“What should I wear to my interview?” is becoming a more and more common question. It used to be commonplace that an in-person interview meant dress to the nines, full business suit, with all the bells and whistles. What’s changed? Companies!
As Corporate America continues to shift, so do trends within the office and across the employees. On the same choo-choo train as ping pong tables, office kegs, and sitting on yoga balls, companies are becoming looser on dress code. Do you remember when people would actually get excited to wear jeans to work? Nowadays, people get confused if they can’t wear jeans every day.
This rule clearly doesn’t apply to all companies and there are still a lot of places where strict professional dress is required. However, if you are interviewing for a new position, don’t assume right off the bat that you know what to wear.
Before your interview, research the company; this includes the employees. Check out their Linkedin profiles. Many companies will have employee photos with a cool backdrop or consistent aesthetic. Are they a casual group? Are they making funny faces? Or are they all wearing suits? See if they have a company Facebook or Instagram! You can tell a lot about team culture from group photos and their activities. Do you see trends in attire?
If you are working with a recruiter, you have the keys to the kingdom. They will be able to tell you exactly what to wear and what NOT to wear. They know the company, the team, and what works best for their environment.
So why does this all matter so much, Devan? What if I wear a suit to a casual office?
No, the world certainly won’t crumble. The thing is though, the purpose of an interview is to confirm that you are a FIT for the position, but more importantly the company. You want to identify with the team, as if you already work there. If you walk in wearing a $700 custom-tailored suit and your future supervisor is interviewing you in jeans and a rainbow t-shirt, let’s be honest, the vibe is just going to be off. Now. Don’t go walking in with flip-flops and a tank top, but you get my point right?
