Your Interview Outfit: What to Consider – SJSU | School of Information

Published: October 16, 2024 by Aryn
Prestia 

When preparing for an interview, it’s common to brush up on
potential interview
questions but it’s also important to consider how you
will present yourself to a potential employer. A huge part of
your first impression relates to what you are wearing. 

In a recent webinar, the Career Services team provided tips on
how to develop your professional wardrobe for a career in
librarianship. The full recording is available here, but here
are a few places to start:

• Dress to the environment – In an
  interview you want to dress up slightly more than you would on
  a typical day. While many organizations have moved away from a
  business professional environment (think: suit and tie) to a
  business casual environment (think: a nice button-up shirt) or
  even a casual workplace (think: nice, dark jeans), without
  knowing the “rules” of the organization, it’s best to enter the
  interview with business casual in mind. Loida Garcia,
  consultant for the iSchool’s Career Services department,
  recommends opting for a light-colored or white shirt and dark
  pants to minimize potential distractions from patterns and
  simplify the pre-interview planning process.
• Prioritize comfort– When aiming for a
  professional look, prioritize clothes that fit well and are
  clean. Ensure that you’ve tried on your clothes ahead of time.
  Are they itchy? Can you move easily? Are there buttons/zippers
  that are easy to use? Your goal should be to wear clean, ironed
  (if appropriate to the material) clothes that make you feel
  confident and relaxed, so your best bet is to have your
  interview outfit ready to go days before your interview.

What if you need more personalized help?

The
Spartan Career Closet is here for you! With hundreds of
articles of free professional clothing, students who are local to
the San Jose area can stop by for a styling appointment or to
take advantage of the free professional headshots offered. For
Special Session students, virtual appointments can be made so
that students can receive personalized advice on their
wardrobe. 

(And be sure to take advantage of the additional Career Center
services like the Big
Interview platform, which allows you to practice interviewing
and playback your performance to see how you come across to a
potential hiring manager). 

Quick Tips – 

• For virtual interviews, use a virtual background to minimize
  distractions or clutter in your physical space. 
• Don’t wear shorts to an interview. While shorts may be
  appropriate in certain work environments (lifeguard, summer camp
  counselor, etc.) they most likely do not fit with the
  professional requirements of your workplace. Avoid shorts for the
  interview and then if you land the job, check with your
  supervisor about dress requirements. 

As you prepare for your first (or next) interview, keep these
tips in mind and boost your interview confidence. For more
information about the iSchool’s Virtual Career Workshop Series,
visit here. 

Two More Things…

Here are some job opportunities on Handshake that might be of
interest!