11September
Ace that interview!
Inspired by recent events in my own life, I’ve decided to write a blog on interview etiquette. Obviously I will speak on the fashion, but interviews are so much more than what you wear! In my opinion, here are the most important aspects of an interview:
- PASSION!!! Your interviewer wants to see your passion for the job you are applying to. If you’re just there for a “job,” they will know it, and they won’t want to hire you.
- PREPARATION!!! Do some research on the company! I recently went in for an interview at Forever 21 headquarters in Downtown L.A. and out of nowhere, I was asked if I knew the Forever 21 brands. I did! Why? Because I did my research before the interview. Study up on how the company started, who the owners are, and who the customer base is. You will score major points for knowing that.
- PRESENTATION!!! Obviously, this touches on what you wear. Dress up, but dress according to the company you’re interviewing at. If you’re interviewing to be an accountant, dress more traditionally. If you’re interviewing to be a design assistant at a denim company, wear the company’s denim but dress it up with a great pair of heels and a dressy top. Presentation also includes your level of confidence. If you’re doubting yourself, your interviewer will doubt you too. Sit up, don’t slouch, and speak clearly. Oh, don’t forget to smile!
- PERSONALITY!!! There is nothing worse than a Dull Dan! Laugh a little! Be bubbly (without being annoying)! Try to get your interviewer to relax a little by asking him or her about themselves. Ask them how they got to where they are and how you can achieve the same thing. Everyone loves to talk about themselves, trust me!
- PERSISTENCE!!! Whether you believe it or not, your interview doesn’t end the moment you leave. Send a thank you letter! That may be the bread on the butter that gets you noticed over another applicant. Also, I recommend finding your interviewer on LinkedIn and connecting. That’s a great way for him or her to view your qualifications and recommendations from your peers.
If you’re having trouble securing an interview, pause for a second and re-evaluate what might not be working. Is it your resume? Many companies nowadays have automatic resume scanners, which means you need to include a word bank on your resume with several “key words” so the system picks your resume. Look at job postings for the type of job you want and include key-words from those postings on your resume. Forget phrases like “Hard working employee,” employers want to know how you contribute to the company. Instead of saying you’re hard working, explain how your hard-work raised sales for example by saying, “Succeeded in raising quarter 1 sales through aggressive client recruiting and hard-work.”
With that being said, here are example outfits of what to wear based on the job level and industry you are interviewing in. Enjoy!
FINANCIAL / LAW and SENIOR EXECUTIVES (ex. Bank Teller, Accountant, CEO, HR)
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| Suit from Banana Republic |
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| Suit from Banana Republic |
RETAIL (ex. Sales Associates, Cashiers, Stock Associates, etc.)
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| Outfit from Forever 21 |
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| Clothes from Forever 21, Shoes from Macys.com |
CREATIVE (fashion designer, artist, buyer, etc.)
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| Outfit from Macys.com |
Obviously there are SO many outfit ideas that you can come up with. Ultimately, choose what you wear based on the company you’re interviewing for. If you need any professional assistance in your job hunt, please feel free to contact me! I’d be glad to help. 🙂
Pastor Karen (aka: MinK)
September 13, 2011 at 11:06 pmI really appreciate the photos in this blog. They provide something I can SEE and show what you talking about.
KrystineAlaina
September 16, 2011 at 9:51 pmThank you! 🙂