There is a myriad of debates about what proper interview attire is for men, some say that a casual polo with jeans is acceptable while others contend that a candidate should always ‘suit up’ regardless of where they are interviewing. Because each company differs in their standards of dress, trying to decide what to wear based on one set standard may not be the most appropriate route in 2018 for determining what to wear to the interview. Simply asking the individual who is coordinating the interview what the company’s dress attire is can aid in making this decision. This ensures the candidate can confidently “dress to impress” in an appropriate way when the big day arrives.
Since an interview calls for the utmost professionalism, the candidate should plan their attire to be one level above the everyday attire of the company they will be interviewing with. This means, if the customary dress code is a casual t-shirt and jeans, an interviewing candidate would want to wear something such as a neat, pressed pair of slacks with a tucked in collared shirt or a pressed button-down shirt, paired with a nice clean pair of shoes. However, if the company attire is more formal, the candidate should almost always are on the side of traditional and formal business professional. This means that the candidate should be wearing a tie and preferably a nice suite.
While the person interviewing should NOT make the mistake of going overboard with interview attire, it is extremely rare that a candidate will make a bad impression by dressing too nicely. Conversely, it is very easy to make the mistake of underdressing for the interview and offending the hiring manager. If the candidate feels they should do something extra to stand out or appear polished and professional, they may wear a nice watch, add a neatly folded pocket square, or even add some nice new cufflinks to complete their interview ensemble.
Finally, men should ensure their interview clothes are clean and pressed, hanging up somewhere the night before to avoid wrinkles. It can be Candidates only get one first impression with an interviewer and by making the extra effort to look sharp and crisp, they can ensure that impression is positive.