People make important decisions about your character based on your appearance, and whilst you could listen to the time honoured ‘always dress smart and wear a suit for an interview’, these days a suit might not always be appropriate as an across the board ‘uniform’.
If you’re going for an interview, bear in mind what kind of business it is and what kind of attitude the people who work there might have towards dress. For example, if you’re going for a financial job in the city, there’s not really much debate as that area of business are notorious for being slick and smart (just look to the movies where stylists are paid to get the look right!). However if you’re going for something in a more creative environment then more casual attire may be acceptable. The one thing you don’t want is to feel uncomfortable when you turn up for your interview because you are too smart...or too scruffy!Take a look at celebrity dresser Kate Middleton, girlfriend of Prince William. As the potential future queen of England she is continually under the scrutiny of the public, and portraying the right image cannot be underestimated. Always appearing smart and presentable whether she is at a charity function, a polo match or a royal family ‘do’, her outfits are well put together, smart and glamorous. Never would she be seen in something inappropriate or too ‘showy’!
Other celebrity image look books you could take a leaf out of are Sir Alan Sugar and Dermot O’Leary. Sir Alan, entrepreneur and media personality always wears a suit – as it is suitable (pun intended) for a business mogul who wants to be taken seriously by both his peers and those who aspire to be like him. TV and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary is well known for his great dress sense (smart, simple and trendy) and has been recognised for this by his nomination for best dressed man at the Clothes Show. Both men have stuck to their own image guide lines and forged out their own look which no doubt has helped them along their career path.
You should never underestimate the power that dressing the part can have as part of your career strategy!
