You’ve applied for a job that you like the look of, you’ve had a follow up call with your recruiter to go through what you can expect at the next stage of the application and you’ve just found out that you’ve got an interview! Amazing! It is exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. There are a few things that you can do to prepare for your job interview, including learning about the company itself and its history, about the specific job role that you are applying for and techniques for job interviews to help you feel calm and confident as you begin. What about your choice of attire though? What should you be wearing to a job interview and what should you be wearing to a video job interview?

The first thing to do when deciding what to wear is to think about the location of the job interview. If your interview will be in the place where you will work if you get the job, do what you can to research the dress code of the office. How formal is the company? If you can’t find out that easily, it is completely fine to call the HR department and ask them for their advice on the appropriate dress code. In most cases, you’ll find that the company is happy to help you.

You want to be comfortable of course, but there is a balance between being too casual or being too formal. Business casual is always a good middle ground, where you are not fully formal in a suit, but you might wear a shirt with the top collar unbuttoned and no tie, as a man for instance, and a comfortable top with smart dress pants or a knee-length skirt for women. This type of smart casual is the default position for many companies in myriad industries.  Think about the meaning of different colours too, and what it might mean and the impression it could give to wear the wrong colours to a job interview. Staying in neutral colours is always a good idea to begin with.

It is important that you are comfortable during your job interview. If you have bought new clothes to go on job interviews, make sure you try all of the clothes on prior to the day itself. This gives you a chance to figure out if everything fits well and if you’ll be comfortable enough during the interview. The last thing that you want is to turn up on the day in a shirt that is slightly too small for you, or shoes that are incredibly uncomfortable. It will be on your mind throughout and take the focus away from concentrating on performing to the best of your ability.

Your choice of what to wear to a job interview will change depending on a few things. You might be dressed a bit more casual in certain industries than others, whereas in some industries you will be expected to be fully suited up for a job interview, as that will be expected of you should you get the job in question. Video interviews also offer a dilemma, as you’ll most likely be at home and could do the old ‘top half professional, bottom half casual’, but then that’s always a risky choice if you ask us! Whatever you choose, look for advice from those who know best, such as your trusted recruitment agency that has helped you find a job. They will offer the best advice and guidance over all aspects of being as prepared as possible for your upcoming interview, from the clothes you wear to the questions you’ll need to answer and those you should ask of your prospective employer.