How To Dress Professionally?
Everyone has times when they’re confused about what to wear to parties, events, and trips. Choosing an outfit can be so difficult. You don’t want to overdress and stand out, but you also don’t want to underdress and feel shabby compared to everyone else. As bad as this problem is, it’s ten times worse when you’re trying to dress professionally for an interview. Picking the perfect clothes for an interview, meeting, or networking event can help make a great first impression. You want people to take you seriously, and clothes shouldn’t distract from your overall image. This is even more important with jobs! If you dress professionally for work, you’ll give off the impression of being a hard worker and an organized person.
Because there are so many different types of professional clothes, it can be difficult to choose correctly. Here are some quick tips for how to find out what you should wear so that you don’t stick out at your next important meeting!
Do Some Research
A lot of times, dress code information is already available online. If it’s your first day at a job, browse their social media or their website. Pictures of employees and everyday work can give you a hint about their usual practices. A lot of times, it also depends on the type of company. For example, if you’re working with clients in the finance field, you will be required to dress in a suit or a business professional dress.
Familiarize yourself with terms like “formal”, “casual”, and “business casual”. Normally these words are good clues with which you can choose an outfit. Remember, you don’t want to walk into an office full of people wearing button-up shirts and ties in jeans and a T-shirt!
Don’t Make Assumptions
A lot of times, students assume what professional dress means. They think of a jacket with a tie for men, or a pencil skirt and a button-up for women. While that’s true for many fields, the world is constantly changing. These outfits may make you stick out and feel awkward if worn at the wrong time and place. With more relaxed workplaces like the offices at Apple and Google, employees are expected to dress for comfort. Similarly, different careers have different expectations for outfits. Usually, creativity and art-oriented offices don’t expect business clothing for everyday work. Teaching positions or working with university students also has different requirements than being a businessman working with clients. Wearing a suit when everyone’s dressed in sweatpants and shorts will make you feel very awkward! Dressing professionally doesn’t just mean fancy clothing, it means picking the correct outfit for the occasion. So when you’re doing research, make sure you’ve considered all options. Don’t just pick up a pair of trousers or high heels and think that you’re right.
Ask Friends and Family
Don’t feel shy about asking questions if this is your first time dressing professionally! Sometimes, asking others for their experience can be really helpful. Your parents probably have a lot of experience with attending meetings, conferences, and workplaces in the right attire. Even if you don’t have the same job as them, their advice can still be really helpful. You can also ask friends what they would wear to interviews, networking nights, and other events for inspiration. Finding someone in the same industry as you and asking for their help is a great way of getting accurate, relevant knowledge about clothing. Professional wear becomes a huge part of day-to-day life, so it’s never too early to educate yourself about it. The more people you ask and the more first-hand experience you have with it, the more confident you’ll feel about professional attire.
Remember, it’s also possible for you to ask your employer or the host of the meeting what the dress code is. Don’t ask “what should I wear?” because that would make you sound unprofessional. Instead, try “is there a dress code for tomorrow’s meeting?” or “what dress code does the office normally follow?” Taking the initiative and asking them yourself can show that you’re confident and proactive, thus making a good impression. It’s also the most accurate information you’ll get about dress codes if you directly ask the people who create it! So don’t be shy and find out everything you need to know beforehand.
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Picking the right clothes can be daunting. It might even mean that you need to go shopping before your next interview or work shift. But in the end, it’s always worth it. It’ll make sure you fit in with the corporate environment and leave a good impression on your employers. And it’s a great skill to have if you ever need to prepare an outfit for a big conference or meeting!
Blog by Nayana from PAX