you. What do you want to say?

Comments

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on 6/23/2008 Hi everyone!

I came across this great blog which posts tips and tricks on dressing in the professional world. Recently they posted two guides for interview attire - one for women and one for men.

Guide to dressing for Interviews (Men):

http://execstyle.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-dress-for-interview-mens.html

Guide to dressing for Interviews (Women):

http://execstyle.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-dress-for-interview-women.html



And the blog itself is execstyle.blogspot.com - there are some great tips there.

Take care!

-J. Martin

Flag This Comment

on 6/23/2008 Hi everyone!

I came across this great blog which posts tips and tricks on dressing in the professional world. Recently they posted two guides for interview attire - one for women and one for men.

Guide to dressing for Interviews (Men):

http://execstyle.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-dress-for-interview-mens.html

Guide to dressing for Interviews (Women):

http://execstyle.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-dress-for-interview-women.html



And the blog itself is execstyle.blogspot.com - there are some great tips there.

Take care!

-J. Martin

kmayra said

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on 10/21/2006 Be confident. Even you don't have have a lot of experience, training or education being secure and confident in what you want and say. Also, go for a specific position, never say you're applying for any position available.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 9/9/2006 Avoid the classic navy interview suit with a white blouse unless the company expects all its employees to dress that way routinely. Your suit in most cases should be conservative but with a little style. For example, when I wore a back skirt and high quality matte sweater top with a black and white wild print jacket that was cut in a feminine but business-like pattern, the president of the company, kept me in his office for 2.5 hours and promised me an offer. I wore conservative shows, classic makeup and hairstyle and no jewelry except a gold work-related pin in my lapel. The colors were conservative, but the feminine shape of the suit and the wild abstract pattern made this a suit that showed both conservative values and confidence that comes with individuality.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 8/8/2006 BE COMFORTABLE!!!!
Wear something that is conservative & corporate, but alos says who you are. i always pick something unmistakably Sarah to wear. If they don't like your dress, jewellry or hairstyle when it's toned down, do you really want to work for them?

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