Interviews can be incredibly stressful, and intimidating, and no matter how much interview prep you are able to fit in, you never feel fully prepared. On top of that, you need to make sure you have a killer outfit ready to show your interviewer that you are the candidate to hire. Here are a few tips for ensuring you have the best outfit for your interview so that when paired with your personality and strong interview answers, you can ace your interview for your dream job.

Interview Style Tips to Look Fierce on Arrival

Feel comfortable

This may be the most important point on this blog as if you feel uncomfortable in what you are wearing you won’t be able to deliver your best interview. Whatever style is required, you must be comfortable. Though the interviewer may specify your attire needs to be smart dress, that doesn’t mean you have to wear tights and six inch heels. A kitten heel, or smart ballet pump, and some smart back trousers still fall under the smart label, and if they make you feel more comfortable then opt for the latter option.

You don’t have to go out and spend lots of money on interview clothes either, just try to have a smart outfit put aside ready that you feel comfortable in if you know you have applied to quite a few jobs, and are likely to be invited for an interview soon. It is always a good idea to dress smarter than you think you should, as no one will penalise you in an interview for being too smart, whereas too casual may not work in your favour.

Assess how the staff dress

If you are unsure of what to wear, then you can either ring up and ask the current employees or your interviewer, or head into the company base or store to see how the current employees dress. This will give you an idea of what will be acceptable for the interview. For example, MAC employees always wear all black, so opting for a bold colour would not be favourable when interviewing for them. Wearing something similar to the current employees allows the employer to visualise you as part of the current team already, and get an idea of how you would dress for work every day.

Think about your first impression

You want to give them the best impression possible, both in the answers that you give and the way you present yourself. Every employer will be looking for an employee that is conscious that they will be representing the business, and should maintain a professional and smart demeanour at all times. If you have tattoos, you don’t have to go researching for tattoo removal clinics, just assess whether the current employees have their tattoos on show or not. Some companies do not mind, but if you are unsure you can always cover them for the interview, and ask your employer at a later date should you be successful.

At the end of the day, as long as you feel comfortable and confident in what you are wearing, and it fits any guidelines the employer or interviewer has set out, you cannot go wrong. After your interview—no matter how well or badly you think it went—make sure you are kind to yourself, and treat yourself to your favourite hot chocolate or latte. You’ve done all you can, and you may get a phone call quicker than you think.