Career
Center Resources
It has been said that people form an impression of
someone within seven seconds of the first meeting. Therefore, you’ll
want to dress to impress. Make the impression a good one: wear a
suit, even if the employer is known to be casual. Unless the employer
tells you not to wear a suit (which is rare but can happen), it’s
always better to be overdressed. Plus, wearing a suit shows respect,
both for the interviewer and the position for which you are applying.
Additionally, it is always best to stay on the conservative side
when selecting your interview attire: Day-to-day professional dress can be very different depending
on the employer. Many employers require that their employees wear
a suit every day. But, there are many organizations where a suit
is not at all necessary. So, once you are hired, it’s always
best to ask the employer about the organization’s dress
code. Or, look around at your coworkers to see what they are wearing
and follow suit. Here, however, are some safe guidelines for day-to-day
professional dress: • Males should wear dress pants; an ironed,
long-sleeved, collared shirt; a tie; and leather dress shoes
with dark socks. Dress Formal does not necessarily mean a tux and
ballroom gown (although there may be instances when this is appropriate.
These functions are called “Black-Tie.”). Typically,
Dress Formal means the following: Many organizations have a “corporate casual”
day or “dress down” day. This does not mean, however,
that you should show up in jeans and a t-shirt. The following is a list of items that you should
NOT wear at work (unless it is part of the dress code). • Sneakers Additional information on dressing in the workplace, can be found
at the following site: www.symsdress.com/index.htm DRESS FOR SUCCESS…
Some guidelines about dressing in the working-world.The Interview:
• Females should wear a navy blue, gray, charcoal or
black suit. Pants or skirt are equally acceptable, however
the skirt should be of an appropriate length (a good test
is to sit in the skirt to make sure that it rises no farther
than 1 inch above the knee). Minimal accessories are appropriate:
a simple necklace (a strand of pearls or gold chain are always
good choices), a dress watch, a pair of stud earrings, and
no more than one ring on each hand. Comfortable, closed-toe,
leather dress shoes should be worn with neutral stockings.
•
Males should wear a solid or pin-striped charcoal, gray or
navy blue suit; a white or off-white, long-sleeved, collared
shirt; a tie; and comfortable leather dress shoes with dark
dress socks.
Day-to-Day Professional Dress:
•
Females should wear a skirt or dress pants, a blouse, and
dress shoes. A blazer over the blouse is appropriate
but not always necessary.
Dress Formal:
• Males should wear a dark colored suit; long-sleeved,
collared shirt; and a tie.
• Females
should wear a
cocktail dress. Black is always a safe color.
Dress Casual:
• For males, dress casual typically means khakis
and a polo or button-down shirt with leather shoes.
• For females, dress casual
typically means khakis or dress pants with a top that is somewhat
less formal than you would wear to work normally (a shirt
or sweater), and
leather shoes.
What NOT to Wear:
• “Club clothes” (anything you might wear
out at night)
• Jeans
• T-shirt
• Anything too revealing, including skirts more than
1 inch above the knee
