How to Dress for B-School Interviews

by Nikanshi Y.

Hi everyone,

We all know the famous saying that first impression is the last impression and this saying applies perfectly to interviews. How you dress for an interview tells the interviewer a lot about you. It can highlight your discipline, seriousness and that you pay attention to details. And if your dressing style is not up to the mark for an interview it will make a negative impression, even if your resume is brilliant. So, here are some tips that’ll help you to dress up wisely for a B-School Interview or Campus placement interviews.

1. Nothing new: Don’t try anything new on the morning of your interview. No clothes that you haven’t worn before. Such as, no new makeup product, no new hairstyle and don’t even have caffeine if you stayed a caffeine virgin so far (I have seen some very weird reactions when people tried coffee for the first time).

2. Prepare well in advance: Decide what you are going to wear well in advance. Shop if you have to at least a week before. Wear your clothes and do sort of a test run to make sure they fit you well and you feel comfortable in them. Even do your makeup once a day before as you plan to do it for the interview. This help you to figure out the time you’ll need and to make sure it goes with your outfit.

3. Attire: This will be the first thing the interviewers will notice about you, so you should choose your outfit wisely. Stay on the conservative side, don’t wear skin hugging clothes, low neck-lines, loud colours and sleeveless or cut-sleeve tops. Don’t make black colour the centre of your outfit, though it’s completely acceptable as an office wear colour. It is associated with a sense of authority, so it’s not your safe bet, though you can add black accents to your outfit. Colours that you can go for are: greys, blues and light shades of browns. Girls have an advantage when it comes to formal wear, you can either go for western formals or ethnic formals as per your comfort level.

Ethnic wear: Wear soft shades with understated prints and borders. Do carry a dupatta if you are wearing a kurti as it can look incomplete without a dupatta. Avoid salwars, go for churidars instead. If you decide to wear a saree then make sure it is draped nicely without showing too much skin. And no backless, low cut or sleeveless blouses; go for a collar neck and half or quarter sleeve blouse.

Western wear: Invest in some good pieces from brands that are specially meant for office wear or get them stitched from a good tailor. Make sure you complement the colours nicely. Wear a blazer with matching trousers or skirt. If you are wearing a skirt make sure it should not be shorter than three inches above your knees and do wear stockings. As I said staying on the conservative side will be a better option.

4. Shoes: Avoid open toe shoes, sandals etc…. Upto three inches of heel or flats are acceptable. Go for matte finish leather shoes in neutral colours like beige, browns and even black. Match the colour of your belt with the shoes. Avoid shoes with too much detail. Also make sure your shoes don’t create any noise when you walk it’ll be a major distraction and can upset your interviewer.

5. Makeup: Minimal is the best way to go. Go with natural/nude makeup, avoiding too much colour. Start off with the base of your choice either a light weight foundation or bb cream. For someone who doesn’t wear makeup on a regular basis I would suggest a bb cream as you don’t have to worry much about blending. Line your waterline with a nude or beige eye pencil (avoid white as it can give an artificial look if overdone). Make sure your brows are neat and in shape. Fill them in with a very light hand or you can just comb and set them with a clear mascara or a brow gel. Line your lids with a very thin line of black/brown liner, avoid colour and wings and apply a light coat of mascara just to open up your eyes. Finish with a light shade of blush and a nude or light peach lip colour with a brush for a nice finish. Avoid any glitter, gloss, bronzer etc…..

6. Hair: Make sure your hair looks smooth and clean. The best and most safe hairstyle will be a ponytail as it will keep your hair in place for a long time. You can also go for a half updo if you have very short hair or a neat bun if you have very long hair.

7. Nails: Taking care of your nails will show that you pay attention to the details. Avoid very long nails, even if you maintain their shape well. Trim them completely or just keep them a few millimetres long. Shape and buff them nicely and apply a clear coat or a nude nail colour.

8. Perfume/Scent: You don’t want your scent to enter the room before you do. You never know one of your interviewers can have a very sensitive nose. And your favourite perfume may just cost you a good opportunity. So, the best scent is no scent at all or a very mild scent. If you are worried about sweating just apply a roll on instead of a strong deodorant.

Remember the goal is to draw the interviewer’s attention to what you have to say and your abilities and avoid any distractions. Don’t be under dressed, also don’t be over dressed just find the right balance. Practice your interview at least once with a family member or friend, it’ll help you too become confident. Believe in yourself and just give it your best shot. And shine bright like a diamond (metaphorically 😛 ).

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