With the creative industry booming, it is almost impossible to keep up with industry trends and figures; let alone what to wear in the interview. Pulling off a sophisticated and stylish look is getting increasingly difficult with interviews becoming progressively varied.
After the dot com bubble burst, we are finally starting to see the digital economy getting to its feet, with the emergence of e-commerce power houses such as Amazon and eBuyer. That leaves graduates with one question, what do we wear in the interview? The traditional suit has been relegated to the law and accountancy interview. Now, you can add a bit of your personal style to your interview and let them see your real personality.
The Suit
Although the suit is probably overkill for creative industries, it is always a matter of judgement. If the company provides cloud services to FTSE100 firms, then you should be seriously considering a full suit. It is all about what you are expected to do in your job. If, for example you are sitting behind a desk all day with little client contact, then dressing to impress may be slightly too much. However, if you are in a sales role, your success will depend on how your potential customers will see you; therefore it is important to look your best.
Use your personal judgement, as this is what they will expect you to do once you get the job. Also, remember it may be slightly embarrassing to overdress to an interview, but you will severely hamper your chances of getting the job if you underdress.
The Smart Casual
The smart casual is a wonderful thing if you get it right. As a general rule of thumb, dress one grade higher than you would be expected to in your everyday role.
One other tip; never wear jeans. It is to decisive amongst people who are likely to be interviewing you. Personally, if I was interviewing someone and they wore jeans, it would take a great candidate to win me back over. Don’t make it hard for yourself, decisions are made within the first 30 seconds that you walk into the room in some cases, therefore avoid jeans at all costs.
A shirt, tie and jumper are the magic combination in my opinion, especially for digital and creative industries. It gives the impression that you put thought into what you are wearing, judged that you need to look smart, but still show that you can fit in with your office workers.
Accessorise
Accessories are a way in which to get your personality across without wearing that yellow suit you got made for last Halloween. Shoes in my opinion are something you need to get right, much like the jeans, they may be decisive in first impressions. Make sure you wear some clean shoes, or maybe it is time to buy a new pair? House of fraser’s men’s shoes are great and you can get a nice new pair to make you feel more confident when walking into the interview room.
People view tattoo’s differently these days; therefore I wouldn’t worry too much if you can see one popping out of your shirt. It may even create something in common with your interviewer, and get you off on the right foot.
Overall, you have to remember that they will forget what you were wearing five minutes after you walk out of the room, therefore don’t panic too much. If you look unprofessional however, then this may stick in their mind so simply remember the golden rules:
- Dress one level above what you would be expected to wear undertaking your everyday duties.
- Never wear jeans
- Make sure your shoes are polished and clean
- Allow what you are wearing to make you feel confident and act it
