Hello Squaddies, welcome to post 4 / 5 of our Working During A Pandemic Series, inspired by Meghan’s collaboration with Smart Works. Smart Works is known for providing women with clothing for their interviews, but less known is the work they do behind the scenes, preparing women for interviews, brushing up their CV’s/Resume, and advising on the overall job searching process.
We’ve decided to create a collection of blog posts dedicated to helping you land and keep the job during this incredibly difficult time. We hope you find it useful.
What is the best outfit to wear for an interview? Well, the answer to this is going to vary greatly depending on what type of job role and company you are working for.
Corporate workers are generally expected to dress in highly professional attire, while workers in the creative fields have some legroom to dress more casually. Regardless of where you interview, a certain level of professionalism should still be upheld, and there are rules that everyone should follow.
It can be even more daunting for women who are judged far more harshly for their appearances than men. So unless your job description specifically requests that you show up in a ball gown, here are some simple rules that will make sure you get it right each time.
Rules Of Clothing
Did you ever wonder why Steve Jobs wore the same black turtle neck, jeans, and white sneakers each day? Many successful people wear the exact same thing every day or create a capsule wardrobe that they wear like a uniform. Wearing the same set of clothes to work every day can really take the stress out of thinking about what you will wear, you know exactly what you will wear each day without a second thought. It also reduces laundry and ironing.
In a world of fast, throwaway fashion, this philosophy is quickly gaining traction. Take Courtney Carver who became a viral internet sensation after she launched Project 333. The program promises that you can survive with just 33 items in your closet for 3 months, and thousands of people have taken on the challenge.
Whatever you choose to add to your wardrobe, we suggest these staple pieces as inspired by Meghan’s Smart Works Collection, which was compromised of signature pieces that compliment every body shape, size, and height. These suggestions work well for both video calls and in-person interviews.
Clothing – corporate interviews
Tops
- White cotton shirt
- White and blue striped cotton shirt
- Beige/brown silk shirt
- A black fitted jacket
- A red fitted jacket for power dressing
- A flat black shoe
Bottoms
- Black pencil leg trousers
- Black straight-leg trousers
- Grey fitted trousers
- Black knee-length pencil skirt
If you’re wearing heels, stick to a small kitten heel, or court shoes no more than 2 inches.
Here are some picks and lookbook we created
Clothing – casual interviews
If you are interviewing somewhere that is generally more creative and has a relaxed vibe, you can opt for a more casual dress. Some companies state on their website as part of their corporate culture or ‘what it’s like to work with us’ page, that you are allowed to dress casually. As a rule of thumb, unless you see this posted on a companies website, dress smartly at your first interview until you’ve gotten the job and you can see how everyone else dresses before whipping out your finest Levi’s.
- Well fitted blue jeans with no rips
- Shirts as suggested in the corporate dress list
- A casual but fitted black, beige, or red jacket
- A flat dolly shoe, ankle boot, or brogues
Makeup
If you choose to wear makeup it is generally advised to keep it natural and simple. Choose a light base like a bb cream, light concealer for under the eyes, a soft matting powder, clear mascara, and a skin complementing lip colour. If you like to fill in your brows, consider a pencil for a softer fill.
Jewellery
Small silver or gold studs can add a classy and classic touch to your overall look. A classic watch, similar to the style of Daniel Wellington also gives an air of sophistication. Avoid sparkly bling and large statement pieces.
Those are our suggestions. Do you think we missed anything? Comment below and let us know.
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