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Identify your transferable skills

What you indicate on you resume as tasks could be much more useful to you if they were positioned as skills. Employers may not see as much value in learning about what you did in your last job, as they would in identifying skills that they can utilize. Of course if you are applying for a job in the… Read more

De-Stress the Dress

Written by DegreedJobs.net Staff
Monday, 23 June 2008
De-Stress the Dress Many people do not buy into the theory that you have to wear a suit to a job interview. In fact, in modern times, the idea that a suit is necessary for all job interviews has been replaced by a greater focus on individual comfort and appropriate attire for the role. For starters, if you don’t typically wear suits, you may look awkward and unnatural. And if you get the job, you will also be unable to live up to the impression you made during the interview. Yes you should have an appropriate outfit, but it should reflect the type of job in question, and more importantly, it should be an accurate reflection of how the employer can expect to see you looking every day at work. Do not go out and buy an outfit just for interviews if you won’t wear it again after that, or if it in no way suits the type of job or industry you are targeting. For instance, if you are applying for an upper management or executive level position which will involve frequent boardroom meetings and high-level client contact, you will likely be dressed in suits at work on a regular basis, and hence, should definitely wear a suit to the interview. But if you are interviewing for a position as a technician or an engineer, your work attire should be more geared toward comfort and practicality. In this instance, it is not necessary to wear a suit to the interview. You can get away with putting together a neat and attractive presentation consisting of a nice button down shirt with clean casual pants or a mid-length skirt, for the ladies. Health care industry professionals who will typically be wearing gowns over their clothing while at work also don’t have to wear a formal interview outfit, unless they choose to. Casual and professional will do just fine. As long you are neatly put together and polished. For example, tucking a shirt into your pants and adding a belt is more appropriate than letting the shirt hang carelessly over the pants. Of course, no matter how casual your workplace, there are definitely things you should avoid wearing to a job interview. Avoid anything overly revealing, or sparkly. Also, steer away from making political statements of any kind. T-shirts with the names of any type of musical group, or advertisements for beer or anything relating to cars, etc. will be very distracting and in poor taste. The support of any particular charity may be very respectable, but the interview is not the place to display it. To be safe, avoid branding of any kind. Subtle patterns are okay, but try to limit overly colorful patterns and wild textures as they are very distracting. Generally, stick with clean crisp tailoring, with solid colors. Baseball caps are unprofessional and inappropriate for business interviews. And finally, dress for the weather. It helps to plan your outfit the day before the interview so that you feel prepared and confident, and you can focus on the interview itself.