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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Prep for Job/Internship Search

Dressing for Success - North Dakota State University Career Center site: View photos of proper attire and industry comments on what apparel to wear for interviews, career fairs and to make the best first impression.

How to Dress For a Professional Interview

Suggestions for Women:

Suits

  • Solid, conservative color with either pants or a skirt. Suit fabric is best in crepe, lightweight wool, or a polyester-rayon blend. These materials drape nicely and remain relatively wrinkle free.
  • Coordinated blouse in either cotton or silk. White and ivory are best.
  • Pantsuits are acceptable, but before wearing consider how conservative the company/organization is.

Accessories

  • Wear shoes with flat or moderate/low heels.
  • Keep jewelry limited. A single necklace is fine as is a watch and ring or two. Plain studs or small earrings are best.
  • A belt should be small, conservative, solid colored leather with a simple buckle. It should match your shoes and purse.
  • Purse should be small and plain, matching your shoes and belt.
  • Wear sparse make-up and perfume.
  • Hairstyle should be neat and professional.
  • Nails should be manicured. Polish should be a light shade or clear.
  • Hosiery should be nude.
  • Long hair should be pulled back away from your face.
  • Carry a portfolio or briefcase with a pad and pen.

Interview Don'ts:

  • Shirts should not have excessive frills or plunging necklines.
  • Do not wear dangling bracelets or large clunky jewelry.
  • No sleeveless shirts.
  • Don’t play with hair during interviews. No jewelry in hair.

Suggestions For Men:

Suits

  • Wear dark or gray suits. Color should be solid or subtle pin stripes. The best fabric for suits is worsted or light weight wool with a tight weave for long lasting wear and good looks.
  • Dress shirts should be solid in white, cream, or pale blue. They should be neatly pressed.
  • Ties should be solid, striped, or with a small pattern. Silk is the best fabric, while muted colors are best.

Accessories

  • Socks should be dark or neutral and over the calf.
  • Shoes should be leather lace up in black or brown and freshly polished. Wing-tips, dress shoes, oxfords, and loafers are preferred. 
  • Facial hair should be well groomed or clean shaven.
  • Neat professional hairstyle is best. If you have long hair, it should be pulled back away from your face.
  • Jewelry should be limited.
  • Minimize cologne or wear none at all.
  • Nails need to be neatly trimmed.
  • Carry a portfolio or briefcase with pad and pen.

Interview Dress Tips

  1. Experience and research show that employers form their impression of a candidate in the first 10 seconds of an interview and can often spend much of the rest of the interview justifying that first impression.
  2. Job seekers need to be as poised and polished as their freshly printed resumes.
  3. Always present a neat, well groomed, and professional appearance during interviews.
  4. Present yourself as an individual who is a professional and ready to do business.
  5. Common sense and good taste are the best guides in selecting clothing for an interview. Avoid faddish styles or very loud clothes. 
  6. Your appearance is a statement of who you are. Your clothing and grooming should create the image that will help you get the job offer.
  7. You should do the talking, NOT your clothes!
  8. Candidates should be advised to dress one step above what is normally expected of someone who works in that environment every day.
  9. There are no absolute rules regarding dress, but it is assumed that you will wear a business suit to the interview even if you work in a dot.com and dress casually for the office.
  10. Each field will have a different norm for what’s acceptable. Many experts recommend sticking with the basics.