Dress for Success
iNTERVIEW
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Women: Dark conservative suit. Twopiece 1 or 2 button jacket and knee length skirt (matching slacks if preferred). Men: Dark Conservative 2 or 3 Button, two piece. Purchase the best quality you can afford in either 100% wool or a blend of more than 50% wool. Women: White or light color long sleeve blouse that is not low cut or sheer. Men: Solid white or light color cotton long sleeve dress shirt. Choose a tie that coordinates with the color of your suit in a simple pattern or a solid color, preferably silk. Women: Well-polished dress shoes with a 1”-1 ½” heel, or matching flats if preferred. Men: Well-polished dress shoes. Wear with dark socks that coordinate with your suit color. Accessories- Leather notebook, portfolio or briefcase. Must be large enough to hold your resume without folding it. The Look – Clean and neat. Not overdone. Appropriate hair style, simple makeup, and clean nails.
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Stay away from jeans, short skirts, baggy or torn clothes. No Casual T-shirts, Graphic T-shirts, jeans, torn or baggy clothing. Avoid bright or domineering colors that are distracting to the employer (etc. red, green, yellow). No bow ties! Revealing clothes could offend a potential employer. Button up your shirt to the top, and avoid sleeve-less or low cut tops. Shoes where your feet/toes are visible looks very unprofessional. Avoid flip-flops and sneakers. Avoid carrying headphones, sunglasses, large purses, or flashy jewelry. It can all be very distracting to an employer and can result in automatic failure of an interview. Cover up body art (tattoos) and piercings. Wear little or no perfume. University Career Center | Union West Building Rm. 103 | (915) 747-5640 | www.utep.edu/careers | careers@utep.edu
Dress for Success
iNTERVIEW
Wise words from CollegeGrad.com: If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call and ask! That's right—call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager—instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say: "I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as a _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?" Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that's a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress. While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the workday standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism. One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish—he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person's opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person's shoes. It is not enough to be clean and pressed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.
Don’t own professional business attire? As a currently enrolled UTEP student, you can access the Career Closet to borrow professional business attire for your next interview, career fair or professional networking event. For more information about the closet, stop by our office M – F from 8:00am – 4:30pm or call (915) 747-5640.
University Career Center | Union West Building Rm. 103 | (915) 747-5640 | www.utep.edu/careers | careers@utep.edu RV: 04/15