Cheers to all who have just graduated (and those that are about to). Preparing for the real work life can be daunting from figuring out the littlest things like your lunch to much more difficult aspects like the whole work-life balance crap.
But first you need to ace your interview so focus on rolling those in ASAP. In school, you’re taught that formal suiting is your best bet when going into an interview but that’s the mindset of traditionalists. We “millennials” tend to walk away from those banal methods and thoughts. So if you’re like me and want to look polished, but still display aspects of your personality, here’s what you should try:
* Mixture of everything (from prints that are colorful or monochromatic to suiting separates).
* Heels (because they’re always a confidence booster).
* Semi-traditional workwear (basically stay conservative – only because you never know the mindset of the person you’re interviewing with so play it safe).
* Minimal jewelry (or almost none, a watch at most – wedding jewelry, fine!)
* Well-tailored pieces (you can get away with cheap work wear from places like HM for the fit and you won’t look cheap, which I’m all for. However, buying expensive pieces that don’t fit well can look cheap. Moral of the story: Make sure your clothes fit well and you’ll look like a million bucks).
This is obviously dependent upon the industry in which you’re interviewing for so do some research. I tend to stay on the conservative end no matter what when it comes to the dress code because I don’t know what the culture of the company is really like. It has worked well in my favor over the last few years so I really have no doubt about it.
Good luck as you embark on your job search.