The Rules of Fierce Interviewing

By Meocha Belle

October is here and recruiters are scheduling you for several rounds of interviews. As the interview rounds continue, you are meeting with more senior members of the organization, according to MBA Consulting Track.
To show that you are fierce enough to work for them, you should follow a certain set of attire guidelines. After being interviewed, personal appearance is the top reason people do not get hired, according to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). “Appropriate attire supports your image as a person who takes the interview process seriously and understands the nature of the industry in which you are trying to become employed,” according to Virginia Tech’s Career Services.
So read closely for these recommendations from Virginia Tech’s Career Services to fiercify your interviewing!
Wear a skirt-suit, pant-suit or conservative dress. If you decide to wear a skirt-suit or dress, make sure it is not above knee-length. Your arms should not be exposed, so jackets with full-length sleeves are a must. Stay away from low-cut blouses and other revealing items. Hosiery should be worn in a skin-tone or neutral color and should not have any runs. If they do run before you are interviewed, bring another pair along with you in your briefcase or purse. (Oh, and remember your portfolio to hold copies of your cover letter and resume.)
Shoes should be conservative, clean and polished. Save the 6-inch stilettos for the dinner party, mid-low heels are appropriate for interviewing. Flats are iffy. In some industries, they are not acceptable, so make sure you study the industry that you are trying to enter.
No matter the industry, keep your make-up looking and at a minimum and natural. Hair should be well-groomed and pulled back out of your face. Apply perfume lightly, as you do not want to overwhelm your interviewer with a strong smell. Fresh-breath is necessary, but gum, candy or other objects should not be in your mouth when with an interviewer.
Although fierce nails are vibrant and embellished, those too should be tamed for interviewing. Stick with clear or neutral-colored polish, with clean, trimmed fingernails, of course.
You should want nothing to distract your interviewer from getting to know you, so keep jewelry simple as well. Wear only one pair of earrings, one bracelet and one ring. And unless you have no real desire in landing the position, do not wear any visible body piercings.