{"id":276,"date":"2011-02-25T09:42:51","date_gmt":"2011-02-25T09:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monsterindia.com\/career-advice\/dressing-for-the-interview-by-industry-2-276\/"},"modified":"2024-07-17T12:20:01","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T06:50:01","slug":"dressing-for-the-interview-by-industry-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/dressing-for-the-interview-by-industry-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Dressing for the Interview by Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"
By <\/span>Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer<\/span><\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/font>\n<\/div>\n


\nThere’s no getting around it: In every job interview, you’re going to be judged — at least partially — by how you look. <\/p>\n

But how you should look varies depending on your industry and the job you’re interviewing for. Take a look at general interview attire expectations for eight career areas:<\/p>\n

Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n

“If you’re applying for a <\/font>technical<\/font><\/font> position, you won’t need a suit,” says Carole Martin, a former Monster contributor and author of Boost Your Interview IQ<\/em>. “A collared shirt and khakis or slacks would work. Same goes for women — sweater or blouse and slacks or a skirt.”<\/p>\n

But upgrade your attire if you’re interviewing for a higher-level job. “You dress in the best clothes you have,” says David Perry, managing director for Ottawa, Canada-based high tech recruiting firm Perry-Martel International and author of Career Guide for the High-Tech Professional<\/em>. “No exceptions.”
\n<\/font>
\nFinance<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you’re interviewing for a <\/font>finance job<\/font><\/font>, remember that “nothing is more precise and exact than managing money,” says Pamela Holland, chief operating officer for Brody Communications in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and coauthor of Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?<\/em> “You cannot afford to have a hair out of place. Full business professional attire is required and expected.”<\/p>\n

<\/font>Government
\n<\/strong>
\nAt a <\/font><\/font>government<\/font><\/font> interview, “don’t be flashy,” Holland says. “This is a time to show you’re responsible, trustworthy and honest.”<\/p>\n

But a bit of color is OK, whether you’re a man or a woman, says Kathryn Troutman, author of Ten Steps to a Federal Job<\/em>.<\/p>\n

“Be conservative with jewelry, makeup and hairstyles,” she says. She advises being conservative overall, but adds “the days of all white shirts for men in government need to end.”<\/p>\n

Human Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n

For an <\/font>HR<\/font><\/font> interview, “you must look professional and authoritative,” Martin says. “You’ll need the look that you could handle any crisis and be dependable.”<\/p>\n

Sales<\/strong><\/p>\n

Typically, a suit is the uniform for a <\/font>sales<\/font><\/font> interview. After all, stresses Martin, “who would want to buy from a guy in a T-shirt and jeans?”<\/p>\n

But you might be able to go with bolder designs and colors, Holland says. “The product or service you’re representing will determine how classic versus trendy\/fashionable you should be,” she explains.<\/p>\n

Automotive<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Here’s an exception where a potential employer will understand if you have a little dirt or grease under your nails,” says Holland of interviewing for an <\/font>auto repair job<\/font><\/font>. “You still want to look as neat as possible, but a suit is probably not necessary.”<\/p>\n

That is, unless you’re interviewing at a high-end dealership, says Heidi Nelson, a personnel counselor for Car People Oregon, a Portland, Oregon, automotive staffing service for new-car dealerships. In that case, Nelson says, “I would dress up a bit more.”<\/p>\n

Hospitality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Image is particularly critical in the <\/font>hospitality<\/font> industry, says Martin. A suit is appropriate for some positions but not always a must. However, you always need to make a <\/font>great first impression<\/font><\/font>.<\/p>\n

“You’re representing the company, and you may be the first person seen,” she says.<\/p>\n

Trades<\/strong><\/p>\n

John Coffey worked as a factory production manager for years before becoming a career coach. His take on appropriate attire for an interview in the <\/font>trades<\/font><\/font>: business casual.<\/p>\n

“For men, this might be a nice pair of Dockers and a buttoned shirt, along with well-kept and polished shoes,” says Coffey, career success officer for Winning Careers in Woodbury, Minnesota. “The same goes for women — nice slacks and a professional business top. I think a suit or sports jacket for this type of work is overkill.”<\/p>\n

Of course, one industry’s excess is another industry’s underdressed. So don’t be afraid to ask, because no matter what, “your packaging counts,” says Holland.<\/p>\n

That packaging includes the little things. “The details matter,” says Mary Lou Andre, president of Needham, Massachusetts-based <\/font>Organization by Design<\/font><\/font> and author of Ready to Wear: An Expert’s Guide to Choosing and Using Your Wardrobe<\/em>. For example, shoes “should be in excellent condition, as should totes and outerwear.”<\/p>\n

“You really never do get a second chance to make a good first impression,” Andre stresses. “By investing some time and money in creating a suitable interview wardrobe, you will invite others to easily invest back in you.”<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer There’s no getting around it: In every job interview, you’re going to be judged — at least partially — by how you look.  But how you should look varies depending on your industry and the job you’re interviewing for. Take a look at general interview attire expectations for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-276","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-interview-tips"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39452,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions\/39452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.in\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}