What to Wear for a Job Interview

When you get called by a potential employer about a job interview, you may be excited, but you may wonder, "What am I going to wear?" If you have researched the company and still don't know what kind of attire is appropriate for that workplace, there is a simple solution.

This guide will show you how to dress for an interview without having to know what type of office you are about to walk into.

Interview Attire Do's

• Dress Conservatively: The last thing you want to do at an interview is show too much skin. Dress like you would to court and try to look professional as well as intelligent.
• Wear Plain Colors: Bright colors often distract and are somewhat unprofessional-looking.
• Wear Straight-Leg Pants: Any other type of pant, whether it is skin-tight or flared is not usually considered professional. When attending a job interview, make sure that your outfit reflects your work ethic--precise, exact, and proficient.

Interview Attire Don'ts

• Don't Wear a Hat: Hats are traditionally removed during important events or as a sign of respect. Wearing a hat to an interview could make you look like you are not taking this opportunity seriously.
• Don't Let Your Elbows or Knees Show: If your elbows or knees are exposed, you are not dressed appropriately. Part of being conservatively dressed is showing little skin and drawing the interviewer's eyes to your face.
• Don't Wear Jeans: Jeans are not considered appropriate interview attire because they are made of denim, which is a casual material. If you wear jeans to a professional interview, you may be considered uninterested or serious.
• Don't Have Any Holes in your Clothing: Having clean and in-tact clothing shows that you are dedicated to looking and performing to the best of your ability.
• Don't Wear Heavy Accessories: Heavy pieces of jewelry or bags can weigh-down your look and distract from what you are saying. If you are going to accessorize, choose sleek items to wear and carry with you so the potential employer is not left thinking about your chunky briefcase when you leave.

If you want to get a job and dress appropriately for an interview, you must dress conservatively. For women, this means avoiding low neck-lines, covering your shoulders and elbows with a sweater or blazer, and wearing pants or dresses that are no shorter than your knees.

When accessorizing for a job interview, you will need to keep in mind that your face and personality needs to shine the most in an interview. Dainty, small, but classy pieces of jewelry work best when interviewing for a position because they accent, but not distract.

An example of a "safe" outfit for a job interview would be a simple blouse or collared shirt (preferably white), a black blazer, and a straight-legged, black pant. You can accent this look with a few, gentle accessories, but you do not need much.

If the interview is for a large company, men should wear a suit. A good suit does not have to be expensive. What you need is a simple, black trouser (straight-legged), a belt, a white or light blue, collared shirt, and a black blazer. You can choose to wear a tie with this outfit and some shiny, black shoes.

For a job at a smaller company, wear everything you would to a big company's job interview, but wear a clean sweater instead of a blazer (like in the photo above).

No matter what job you are going to interview for, you need to keep in mind that you are not dressing for the job, but for the interview.

Even if you walk in and everyone is wearing jeans and t-shirts, know that you look professional in your interview attire.

A blazer, trouser and a collared shirt are the perfect elements to an interview outfit. If you have no idea what to wear to an interview because you aren't sure whether the company is formal or casual, these simple pieces can help you gain the confidence and possibly the job along with confidence.