what a young lady should wear for an interview?

Design Discussions design employment
1

Do you have any suggestions what a young lady like myself should wear for an interview? The way I was dressed for my only successful design interview, I feel, was rather inappropriate, and I don’t think the messy look with a portfolio under sweaty armpit will work the next time.

I don’t have an interview tomorrow, it’s just a bunch of questions about what not to wear inspired by some previous thread. All of my teachers are men, and when they gave us advices on how to dress for an interview…they kind of concentrated on tie/ no tie aspect of it, which was probably helpful for all of the boys in my class, but not exactly for me.

So, here we go…I tend to wear a lot of color, how much should I tone it down for an interview? I’m asking that because women are generally “allowed” to wear more vibrant stuff than men.

In my opinion, suits look stooopid on young ladies, so should I invest in a suit for an interview? Or something matching will suffice? Pants or skirt? Or it doesn’t matter?
If I must wear something rather conservative, can I go funky with accessories?…like lime stockings, and such?

And the main question, make-up, no make-up…I rarely wear make-up in social situations, but I’ve heard somewhere before that wearing no make-up at all for an interview is mauvais ton in the USA, there should be some tasteful, natural looking, light layer of powdered pigments on the women’s face. But I do feel more comfortable and confident a-la naturel…I really need some help on this one.

Also, would one dress differently for an interview somewhere in EU than in the US?

…I think that’s it for now.
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions from women, men, boys, and girls…

Thank you!

2

I know a lot of designers in London tend to be casual. But i think it doesnt hurt to imagine it like this…

Every company is different. Do your homework on them, call them, ask people who might know about them. Find out what drives the company. This will help you make a decision on how to feel comfortable.
:smiley:

3

Hehehe. When I got called up for my DPS placement interview and asked if I was available to go down immediately (local company), I told them I was not in smart clothes at that minute. They just told me to come as I was, so I turned up in my usual New Rocks and strappy jeans. I got the job, too. :wink:

I wouldn’t reccomend this, though.

I would suggest some subtle eye makeup and a neutral lipstick, as it draws the attention of the interviewer to these areas of your face, and helps them focus on what you are saying both in words and through expression.

I wouldn’t suggest overly formal dress, as it makes lugging a portfolio around a little difficult, not to mention the slight clash of ‘style’ (but this is a personal thing, mostly). I would also dress more smartly for a city interview than one in the suburbs.

4

melovescookies:

Although your professors talked in terms of male clothing doesn’t mean you can’t figure out what they are saying. No tie means business casual. Tie means go corporate (if you don’t have a suit you may consider a dress or skirt with a jacket.)

It really all depends on where you are interviewing. I haven’t worn a suit in years but I do have several jackets. I wear jackets in a more corporate situations. If I am interviewing at more hip young firm I still dress professional but hip.

Don’t go too goofy or overly trendy. Your interviewer might not be all that into the same trends you’re into.

You’re a designer. Think of this as a design problem. You must understand your audience. If you are interviewing for a job as a video game designer you don’t want to wear a suit. On the other hand you don’t want to walk into IBM wearing a psychedelic shirt (or lime green stockings.)

Rules of thumb: Better to be overdressed then under dressed. When in doubt go the more conservative route.

Here in the US I would say ditch the lime green stockings. They will turn off more than impress in most situations IMO. I do wear makeup but more on the natural side. I don’t feel its a requirement at all. Just be sure your well groomed (decent haircut, nails trimmed or manicure… don’t need to be polished.) Make sure your clothes are clean, pressed, no stains and shoes polished. I usually don’t wear perfume. If your interviewer is allergic or hates your scent she won’t like you.

Some women look great in a suit. If you don’t feel comfortable wearing one, don’t. Nice pants are as appropriate these days as a skirt.

5

Thank you very much laureng!

Your advices are very helpful, the dress code for an interview might seem as a common sense thing to many people, but it is really tough for me to “feel” what is appropriate and what is not in the USA…I’ve heard “business casual”, but I have no visual back up of what business casual looks like. I come from a place where women wear a lot more colorful and extravagant stuff with full-blown make-up daily and business casual for a woman in Russia means pretty much fishnet stockings and a mini skirt (I’m not kidding). And in my current every day life I am surrounded by sloppily dressed college students…not a good influence.

Thank you again, I’m ditching the lime stuff.

6

Business casual for most people I know would be khaki or black pants and a blouse or nice shirt. You can still be a little flashy with some accessories!

7

I would recommend wearing the same thing you would to a wedding. Maybe a nice dress. Very simple and still feminine. I’m not a big fan of women in suits. They can look nice, but the little black dress is to women as the standard issue black suit is to men.

8

I’ll never forget one of my first interviews out of school, I bought a super expensive pair of pants and a really nice dress shirt, black, black, with polished black shoes. I thought to myself, damn, this is what a designer looks like… I went into the interview and the design director (major international company) was wearing a pair of old ripped jeans and a stealers shirt!

So do your homework, but most importantly be yourself. If I interviewed someone with lime green stockings I would think to myself, hear is an individual being herself, and leaving her mark and not just trying to look like what a designer is supposed to! What the hell is that, there shouldn’t be a mold for our kind of people to fit!

My take

9

i’d go the slightly short skirt, high schools and boyish shirt. thats what i’m wearing to my interview tomorrow. its hard enough getting a job in design, and us girls are a rare commodity. if you’ve got an interview, you may as well milk it. I will be looking semi conservative, but my spikey hair and black glasses will be my design accessory.

10

Thank you people for your suggestions.

yo, thanks for the “an individual being herself” stuff, very touching. :]

jacqs, i appreciate your comment, what are “high schools”…?…what a mysterious clothing item, I’m guessing it’s socks…right? :]

“if you’ve got an interview, you may as well milk it”…eh, see, in my class we got more girls than there are usually in ID classes, and most of the girls are really good at what they ‘re doing…driving all of the boys mad. They just won’t admit that the girls got internships ‘cause the level of their work is higher than theirs… It’s upsetting to overhear, “oh she got it ‘cuz she has big boobs!” “Oh…she wore a miniskirt to the interview, that’s why!” “Did she do a bj to get it?”

I’m trying to steer away from anything that can be misinterpreted as suggestive. Being viewed as a rare commodity has way too many downsides.

11

been interviewing pple here lately…

guess i would say that seeing how they dress is part of the communication along with the interview (portfolio, personality, attitude) that helps paint a “comprehensive” of him/her…

dress to flatter yourself as well as your interviewer (no double talk here about any other innuendos)…i agree with the suggestions about dressing for a wedding and better to overdress guidelines…

at the same time though, dressing like Ugoff will not “flamboyant” your designs make

-my 2cents

12

I suggest be direct, loud and clear. No lies, only truth.

13

Great topic.

I’ve interviewed dozens of young women in the last few years and my opinion is this.

It’s a job interview, be professional. That means, wear a suit. You’ll always have the chance to dress down to mix with the office culture when you get the job. No interviewer is ever going to look at you and think, “oh, her suit is way too dressy for an interview.” As for make-up, your interviewer doesn’t care. They’re interested in your work, not whether you’re lip gloss is passion pink or funky fuchsia.

If you can’t afford a suit, wear a skirt and blouse. I would never hold it against an applicant if they looked clean, together and professional but wasn’t wearing a suit. Lime green stockings sure will leave an impression, however, that impression might be, “There is no way I’d introduce this woman to the client wearing that.” I wouldn’t recommend a dress you would wear to a wedding (femme and flowers) It’s not really professional either. It’s not awful, but it doesn’t exactly give the impression that you’re up at the same level as the boys. Remember, they’re your toughest competition. When I started I was the only woman industrial designer in an office of 8.

If you want a splash of color in your wardrobe, wear a vibrantly colored blouse under your suit jacket. It’ll make you feel confidant and your interviewer will be too busy gushing over your portfolio to notice either way.

14

You can’t go wrong with these:

Banana Republic > Woman > Business Attire:
http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/visual_index/visual_index.htm?cs_category=203201

http://www.eluxury.com/brands/dkny

15

Does it matter what you wear? as long as your clean and within conformity of the other designers dress sense, then you have no reason to be ill-judged. If you have a ride, the best thing do to is to park outside the office building at around 5-7pm the day before the interview (try and keep a low profile), that way you get to see what all the others are wearing as they depart for home. If most wear black and white… then you should too.
But remember…what counts most is your porfolio and the way you communicate and quickly break down and evalute the questions they throw at you. Looks pay only a small part, about 80% of first impressions according to the lab rats.

I’m kinda of a stunted looking guy, which I cant change like a suite & tie. I know many a man won’t hire me because their afraid, their afraid that I set a bad example of required visual decency. ‘He kind of upsets the wavelength of fellow employees paternal instincts and social patterns’ - he might think to himself. I dont accept their poo stiring asthetic based values. If this discriminiatve ‘knocked down’ treatment go’s on for years and years and years and years, even a decade, then I guess one would be left to start their own business instead of worrying and letting fate lie within the hands of others.

And don’t think I’m a pessimist. Its breakfast reality.

16

I’m feelin ya. Can’t let things about yourself that you can’t control get you down. Just gotta work with whatcha got. If you gotta ride a yugo, at least make sure it’s clean and shiny and the wheels are well inflated!

17

One thing to keep that yugo clean and shiny…but resorting to stalking tactics is completely another.

Dear donkey…I think we know each other, right? If you got a shitty attitude and a lack of confidence, conforming to other’s designers’ dress sense…and even to that matter, your brilliant portfolio is not going to help you. Gotta stay confident and show some enthusiasm for once, nobody wants to work with a person who got an incredible ability to see only the bad side in everything… at least pretend to have a positive attitude for an interview. You got what you’ve got.

18

This is a good board covering many aspects to help any designer be it a current or future one…from web graphics to car body designers. I wouldnt have reg’std if i’d of know it wasn’t needed to post as i’m not an avid poster on any board let alone one which is aimed at the USA.

Vla, I thought it was a good idea to look out from within the insides of a car cabin just to see what employee’s are clad in. We all know that the bee’s do tend to sting and drive off the hornet because of its dissimilar first impression. So the hornet came back dressed as a bee to get his honey. It states just how hard life is. You’ll get many company’s that want people on the same ‘looks wavelength’ as themselves and the rest of the working heard, and of course not forgetting a brilliant portfolio with the communication & enthusiam skills to match! If you fail in one, then you fail in all.

‘Gotta stay confident and show some enthusiasm for once’ - where do we get those positive traits from? socially…isn’t it from showing some respect of others? which in return we hope should make us feel welcome? which again in return makes us feel more enthusistic, confident and wanting to play our part in the short time we have on this planet? hmmm? What if people were denied the very base of this most natural seeking human interraction? what becomes of them? is it only the unwanted that are called stalkers? and whos to say their unwanted and stalkers anyway?.. - persons who carry chips on their shoulders looking for a fight…maybe even the occultists.

HELL I BELONG i say to myself - thats a bloody good + attitude to have.

19

This is a good board covering many aspects to help any designer be it a current or future one…from web graphics to car body designers. I wouldnt have reg’std if i’d of know it wasn’t needed to post as i’m not an avid poster on any board let alone one which is aimed at the USA.

Vla, I thought it was a good idea to look out from within the insides of a car cabin just to see what employee’s are clad in. We all know that the bee’s do tend to sting and drive off the hornet because of its dissimilar first impression. So the hornet came back dressed as a bee to get his honey. It states just how hard life is. You’ll get many company’s that want people on the same ‘looks wavelength’ as themselves and the rest of the working heard, and of course not forgetting a brilliant portfolio with the communication & enthusiam skills to match! If you fail in one, then you fail in all.

‘Gotta stay confident and show some enthusiasm for once’ - where do we get those positive traits from? socially…isn’t it from showing some respect of others? which in return we hope should make us feel welcome? which again in return makes us feel more enthusistic, confident and wanting to play our part in the short time we have on this planet? hmmm? What if people were denied the very base of this most natural seeking human interraction? what becomes of them? is it only the unwanted that are called stalkers? and whos to say their unwanted and stalkers anyway?.. - persons who carry chips on their shoulders looking for a fight…maybe even the occultists.

HELL I BELONG i say to myself - thats a bloody good + attitude to have.

20

This is a good board covering many aspects to help any designer be it a current or future one…from web graphics to car body designers. I wouldnt have reg’std if i’d of know it wasn’t needed to post as i’m not an avid poster on any board let alone one which is aimed at the USA.

Vla, I thought it was a good idea to look out from within the insides of a car cabin just to see what employee’s are clad in. We all know that the bee’s do tend to sting and drive off the hornet because of its dissimilar first impression. So the hornet came back dressed as a bee to get his honey. It states just how hard life is. You’ll get many company’s that want people on the same ‘looks wavelength’ as themselves and the rest of the working heard, and of course not forgetting a brilliant portfolio with the communication & enthusiam skills to match! If you fail in one, then you fail in all.

‘Gotta stay confident and show some enthusiasm for once’ - where do we get those positive traits from? socially…isn’t it from showing some respect of others? which in return we hope should make us feel welcome? which again in return makes us feel more enthusistic, confident and wanting to play our part in the short time we have on this planet? hmmm? What if people were denied the very base of this most natural seeking human interraction? what becomes of them? is it only the unwanted that are called stalkers? and whos to say their unwanted and stalkers anyway?.. - persons who carry chips on their shoulders looking for a fight…maybe even the occultists.

HELL I BELONG i say to myself - thats a bloody good + attitude to have.