Making a good first impression is important since it will last longer. When it comes to making a good impression on the hiring manager, appearance is quite important.
Why is it Important to Wear the Right Outfit for Job Interviews?
Being a teenager, you don’t need to go overboard with the notion of formal interview attire. However, maintaining a professional appearance in a job interview demonstrates your commitment and professionalism. Along with that well-structured resume, a good professional outfit will change the game for you.
It doesn’t matter if it is your first job interview or your fifth; when you present yourself professionally for an interview, it reflects your level of maturity and your preparation for the job. Thus, it is important to dress appropriately for these occasions.
Best Interview Outfits for Teenagers
This article will guide you through the process of selecting the best interview outfits for teenagers to impress the recruiter in your next job interviews.
1. Dresses/Blouse with Skirts are Ideal
For our young women preparing for an interview, dresses can look elegant, classy, and formal all at once. The best options for making you look professional are dresses or skirts paired with a simple blouse or shirt.
However, make sure the skirt or dress doesn’t go below the knee (go for the knee length) but is also not too short, not showing too much cleavage or any stomach at all.
You have a better chance of landing the job if your attire is less exposed. Pair a skirt with a simple yet classy blouse or even a shirt, and you’re interview-ready.
2. Polo Shirt/ Button-Down Shirt
Easy to wear and suitable for both girls and boys, Polo shirts and Button-down shirts make great interview outfits for teenage candidates.
Make sure your polo shirt fits you appropriately; it shouldn’t be either too tight or too loose. Get that “put-together” look by wearing them with khaki pants.
3. The Classic Blazer, Coat, and Suit
Blazers can be a great option to stand out and look super professional. For teens, the fashion industry mostly focuses on patterns and accessorized clothes with stones and beads, heavily printed or layered pieces, which is what you need to avoid when going for an interview.
Simple, plain, and solid coats or a suit layered over a plain, light-colored button-down shirt, along with matching tailored pants, make the perfect interview outfit.
However, it depends on the type of company and the type of job you’re going for to determine if suits would be suitable or too much, in which case you should talk to an adult.
Wear a suit or dress pants, a shirt, a tie, and a jacket if you’re interviewing for a job at a bank, a law office, or another generally conservative professional setting.
4. A Tie Can Never Go Wrong
A tie screams “formal attire” (emphasis on the scream). Perfect for the professional setting, A buttoned-down shirt with a simple classic knot tie is one of the best interview outfits for a teenage boy.
Even for the girls, a tie can never go wrong. Even so, keep in mind if the interview is for a corporation or something less formal by wearing it with a blazer.
5. Khakis
You can hardly ever go wrong with khakis. Khaki pants will be sufficient to portray that professional appearance.
Furthermore, it will convey to your interviewer that you have given the interview great importance and have invested the required time to prepare. It is never really out of trend when it comes to office wear.
6. Stick to The Basics
A simple blouse (pay attention to the details) looks great with traditional slacks and a nice belt, a suitable outfit for an interview. This clothing conveys professionalism and neatness and also looks beautiful.
Another alternative for a job interview is a good sweater worn with blue pants. For a teenage interview, formal, well-fitting pants and a classy button-down shirt are ideal for conveying maturity and responsibility.
7. Choose the Right Footwear
Shoes are always noticed in an interview. While it is true that many teenagers prefer sneakers and casual shoes because they are the most comfortable for their feet, it is advised to wear a clean pair of shoes that look more mature and are appropriate and acceptable.
Flip flops, casual slippers, high-end fashion heels, and footwear with a lot of shimmer and shine are not preferred.
Instead, choose plain loafers, a nice pair of simple and basic heels or sandals for girls, and simple formal shoes for both boys and girls. These shoes are stylish enough that you can even take cool feet pics later with the footwear if you want.
8. Dress-Pants Code
Learn about the business’s preferred dress code for employees, and talk with the people interviewing or speak to a staff member before your interview.
You can ask a hiring officer at the human resources office for recommendations if you don’t know anyone.
9. Accessories
In most cases, this is where one can go out of hand. Many teens commonly make blunders, including having obvious tattoos, wearing bright or distracting shirts and ties, and wearing too much jewelry.
Your interviewer may ignore your answers to interview questions if she is preoccupied with your dangling earrings or other flashy jewelry.
Keep in mind that Professional yet Conservative attire is appropriate for you. Limit the accessories to a watch. You can add a minimalistic bracelet or a minimalistic necklace, but that’s the end of it.
10. Choice of Colors
Colors are too important. You are not Barbie, and so it is a major no for a female to show up for an interview wearing a pink top over a pink skirt, complete with pink shoes and a pink purse.
Similarly, a combination works best for boys thinking of going all dark and masculine.
Pastels and Neutrals can be your best friend. Light and soothing colors are a great option. Colors like blue, navy, shades of brown, and a combination of black and white are perfect choices for a job interview.
The key is to go for either subtle colors or dark ones, like black.
11. Simple and Natural Makeup
Makeup isn’t necessary; what’s important is your self-confidence. Subtle, natural-looking makeup is the way to go. The simpler the makeup is, the more professional and natural you’re going to look.
Nothing glam, nothing glitters. Do not experiment with makeup—this isn’t Disney. Heavy makeup can be a turn-off and ruin your first impression.
Avoid overdoing eyeshadows, dark lip shades, blinding highlighters, and overdone blush. Not that you shouldn’t wear makeup at all; just that you should keep your look elegant and understated. Natural makeup or today’s trending “no makeup” makeup look are good options.
12. Don’t Forget to Do Your Hair
Hair must appear “clean,” well organized, and put. Boys’ hair can be fixed with a little gel. You should avoid having messy hair for interviews. If it’s unmanageable, you may want to get a fresh cut for the interview.
Girls check for flyways and an excessive amount of loose strands. You’re wise to realize that keeping things well-managed is a fantastic look. To appear more professional, go for a sleek look.
Choose the hairstyle you feel most confident in, whether it’s an updo, a basic ponytail, or a side partition. What you don’t want is your hair interrupting your interview and dancing on your face.
13. A Few Tips
13.1. Don’t Dress Too Casually
Avoid anything that shows your stomach or sits weirdly on your body. Pants that are too tight, too short, heavily printed, or anything funky is a “no.”
Remember, the clothes worn on the streets or something normally worn at home, going to school, or going out with friends will be too casual to be worn for a job interview.
Avoid things that look too casual. Try to replace jeans with cotton pants or khaki pants or replace spaghetti-strap shirts with buttoned-downs or polo shirts.
13.2. Wrinkles are a “NO”
Make sure anything you choose to wear is wrinkle-free. Imagine that you are the interviewer and you are comparing two people—one who is well-dressed, with ironed clothes and nice shoes, and the other who has crumbled clothes.
You would probably appreciate someone who was dressed decently. Whether or not he is suitable is secondary to whether or not his skills match the position.
13.3. Check on the Little Things
For example, make sure your shoes are tidy. A fully loaded purse or pockets are not good looks. Keep your chewing gums at home. Keep the clean appearance in mind.
What NOT to Wear in a Job Interview?
- Hats are unsuitable for the job; keep clear from them.
- You shouldn’t wear hoodies and denim jackets to your interview because they are stylish and enjoyable but not at all professional.
- Toss the jeans. Even if you decide to wear jeans, it’s crucial to check that they aren’t overly ripped, distressed, or embellished.
- Only strappy and flowy summer dresses are excluded from the category of dresses.
- Avoid wearing sneakers that are too flamboyant or bright.
- Choose a plain cardigan rather than a thick one, or stay away from them altogether, as they are a risky fashion option.
- Short bottoms are generally not acceptable as interview outfits for teenagers.
Summarizing
It is preferable to arrive for an interview overdressed as opposed to underdressed. Therefore, it’s usually okay to take this risk if you are concerned that your attire is too formal. Keeping your cool and paying attention during a job interview.
We hope this article least assisted in the preparation. Have self-confidence, and you’ll ace your interview.
