It may sound like a bit of a clich', but the first impression you make with a potential employer is the most important one.' And that first impression will be derived from how you look and what you are wearing.

So, dressing to impress at a job interview is imperative, regardless of the work environment.' If you stick to the simple rules below, you will get the process off to the best possible start.

Dress To Impress: The Basics

It doesn't matter what type of business you are being interviewed for, you should never dress casual.' I once interviewed a chap who thought his 'South Park' tie would obviously go down a storm.' It didn't.' He instantly created completely the wrong impression and it was an unfortunate error of judgment.' The basic dress code for interviews should be fairly obvious:-

Dress To Impress: Men's Interview Attire

• Suit (solid color - navy or dark grey)
• Long sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
• Belt
• Plain tie (nothing comical)
• Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
• Little or no jewellery
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Limit the aftershave
• Neatly trimmed nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Dress To Impress: Women's Interview Attire

• Suit (navy, black or dark grey)
• The suit skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably
• Coordinated blouse
• Conservative shoes
• Limited jewellery (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
• Professional hairstyle
• Light make-up and perfume
• Neatly manicured clean nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Dress To Impress: Be Tidy

To gain respect in any working environment you should always portray a professional'image, and this is as, if not more important in an interview scenario.' With that in mind, a stained tie or chipped nail polish will only implant negative thoughts into the interviewers mind.' They will want to see that you give the same care and attention to the way you look as you do'to the way you would approach your work.

And don't rush your preparation for an interview.' Select what you are wearing the night before and check that everything is clean, wrinkle free and that those shoes are shined.

Dress To impress: Interview Day

On the day, remember that you are likely to be nervous, and being nervous will make you sweat.' So avoid dark shirts that will increase the propensity to sweat and make sure you have a good deodorant.

Also avoid having a hot drink in the interview as this again could bring on unwanted patches of sweat, both on your clothing and on your brow!

Turn off the mobile phone and make sure you are not chewing gum, although a quick mint to freshen up your breath is never a bad idea.

Finally, give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview.' Plan your journey to arrive at least 10 minutes early.' That will give you some time in reception to compose yourself, read your notes and scan your CV one final time.

Dress To Impress: Summary

Following this easy guide should increase your chances of bagging that job you really want.

Thanks for reading and should you need any further assistance in the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me here, or you can join the LinkedIn Response Knowledge Network here.

Otherwise feel free to get in touch with me personally, via Twitter or LinkedIn using the links'below.