When you are preparing for a job interview, everyone knows that you don’t just need to prepare yourself mentally; you also have to prepare yourself physically. You want to make a good impression, right from the first moment your interviewer lays his or her eyes on you. Naturally, you will want to look spiffy, smart and well-groomed.
If you would like to make a good impression during your job interview, then here are the 5 things that you should avoid wearing at all costs.
1. Cleavage-Bearing Top:
In general, do not show skin. You are going to an interview, not a date. So if you would like to be taken seriously, skip the push-up bra and the plunging neckline. It will turn off your interviewer, and it will minimize your chances of getting the job, without you even saying one word. If you are male, then button up that shirt! Your interviewer would never want to see your chest hair or lack thereof.
2. Wrinkled Clothes:
Nothing says “unprepared” more than a set of obviously wrinkled clothes. You don’t need to wear designer clothes to your interview, but at least make sure that they are clean and neatly pressed. In general, avoid unkempt clothes. Hem those slacks; don’t let it drag along the floor while you are walking. Make sure your jacket or blazer fits you well. Avoid looking lousy, as if you had no thought or effort at all in going to this interview.
3. Red Lipstick:
Put the seductress act away. You do not want to intimidate your interviewer; you want to show him or her that you are capable. If you want to wear make-up, tone down the lipstick. Again, this is not a date. If you stay clear off the red lipstick, you will even avoid embarrassing yourself by getting red lipstick on your teeth.
4. Sneakers:
Unless you are applying for a creative position, ditch the sneakers. Don’t attempt a GQ model style and wear sneakers with that suit. While it may look stylish and quirky, it does not do much for your interview prospects. It just seems immature and trying too hard when you come to a job interview in sneakers. It also looks lazy, as if you could not be bothered with putting on a nice pair of shoes for this interview. In the same vein, women should try to avoid wearing flat and open-toed sandals. It looks really unkempt, and too casual for a job interview.
5. Unnecessary Accessories:
Keep it simple. If you have several ear piercings, skip wearing a few, just leave a pair on. Even if this is your form of expressing yourself, it can be distracting for your interviewer, and might deviate them from focusing on your capabilities for the company. Skip the bangles as well. While these may be fashionable, it will be extremely distracting and annoying, as it clatters and jangles while you are speaking with your interviewer.
Just avoid these 5 things, and you will be on your way to looking great on your interview!
Now read what TO wear to an interview…
