A Graduate’s Guide to the Perfect Interview Outfit! *

It’s super stressful when you’re an upcoming graduate. after all of those hours spent juggling late nights at the library for revision, spending hours meeting that 10,000-word target for your dissertation, and trying to find a job to walk into after graduation can get a bit too much. Not to mention that part-time job and trying to have some sort of a social life. When you eventually get invited to an interview, they are often with short notice and come around quickly, which can leave you with little time to decide what to wear! CT shirts, retailers of menswear and suits, gives us some advice:

Casual

Casual dress is more than suitable when you’re interviewing for charity work or a casual unpaid internship. For these types of interviews, it is likely that they won’t expect you to be dressed very formally, and will be far more interested in your personality, and more importantly, your punctuality. It’s always really good to make a positive first impression, so do consider what you’re wearing still.

Women

For women, skirts and dark jeans are appropriate for a casual interview. To ensure you still look presentable, you should avoid mini-skirts with bare legs and ripped jeans. You could wear a smart dress with tights and a cardigan or a shirt-jumper combo with a smart pair of trousers or jeans. Since it’s likely to be a relaxed vibe, you shouldn’t worry too much about footwear. Opt for a smart ankle boot or ballet pump, and perhaps avoid trainers and high heels.

Men

For men, it can be hard to dress casually without looking too underdressed; Dark jeans are definitely appropriate, but similar to our advice for women, we wouldn’t advise to wear ripped jeans. You should avoid wearing joggers or sweaters, as these will not give off the best impression. A safe option would be a long-sleeved top, jeans, dress shoes such as Chelsea boots or brogues, and a smart jacket.

Business casual

Some interviews may specify business-casual attire on the invitation and this is usually because they have this dress code in the office or it may be for an assessment day where you are expected to be there all day and recruiters want you to feel comfortable. If you are unsure what to wear, it’s best to dress too formally rather than too casually to avoid giving off the wrong impression.

Women

With a business-casual dress code, you have more freedom with what you wear than in a strictly professional interview. You could wear pinstripe or patterned trousers with a smart shirt tucked in or wear a smart shirt underneath a long-sleeved sweater. This look gives off a formal impression, whilst not as professional as a shirt and suit jacket would do.

Men

For men, to be appropriate for a business-casual dress code, you should wear a smart shirt. Why not invest in a non-iron shirt? It stays free of creases and there’s no need to rush around with the iron the morning before the interview! Also, if you’re traveling by car or public transport to the interview, a normal shirt can become creased but this is avoided through the non-iron garment. You should avoid a polo shirt, as this is too casual and still steer clear of wearing jeans.

Professional

For formal interviews, you should adopt a professional look. These interviews could be in front of directors of the company for a graduate job or an internship. You want to look your best here; your appearance certainly counts, and with the high level of competition at this stage, you don’t want to fall at any hurdles.

Women

In a professional situation, women should opt for a suit. When it comes to dressing the bottom half, go with what you feel comfortable in. If you decide to wear a skirt, wear one with a hemline just below the knee to avoid it rising and becoming too revealing. A suit doesn’t have to be boring — shop around and discover suits that are tailored in different ways — find one that suits your body shape. When it comes to footwear, heels are acceptable but make sure you can walk with confidence in them. If you don’t feel happy wearing heels, opt for pumps or shoes with a smaller heel.

Men

Men should wear a suit when it comes to a formal interview, too. Wear dark socks to blend in with your outfit and bring a briefcase to look professional. Brogues are a good choice of footwear as they are stylish and smart without being mundane. Choose a tailored suit that you feel represents your style, a slim leg may be best suited for you and your shape. We love a navy suit!

What to avoid

As we can see, the main thing to do is to make sure you feel comfortable in your outfit — it will show in the interview! However, there are a few things that you should avoid such as too much perfume or aftershave and too much jewellery or makeup.