How to nail a job interview... with your attire.

Job interviews... ugh, one of the most awkward, uncomfortable situations you can possibly be in. Basically you're in a room with one or more people who are grilling you with questions you're likely embellishing the answers to. "What is your biggest weakness?"..... instead of telling them how you ALWAYS give in to a properly crafted cocktail... and sometimes get a little out of hand on the weekends... you start to ramble on about how "my biggest weakness is that I am too empathetic and organized"... yah, right. 

We can't change the awkwardness of job interviews, so let's focus on the things we can change... like the way we dress. 

Generally when you're thinking about what to wear to a job interview, you're likely going to fall somewhere between business casual and conservative business professional (depending on the job), and you're not wrong to use those descriptions as a guideline. However, if you're unsure what those terms mean (most people are), it can be a little bit daunting to figure out how to dress the part. 

If the company you're interviewing with is a traditional suit-and-tie type place (say a law firm or a finance based company), conservative business professional is a safe way to go. This means, dark suit, white or blue shirt (plain), a professional tie (not too bold or patterned) a dark shoe and matching belt. However, many (I'd argue majority) of companies have shifted towards a more laid back, casual dress code, and your interview attire should fit within that. You don't want to be perceived as not understanding the corporate culture, or not fitting in, by showing up in your super 150's perfectly tailored suit, although you'd impress me immensely if you did. I read an article once that stated that you should dress according to the dressiest top 25% at the office. If some people wear a suit, you should too, but if not a single person wears a tie, you shouldn't either. I think that's a pretty safe guideline to go by.

CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL

Business Casual

FEATURING... THE SPORT JACKET

Business Casual

FEATURING... DRESS PANTS & SWEATER

There you have it, a few looks to get you through those awkward job interviews so you can feel confident enough in your clothing that you can shift your focus to other things, like how to answer those strange 'what is your biggest weakness' questions.

- xo Ensemble Style