Tips on Presenting Your Best Self in a Job Interview
It is important to always make a great first impression in an interview because the way you dress will be the first thing an interviewer will notice when you arrive. We know and understand that we all go through very hard times, but in most cases, you don’t want to show that in your interview.
People always say never judge a book by its cover, but in reality, we all do it unconsciously. When a person first walks into a room the first thing they notice is your appearance, so it is important to dress the way you want to represent yourself to others.
Wearing Confidence
There is time where life can be unpredictable before an appointment or just before work. We’ve all had things go wrong in the worst moment. When unpredictable things happen before an interview and you do not feel your best, always keep calm and poised. Try and keep a positive attitude and be confident with every answer you provide to the interviewer. Don’t go into too much detail about what happened, because it can come across an excuse or make it seem like you do not deal with stress very well.
Showing signs of being stressed out and overwhelmed with a difficult situation can come across as weakness and some positions require you to handle stressful situations and multi-tasking which could lead to you not doing well in the interview. In turn, this could give a bad impression to the interviewer and make it seem like you may not be a good fit for the job.
Dress to Impress Do’s
You want to be casual and clean cut, you don’t necessarily have to wear anything fancy. The general idea is to make sure you bathe, wear deodorant, make sure your teeth are clean and your breath is fresh. You don’t want to give the interviewer the impression that you have bad hygiene.
You want to look as professional as possible.
Men: Wear a nice clean dress shirt with a tie and nice set of khakis. Clean dress shoes. Make sure that you shaved or trimmed the beard. Remove earrings and any other visible piercings.
Ladies: When wearing dresses or skirts make sure they are no more than 4 fingers above your knees. If wearing a button up shirt make sure that you are not missing any buttons. Wear make-up that would look natural, if painting nails wear neutral colors. For jewelry just keep it plain and simple.
Dress to Impress Dont’s
Please do not (and I repeat do not) wear the following:
- Sweats pants
- Pajamas
- Ripped clothes
- Flip-flops
- Too much perfume/cologne
Make sure there aren’t any stains on your clothes or any missing buttons. Do not wear revealing outfits. No shorts or skirts that are too short. It is unprofessional and it would send the wrong message to the interviewer. Remember that too much jewelry and make-up, plus visible tattoos as well as piercings look unprofessional.
First Impressions Matter
Remember the first impression is something that matters the most. Just keep it nice and simple. Make sure that you’re clean from head to toe. Even if it’s an entry-level job you want to dress nice because the ultimate goal is to impress the interviewer. Dressing up for an interview is just as important as having a strong resume. Both are reflections of you. Having both and being prepared will show how great of a candidate you will be for the position.
Angelica Vazquez
Account Manager | Ogden, Utah Staffing Office
Your Employment Solutions
