Dress for a job you aspire to have not the job you have. Job interviews are stressful enough with those tough questions and resume fretting over, you would not want to have one more thing to worry about with these. Whether you like it or not fashion matters when it comes to landing your dream job.
Dress for the industry in which you’re interviewing, it is different while interviewing for a white-shoe law firm and a tech startup and your clothes should reflect that.
The IT industry has quite relaxed norms in terms of dressing up. That being said, you should not go wearing jeans and chappals!
Here are some things you could choose to wear:
Saree: You can choose to wear a simple cotton lightly printed saree with a plain simple blouse. Wear minimal jewellery, smartwatch, and earrings.
Salwar Kameez: A simple well-fitted salwar kameez would work well. Personally, I don’t think much of people who turn up wearing leggings for an interview. It just looks too casual (like you stepped out to buy some milk and entered an interview room).
Pair your salwar kameez with light jewellery. Make sure the dupatta (if you carry it) doesn’t have any bells / latkans / shells/coins or the like.
Formal pants: A pair of classic black slacks is an essential part of a women's wardrobe. It's worth it to invest in a pair of quality black dress pants that fit well and will hold up after many years.
Once you have a good pair of dress pants, it's easy to dress them up or dress them down. You can pair your dress pants with a button-down shirt or a blazer for a formal look, or with a sweater for a business casual look.
With a bit of creativity, black dress pants don't have to be boring. Add a top with an interesting detail, like this heather-gray sweater with black stripes and a button-down blouse. It softens the look and makes it a bit special.
Peep-toe heels with a moderate heel height are fashion-forward but still tasteful. If you're looking to dress down your look, add a pair of ballet flats or loafers instead of heels.
Skirt: A skirt made of an interesting fabric or a simple black pencil skirt is a great way to make a business look your own.
Dress for the industry in which you’re interviewing, it is different while interviewing for a white-shoe law firm and a tech startup and your clothes should reflect that.
The IT industry has quite relaxed norms in terms of dressing up. That being said, you should not go wearing jeans and chappals!
Here are some things you could choose to wear:
Saree: You can choose to wear a simple cotton lightly printed saree with a plain simple blouse. Wear minimal jewellery, smartwatch, and earrings.
Salwar Kameez: A simple well-fitted salwar kameez would work well. Personally, I don’t think much of people who turn up wearing leggings for an interview. It just looks too casual (like you stepped out to buy some milk and entered an interview room).
Pair your salwar kameez with light jewellery. Make sure the dupatta (if you carry it) doesn’t have any bells / latkans / shells/coins or the like.
Formal pants: A pair of classic black slacks is an essential part of a women's wardrobe. It's worth it to invest in a pair of quality black dress pants that fit well and will hold up after many years.
Once you have a good pair of dress pants, it's easy to dress them up or dress them down. You can pair your dress pants with a button-down shirt or a blazer for a formal look, or with a sweater for a business casual look.
With a bit of creativity, black dress pants don't have to be boring. Add a top with an interesting detail, like this heather-gray sweater with black stripes and a button-down blouse. It softens the look and makes it a bit special.
Peep-toe heels with a moderate heel height are fashion-forward but still tasteful. If you're looking to dress down your look, add a pair of ballet flats or loafers instead of heels.
Skirt: A skirt made of an interesting fabric or a simple black pencil skirt is a great way to make a business look your own.
The most important thing is to appear reliable, smart and well-dressed. It really doesn’t matter whether you are wearing western clothes or Indian. Your skills, education don’t depend on whether you wear a saree or a skirt. Wear you feel most comfortable in.
First impressions are critical. What you wear is the first thing people see, before you even speak a word. They don’t know you yet, and they don’t have a lot to go on.
All the best for your interviews! Smile and be confident and you will rock the show!
By Pia Bhadauria
