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Erik Peterson Tom James Company Tampa Sarasota St Petersburg Lakeland: What to wear to a Job Interview
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Pre-note. This article only addresses men’s clothing. This is not
an attempt to be sexist. I just don’t know women’s fashion and am unqualified
to write an article about it. I’ll try to get a co-worker to write a companion
article in the coming weeks addressing women’s attire for an interview.
It is always safest to over dress for an interview. Even if the
place where you are interviewing is a casual or even outdoor environment you
should plan on wearing a suit unless told otherwise. There are almost no
reasons to not wear a suit to an interview. The only exception is if part of
the interview involves going out of the interview room and into a non-suit
environment or performing some non-suit task. An example might be walking into
a construction zone, or demonstrating a mechanical proficiency. So it is most
likely in your best interest to plan on wearing a suit. If your suit is three
or four years old, but fits well and is a black, dark gray, or navy you don’t
need to buy a new one. An interview suit is not a fashion statement per se, but
rather a proclamation. It tells the interviewer that you respect them and the
process and that you should be taken seriously as a candidate.
1.Buy the best Suit you can comfortably afford. It is
generally better to have one $200 suit than two $100 suits. There is a limit to
this logic though. If you are interviewing for a $32,000 job don’t wear a
$1,500 suit, even if your rich family member gave it to you. The interviewer is
sizing you up and trying to determine if you’ll be a good fit in the
organization.
2.It always helps to bring a friend for a second
opinion even if you have bought suits before. Also, if possible bring
the accessories including shoes and shirt you plan on wearing with the new suit
to the interview. This will help ensure a good fit and match.
3.A suit has to be fitted. This may
take a week or so. Allow yourself enough time to get the suit before the
interview. Ask before buying how long it will take to tailor the suit. If the
retailer cannot meet your deadline, buy the suit elsewhere or find a tailor who
can. It is important to do so before committing your money. If the interview is
tomorrow ask to see “Separates.” Separates are pants and coats sold separately.
They are often made of the same material / patterns as suit sets and can be
worn with less tailoring.
4.Make sure the suit is a conservative color. Unless
you currently wear suits everyday, buy only a navy or black Suit. In addition
to being very conservative, dark suits are easy to accessorize with a black shoes,
black socks, a black belt, a solid colored shirt, and simple yet fashionable
tie. If the suit has pin stripes, the stripes should be the width of a pin and
understated. Again the suit should be conservative. Whether the suit has two
buttons or three or whether it is single or double breasted is less important
than that the color and print are conservative.
5.If you don’t know your suit size, insist on
being measured before you try a suit on. This might make the sales
person uncomfortable, but it is your money and you are the customer. Remember
you can insist on being measured and still be polite about it. This request is
important because the sales person’s job is to make a sale. Many of them will
try to talk you into the first suit they put on you and try to explain how the
tailor will make it all work. There are limitations to tailoring:
The suit should
fit in the shoulders. The shoulder pads should not stick out further than
your shoulders, and the suit should button easily without stretching. The
tailor cannot fit the shoulders.
1/4 of an inch
of the shirt cuff should be showing when your arm is fully extended. If
you did not bring a dress shirt, ask to borrow one in your size for the
fitting. A sleeve cannot be extended. If it is too short don’t buy the
suit. If you are over 5’11, you will need a “Long” suit. Long is often
denoted with the suffix L. 46L means 46 inch chest, long. 46R means 46
inch chest regular length.
The “Drop” is
the difference between the chest and the waist. “American Cut” suits have
a six inch drop. This means a 38 inch jacket comes with pants with a 32
inch waist. “European Cut” suits have a 7 inch drop, and “Athletic Cut”
suits have an 8 inch. Pants can only be let in or taken out 1 inch. DO NOT
let a sales person convince you otherwise. I did, and the belt loops in
the back of my first suit touched each other. If your drop is less than 5
inches or more than 9 inches, you either have to buy a custom made suit or
buy separates. Buying separates is much more cost and time efficient than
the custom made option.
If you do choose
to buy separates, you will still need to have them tailored for an ideal
fit.
Trust the sales
person to hem to the right length. If you did not bring dress shoes for
the fitting, insist they loan you a pair. It is crucial that you are
wearing dress shoes as most men’s casual shoes do not have an elevated
heal. Whether you choose straight leg or a cuff is a personal choice. A
cuff is often times more expensive to tailor.
