Dress Appropriately! What to Wear to Your Next Manufacturing Interview

Standard “Job Interview Attire 101” advice typically doesn’t apply for jobs outside of the basic cubicle office job. If you’ve been selected for a manufacturing interview, you may not know what to wear – a suit and tie may make you stick out (and not in a good way) in a factory atmosphere, but you don’t want to look overly casual like you didn’t put in any effort. Keep these three things in mind when deciding what to wear to your next manufacturing interview:

1. Location
   Try to find out where the interview will be taking place. Knowing if you will be visiting the manufacturing shop itself can help you dress appropriately for the situation. If so, be prepared with basic safety gear, such as a pair of protective glasses, a clean cut short-sleeve shirt, and steel-toed boots. Not only will you be dressed to safely visit the shop, you are likely to impress your interviewer by being prepared.

2. Current Dress Code
   The rule of thumb to keep in mind for your manufacturing interviews: go one step above the current dress code. For instance, if current employees all wear old T-shirts and jeans, a step above that would be a casual but nice polo shirt and clean well-fitting jeans or khakis. This will prevent you from looking awkwardly dressed up while still demonstrating that you take the interview seriously. If you’re not sure of the current dress code, ask someone at the company beforehand.

3. Grooming
   The best interview gear will not send a great impression if you don’t pay attention to the details. Even if the interview is for a manufacturing job at a place that has a very casual or messy atmosphere, take the time to be as well-groomed as possible. Always veer on the conservative side until you can determine how the employer stands on things like visible tattoos, piercings, or long hair. Don’t miss out on a job you’d be a perfect asset for because the interviewer didn’t think you took the time to pay attention to your appearance.

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