Tyler recently graduated from college. He had a job interview with a company whose office was in a warehouse and not in the regular business section of town. He was surprised to find that the interviewer’s office had a rich cherry wood credenza, plush carpet, and original artwork on the walls. The interviewer wore a suit. Tyler felt out of place in his casual attire.
If you will be graduating from college soon and entering the workforce, it is time to take a good look at your wardrobe. Those Levis that have holes in them and are frayed at the hem? Don’t wear them to work. Keep them for after work and on weekends. The same thing goes for t-shirts and especially sports jerseys. They are not the fashion to wear to work.
If HR doesn’t explain a dress code policy, pay close attention to what others are wearing and dress similarly. If everyone wears a suit and tie, it’s time to invest in a couple of suits. In these types of companies, casual Fridays usually means still wearing a suit but not with a tie. Ask a coworker to be sure.
Many companies have a more casual dress code. Fashion for these types of businesses usually mean wearing a casual slack with a button-up shirt and possibly a tie. Again, either ask what the appropriate dress code is or pay close attention to what others are wearing.
Footwear is also an important fashion to pay attention to. Flip-flops are definitely taboo. Just because your boss is easy going doesn’t mean that he approves of you wearing flip-flops. Keep them home in your closet between the hours of 9 to 5. Same thing for your white tennis shoes. If the dress code is a corporate casual style, loafers or a casual tie shoe is appropriate. If you wear suits to work, make sure you wear dress shoes.