If you’re just getting started in the professional world or you are in the process of making a career change, it’s easy to be intimidated by the interview process. After all, a lot may be riding on your first impression.
While you should of course spruce up your resume, do your research on the company, and practice your interview skills, there’s another aspect of the job interview that you can’t afford to forget about: your attire. Like it or not, your appearance does play a huge part in how you’re perceived; in fact, 55% of someone’s opinion of you is determined by your physical appearance.
To that end, there are a few fashion and grooming choices that can completely derail your chances of landing the position. We’re listing three of them below.
1. Ill-Fitting Clothes
Of all the interview attire no-nos, this is the most important to remember. If you don’t often wear men’s business attire, you may have an old suit that no longer fits or have nothing reasonable in your closet, thus causing you to panic and buy something off the rack.
While retail may be a bit less expensive than custom tailored clothing, keep in mind that you’ll get what you pay for. Men’s dress trousers, shirts, and jackets aren’t likely to fit right when you buy them straight from a bargain store. When your clothes are too long, too short, too tight, or too big for your build, you won’t give off a professional, confident impression.
It’s much better to invest in custom tailored clothing that you can wear on interviews, in work environments, and for events. When you look your best, you are more confident and you (and your interviewer) won’t be distracted by poorly fitting garments.
2. Loud, Casual, Or Wild Clothing
Unless you are specifically going in to interview for an “alternative” kind of company, it’s best to err on the side of caution. That means you should forgo wearing anything that you question as too casual, too edgy, or simply “too much.”
Overly bright colors and patterns, unconventional clothing, shorts, jeans, or anything that could potentially read as unprofessional are out. Although half of senior managers interviewed in a recent survey said their employees wear less formal clothing than they did five years ago, that doesn’t mean you should skip the casual business wear and go right into PJ pants.
Even if the company notes they have an informal work environment, you should still dress to impress — but don’t go overboard. Aim for conservative with a bit of personality and flair, but nothing more outrageous than that.
3. Cologne
Personal style really does come down to the individual; everyone has their own unique tastes that they can bring to the table. As long as your custom tailored clothing fits you well and shows a bit of pizzazz, you’ll be golden.
But there’s a personal grooming tendency that can hurt you just as much as unkempt facial hair or a bad haircut. Wearing fragrance can actually be your downfall.
It makes sense that you’d want to smell nice at an interview, but keep in mind that many people have scent-sensitivities. Even if you don’t layer on the eau du toilette, it’s possible that any kind of perfume or cologne could subliminally impact the outcome of your interview. It could remind the interviewer of a family member, ex-partner, or former employee.
Think twice before you douse yourself in spray. Usually, it’s best to use just soap and deodorant.
You don’t have to buy the finest men’s suits to look great at an interview. But custom tailored clothing can help you succeed in your career by making you look and feel confident and show that you care about how others perceive you.
