When it comes to dressing for interviews, summer weather can sometimes throw a curveball in our typical wardrobe. That nice suit that you usually set aside for interviews is way too hot. Your long commute into the city leaves you much worse for the wear when it’s 100 degrees outside!
In order to stay classy for your upcoming interviews, you’ve got to understand how to present yourself in this warmer weather. You’ll want to avoid appearing a hot mess in front of your potential employer and wearing something that might feel comfortable yet look very unprofessional. You have to strike a balance between what works with the higher temperatures and what puts your most professional foot forward.
The most important step to staying classy is to be prepared. You can’t just plug in your potential company’s address into your GPS and venture out into the blazing heat in pursuit of a big interview without readying yourself appropriately. We’ve compiled a few tips that will keep you looking your best without feeling miserable for your summer interviews:
Stick with more neutral colors and materials… For a solid professional summer wardrobe, it’s important to have a few pieces that are set apart from the rest of your typical clothing. Although you might like flashy materials and lots of lace, such choices are not good for a professional office environment. That doesn’t mean that fun colors and patterns are out, but think more neutral than edgy.
Dress in layers… Although you might want to wear your favorite jacket to the interview, you don’t want to wear it on the subway or in your hot car on the ride in. If you dress in layers, then you can shed whatever you need to as you get hot outside but layer back up when you cool off indoors.
Pack extra shoes… Flip flops might be the most comfortable choice for moving around town, but you obviously can’t wear such casual shoes to your actual interview. Packing your dress shoes and just putting them on whenever you get to the interview site will help to make your travels more comfortable.
Bring along basic personal care items… Once you arrive at your summertime interview, chances are you will be perspiring heavily and desperately in need of freshening up before it starts. Packing some basic items such as deodorant and makeup in your purse or small bag will help you to feel more confident about yourself as you cool off and prepare to meet your potential employers. Spraying on a very light fragrance will also help to cover up the sweaty smell you have acquired on your journey into the office.
Pad yourself with an extra 15 minutes… If you know that you’ll need a few minutes to regroup and freshen up when you arrive, then you want to make sure you have that time built in so that you’re not in a rush. As we all know, preparing for an important interview can cause you to work up a sweat in and of itself, so adding summer temperatures to the circumstances can really cause you to become frazzled. Make sure to allow yourself at least 15 extra minutes into your time frame in order to relax, change out appropriate clothing and think through what you need to say and do.
816.986.0909
