You can probably ditch that suit in your next job interview, according to Gillian Munson.
While it remains prudent to “dress for the role you want,” Munson, Vimeo’s chief financial officer, tells CNBC Make It, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to wear your most formal attire.
Despite conventional wisdom around interview garb, you might be best served in less buttoned-up clothing that’s more comfortable, especially in the age of regular virtual interviews, she advises.
When Munson interviews a candidate who’s calling in from home and “they’re not looking and dressed and feeling like themselves, you feel it,” she says. “People sometimes get too much advice to take the dress too seriously.”
She’s more concerned with assessing people when they feel comfortable and confident, which can give her a better read of what they’ll be like as employees. “I love to see people as they are,” she says.
Munson’s guidance calls for a more relaxed approach to dress — but still within reason. She notes that you should always “show respect for the role” in your outfit, even if you meet your interviewer remotely via Zoom.
How to figure out the company’s dress code
Interview dress codes can naturally vary depending on the role and culture at a company you’re interviewing for.
It’s best practice in an interview to dress at the same level of formality as others at the company, or one notch more, recruiter Farah Sharghi told Make It last year.
When interviewing for a more conservative firm, for instance, you might want to opt for a button-up shirt, trousers and nice shoes. If you’re interviewing for a company with a more casual setting, such as a startup, wearing a collared shirt and khakis can be a smart bet, she said.
Sharghi’s top tip for deciphering what to wear for an interview is to directly ask your recruiter, who as an insider can inform you about the workplace’s clothing norms.
“If a recruiter gives you advice, best to take it,” she said.
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