You receive
interview calls from start-ups and also larger corporations. In larger
corporations, cubicles, fluorescent lights, and HR departments dictate the office
atmosphere. Start-ups -especially tech start-ups- have become known for their
anti-corporate attitudes.
Showing up for an
interview, depending on whether it’s a start up or a corporate office would
have a big impact on how everyone in the interview panel will perceive you.
Companies – no two
are alike. They all have different cultures, people, and atmospheres. When you go into the interview, you have to
complement their culture, not stand against it. That is why your
interview attire is very important. You must remember that, you need to show you
are a professional who is taking the opportunity seriously, but also that you
will fit in with the company culture.
To know the culture
of the company that you are appearing for interview, visit the company’s
website and see if they have some pictures of their current employees posted on
the website. If that is unavailable, see if you can tap into your network,
or even reach out to a current employee of the company and discuss to learn about
the company, what their culture is like and how people show up on a day-to-day
basis. Definitely, this will give you a good prompt as to how you
should show up for an interview.
Your subject knowledge confidence and amiability
are essential. But making a good first impression by your appearance is very
crucial in dictating the final outcome of the job interview. Most of the
interviewers take just two seconds to judge whether you a potential candidate
or not. Before you say a single word to the interviewer, you have already made
an impression based on how you’re dressed.
Knowing what to wear to a job interview is an
age-old enigma. Do not experiment in this. There are some hard and fast set of rules
to be followed.
So here is a guide to make sure you choose an appropriate
attire to excel that job interview you are applying for.
How to Dress for an Interview at a Start-up:
For an Interview at
a start-up, if you showing up too casually, they may perceive that you are not
taking the opportunity seriously. And if you overdress, they may think you are
rigid with corporate attitude.
·
For Women, It’s always safe to go the
traditional, pairing a dress with a stylish but casual blazer. If the company
where you are interviewing appears to be more “low key”, you can get away with
pairing the blazer with jeans and heels. In fact, you can use the casual blazer
as a constant and vary the rest of your outfit around the culture of the
company.
·
For Men, Hot pastel shirts, ripped jeans, an overdose of
cologne and a pair of shades might impress your crush in the class. But when it
comes to job interviews, the two piece or three piece might look too
formal. Rather, you can wear a sport coat to show professionalism without being
stuffy. Slacks and a button-down shirt will serve you well.
How to Dress for an Interview at a Corporate:
Recall the old adage, “You never get a second
chance to make a first impression.” That’s always the case when meeting a
person for the first time, but especially when it comes to a job interview at
corporates.
·
Women can leave a
lasting impression on the interviewer if they decide to go Indian as well.
Wearing kurtis, suits or sarees to a job interview is also a trend that cannot
be neglected. The elegance of Indian can get you the much-needed advantage.
Wear a plain cotton saree or a salwar-kameez with a dupatta. Put on a blazer
above it and you have made a great combination. Just make sure you avoid a lot
of patterns and details. The simple, the better. Also wearing sleeveless is a
strict “no”.
·
Men can wear neatly
pressed cotton or gabardine pants with cotton collard long sleeved button down white
coloured shirts. Tie is optional. Remember your shoes speaks louder than words,
wear well-polished, clean, decent shoes.
·
For both women and
men, footwear should be fairly low heeled. High heels are difficult to walk-in.
You never should grab attention while walking in uncomfortable noisy footwear.
All the best!!! Go ahead, use these simple tips and
ace that next big interview with Confidence!
Author: D N Roopa, Assistant Professor, JSS Academy of
Technical Education, Bengaluru.