Looking the Part for the Interview
Learn how to climate control your wardrobe in order to look fresh for an interview.
by Rita Gworek

Finally you have been asked to come in for an interview. This is a major step in securing your dream position. You have done your research and know what the organization expects of you. You have found out what the dress code is for the interview. This is important so that you fit into this new organization. You don’t want to appear like an outsider.

You have your clothing all laid out the night before so there are no surprises in the morning. You have made sure that everything is clean, neat and pressed. Are all your buttons sewn on tight? Are your shoes polished? Did you check to see that there are no stains on your clothing? Do you have the right colored socks to go with your shoes? Look in a mirror to check yourself from the back. That maybe one area you cannot see but others will see it. Did you remove the stitch that holds your jacket vent closed? Did you make sure to remove the informational label on the jacket sleeve of your new suit? You do not want to advertise for the suit company. Look the garment over carefully to spot any moth holes that may have happened over the years.

Now you have your clothing ready to go. Check yourself over from head to toe. Does your hairstyle fit into the new dress code of the organization? Make sure not to try some new hairstyle that may not come out the way you expect it to. You will lose your confidence and not be yourself. Your hairstyle should be conservative and not draw attention away from your face. Your hairstyle should actually complement your face’s shape. This makes it easier for others to look at you. And to stay focused on looking in your face, listening to what you have to say. Make sure your hair is clean and nicely combed. Do not put in a lot of gel or have that wet hair look. It may appear that you didn’t have enough time to dry your hair or that you misjudged the time it takes to get to the interview. Take a comb with you and stop in the restroom to check your hair.

A nice close shave is important. Most office settings will expect this from you. If you have facial hair such as a mustache or beard, keep it neatly trimmed. The same goes for eyebrows that can become unruly. Just as you comb your hair, you may have to do the same with your eyebrows. Can you imagine how distracting it is when someone has one stray eyebrow hair out of place and you just can’t keep your eyes off of it?
Make sure to brush your teeth in the morning and take some breath mints or mouth spray with you. If you smoke or drink coffee there may be an odor to your breath that you may not detect. Bad breath is a turn off in so many ways.

Do not wear perfume or cologne. If the person interviewing you is allergic to something you are wearing they will not be happy with you when they are sneezing the whole time.

There are so many colognes and perfumes to choose from in so many different stores. There are so many because we all have different tastes. Some people like a fragrance that smells like flowers and others like a musk scent. Some perfumes and colognes are very costly and some are very low priced. There are a lot of complexities to these products. Therefore the price is different. The more complex a product is the more costly it becomes. Our body chemistry can make one fragrance smell wonderful on one person and on another person it just doesn’t work. So if we all like different scents then it stands to reason that we may be offended by someone else’s choice in perfume or cologne. Have you noticed that when you wear the same perfume or cologne over a period of time that you become numb to that scent and you can’t smell it shortly after applying it? Then try to imagine that you also become acclimated to your own body odor too. So please listen if someone very kindly says to you, “You need deodorant.” You may not be aware of it but you may be offending others.

With the added fragrances in shampoos, deodorants, and body soaps you should smell fresh without cologne or perfume.

Keep your hands and nails clean and in good shape. You will shake hands during the interview and you want them to look good. This shows you pay attention to details.

Now from your hairstyle down to your shoes everything is in place and cared for and well groomed and you are ready to meet and greet your potential new boss. Good Luck!