What to Wear For an Interview in the Summer

For my day job, I work in higher education. Every job I’ve had over the last 15 years started in the summer. It’s the nature of the business I’m in, and that means I’ve had a lot of summer job interviews over the years. Since I’ve had a lot of experience, I thought I’d share my ideas for what to wear for an interview in the summer.

What to Wear For a Summer Interview

Dressing for summer interviews can be challenging, especially when I lived in Arizona. I remember my very first job interview after I graduated from my master’s degree. It was June in Arizona, and it was at least 100 degrees. I found the cutest short-sleeved skirt suit at Banana Republic. It was black, which always feels very professional, but the short sleeves and knee length skirt made it heat tolerable. I work a lavender sleeveless shell underneath and wore simple black sling back pumps.

It Depends On Your Industry

What to wear for an interview in the summer does depend a lot on the type of job you’re applying for. There’s business professional (such as bank or executive positions), business casual (most office settings), creative industry (like marketing or pr), just to name a few. So the first thing you have to decide is how professional is the setting. What do most people wear.

{Stacey’s Look: Blazer; Dress; Heels; Purse (similar); Bangles}

If the office is business professional, you’re going to need a blazer or suit of some sort. The level of uniqueness of your jacket or suit should depend on the vibe of the office. If the business is a bit more casual, then you can wear a dress or pants and a nice blouse instead of a suit. For business casual environments, I love wearing wrap dresses. They are so flattering but also put together. If you work in a creative industry, you have a lot more freedom in what you wear. In my experience, it’s important that you show your personal style. The only caveat is that you don’t want to show too much skin.

Look For Clues To Learn Their Dress Code

To figure out what style of dress the business prefers, you have to try to find clues. For my interview for my current job in Boston, I remember opting for dressier clothes. Based on my first interview (which was via Skype), I saw that my boss was wearing a suit. I used him as a clue and assumed that he expected business professional. That interview was in May, I wore a black dress and long sleeve blazer over the top. I paired the look with close-toed black pumps.

Make Sure You’re Comfortable

Even if you do have to dress in very professional clothes, make sure you’re comfortable. I don’t mean wear sweats; I mean make sure your clothes fits you. There is nothing worse than wearing a blazer that is too small. You’ll pull at it and that uncomfortable feeling will translate to your interview. If you’re comfortable in your clothes, you’ll feel more confident.

As much as possible, also try to find an outfit you really like. I remember that first black suit I got to this day because it was really cute and had special details, even though it was a black suit. I remember feeling really good about myself when I wore it. That’s exactly how you should feel in your interview clothes. Confident and beautiful.

If you’re looking for other work-wear posts, here’s one all about spring work suits and another about work suits.

Summer Interview Outfit Ideas:

To give you some ideas of what types of outfits could work for an interview, I’ve pulled some looks that work well for business professional, business casual, and creative industries. Some of these looks could be interchangeable, it really just depends on the culture of the place you’re interviewing. Just don’t show too much skin and feel good in what you’re wearing, and you’re half way there.

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