What To Wear To the Interview: Finance
September 26, 2013
In the second edition of our “What To Wear To the Interview” series, we tapped Robin McNamara Lidington, a Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank. Robin loves her job so much that she’s been there for seven years, so she’s well-versed in what works in the office, sartorially speaking. Below, her advice on the best interview outfits for the finance industry.
THE INTERVIEW OUTFIT
“I would wear a pant or skirt suit, a neutral collared shirt, closed-toe heels, and neutral-colored nylons. Skirts should be no more than one inch above the knee! Makeup and jewelry should be understated.”
THE PHILOSOPHY
“Once you’re hired and get a better feel for the company culture, you can get more creative with your attire. But I wouldn’t risk it at the interview stage—you never know who’s going to be sitting on the other side of the table.”
THE “WORK DRINKS” OUTFIT
“It all depends on who you are meeting with. If the person is likely to be wearing a suit (for example, an investment banker coming from work), I would do the same. If the person is likely to be wearing something less formal, ‘business casual’ works well. An MM.LaFleur dress would be perfect in this situation.”
BEYOND THE OUTFIT…
“Remember that an interview is a two-way process. Make sure you like the people interviewing you, because if you take the job, you’ll be spending most of your waking hours with them. I got very lucky because I ended up with co-workers I really like. If I were to go through the process again, I would try to focus less on the idea of being ‘accepted’ and focus more on figuring out whether the company, people, and culture were the right fit for me. You are interviewing them at the same time that they are interviewing you.”
Feeling inspired? Check out some interview-ready looks here, or shop the styles below.
Opt for demure and sophisticated (and to the knee!) in the Niko:
Add a hint of color, but keep things understated, in the Felisa:
Go for charcoal-gray and structured in the Mela:
Click here to see the full MM.LaFleur collection.
