Interview Wardrobe Mistakes That Will Cost You the Job

Interview Wardrobe Mistakes That Will Cost You the JobI remember one nerve-wracking moment in a recent vorstellungsgesprch I went on. I was wearing a perfectly appropriate dress, with a tidy tailored but still feminine vibe. But I accidentally took off my sweater with my raincoat, and realized as I reached for my folder of resumes that I was now wearing short sleeves, which wouldnt have been a big absprache except for the tattoo Id recently gotten on the inside of my bicep. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Fortunately, it was for a college-level teaching job where they valued my professional abilities and enthusiasm as much as my presentation in a more conservative venue, it might have been a deal breaker. Now, its also true that I probably wouldnt want to work anywhere that wouldnt hire me because of my artwork or my jewelry, but thats easier said than accepted when you need a job to live and, you know, eat.That being said, here are 5 in terview wardrobe mistakes that will cost you the job1.You forget to cover up any tattoos or body artA wardrobe misstep shows a lack of judgment to a prospective employer. You want to show your personality, but in measured, deliberate ways. Even though Im not embarrassed about my tattoos (theyre colorful and fun, like me), I went into the interview expecting to not to reveal them, and I was flustered when I accidentally uncovered them. Know your outfit well enough that it cant surprise you2. Yourinterview wardrobeisnt industry appropriateWhile covering my tattoos up wasnt a mandatory gesture in the kind of teaching job I was interviewing for, in another job it might have been. On the other hand, the tailored dress I wore might have been too stuffy or formal for a more creative and casual environment.On another recent job interview, I was over-dressed and it rebounded on me in more ways than onethe office was a zillion degrees and there was only so far I could push my sleeves up Prepa re for interviews the way you prepare for the Pacific Northwest. Light layers, coordinated colors.3.Your interview wardrobe reveals too much skinAvoid anything thats distractingly short, ill-fitting, or tight. An interview is not the time to squeeze into your aspirational pants or the dress the dry cleaners shrunk that youre still in mourning for. Get a second opinion from a friend in the know, whenever youre in doubt. If Id asked around, my colleagues elsewhere in publishing could have told me that dark slacks and a blazer would have been more appropriate than my erstwhile suit look.4.You put your outfit together the morning of the interviewPractice ahead of time try on your outfit a few days in advance Make sure everything ispressed, clean, tucked in, and that your shoes match. Know how to get your briefcase or your folder open easily.And stay calm Youre still you, no matter what you wearjust put your best foot (and sleeve) forward.