How To Dress For A Zoom Interview!

Before we approach what a person should be wearing for a Zoom meeting or interview, please be aware of your lighting and furniture surroundings. Do a test to make sure you know exactly what you and your surroundings will look like. If you are in a home where everyone is working from home, make sure you are in a completely quiet environment.  You’ll also want to make sure the family knows this is an absolute D0 NOT DISTURB situation. 

Prior to your Interview, consider contacting human resources and tell them how excited you are to interview with them. Ask if they have any suggestions on what to wear to meet with their team as you don’t want to assume. 

Your attire for your Zoom interview should be the same as an in-person interview. This Includes wearing proper shoes. Why? Because you want to project confidence. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. 

Dress in accordance to that industry’s standards. Do your research on the company hiring you and try to get a vibe for their culture. Make sure you visually align with that company’s value system. You can learn a lot about their values through their mission statement. 

Still be sharp, clean, and fresh! Employers notice when you are not making a true effort.

Remember because of Covid there are a lot fewer positions available. Therefore the competition is real. No matter what, dress your best! Too many people mistake business casual for street casual. 

Whether you’re a man or a woman, don’t just wear a dark suit or jacket and white collared shirts. Make a genuine effort. It will be noticed. Stay away from black and white stripes and loud prints, patterns, or large logos. The stripes and ambitious patterns can get blurry online and that can be distracting.

Men and Women, please DO NOT show up with wet hair. Nobody wants to hire somebody with a just out of the shower look, it’s completely inappropriate. Wear the outfit that you’re confident in and that you believe is company-approved. 

I would think I don’t have to say this but I know I do. Unless you are applying for a position as a Yoga instructor, do not wear leggings as part of your outfit. It’s careless and outright disrespectful. Yes, I said it! If you’re surprised right now you may want to re-evaluate your style game. 

When in doubt, go a bit more dressy. You always want to be one notch above the people you’re interviewing with. I say if you want to be the BOSS of the company, dress better than the boss!

Business Casual Means: For Women

• Structured blazers, jacket, and sweaters
• Tailored pants or cigarette pants 
• No jeans unless it’s casual Friday: make sure they are not ripped jeans or fancy washes. Wear dark denim with no embellishments. You may want to consider a bootcut style.
• No graphic tees with catchphrases.
• Structured flats or pumps. Inexpensive flats look sloppy. They say the person doesn’t care, doesn’t wear those shoes in real life, and does not want to make an effort because the boss doesn’t pay you enough!

Business Casual Means: For Men

• A tailored sport coat
• Slacks, Dockers, or dark washed denim with no embellishments or logos
• Leather or Vegan shoes. They don’t have to be hard bottoms but polished business shoes. 
• A clean-looking sneaker for casual days at the office. Not a running shoe, an actual sneaker that’s clean, crisp, and can be worn in a business meeting.

Show up as the best version of yourself whether it’s a Zoom or in-person interview. Remember while the company is interviewing you, you are interviewing them as well. You want to make sure you are a good fit for each other. Your confidence will be on display along with your outfit, so make it count! I am always happy to answer any questions on my IG page.