What to Wear to a Recruiter Interview

A lot of people stress about what to wear to a job interview. Well, it’s not as bad when you’re meeting with a recruiter, but it is still important.

Some people think that just because they are dealing with a recruiter that they can be lazy, relaxed, or just too casual.

Well, if you act that way it conveys a certain image. Professional recruiters immediately recognize the quality of a candidate by several things, including the way they are dressed.

Now, it’s possible to dress like a professional but act like a totally clown. But for people who are serious about work, showing up dressed in jeans and a t-shirt or blouse isn’t the best way to get work.

Of course, that should be apparent to most sensible people. But it’s not, as any recruiter will tell you. People show up to interviews in all sorts of outfits.

Below we’ll look at some of the different things to consider when putting together your outfit for a recruiter interview.

Much of this is industry specific, but there are some general rules that apply for all interviews.

Remember, just because you are meeting with a recruiter, it doesn’t mean that you can show up too casual and relaxed.

Office Casual vs Business Professional

The two appropriate outfits for any interview with a recruiter rare either office casual or business professional. What roles you are interviewing for or discussing will determine how you do dress.

First, let’s discuss office casual. That’s the common accepted dress for a meeting with an agency recruiter.

Unless you’re meeting them to discuss a role as a C-Level executive or comparable, then office casual is fine.

I won’t go into detail about what office casual is because this isn’t a blog designed to cover fashion. There are plenty of good articles and videos online. Here are a few to review.

And this is a pretty good and brief video from UNC Career Center:

But what I’d say is that for men:

• No sneakers
• No Jeans (unless you have dark wash slim fit jeans)
• No Shorts
• No t-shirts

And for women:

• No flip flops or sandals
• No string t-shirts or other t-shirts
• No shorts

The other thing that is important to remember is that you are meeting with a recruiter for a specific type of role. Even if you’re not discussing an exact position and are just meeting with an agency recruiter because you are seeking work in any area, it’s wise to understand the etiquette.

For professionals, i.e. those who work in an office setting and do something such as higher end administrative work or sector specific roles in Marketing, PR, Advertising, or any account executive or management role, you will want to dress on the higher end of office casual.

It doesn’t require you to show up in a tailored suit. But a man should wear a sports coat and slacks.

For people who are interviewing for medical roles or manual labor jobs, there is much more leeway with how one dresses. Obviously a Nurse who meets a recruiter and is dressed professionally will stand out, but the work environment and population of nurses is such that often times a recruiter will interact with a medical personal who wears jeans, sneakers and t-shirts. They are just not used to professional environments.

However, this casual attitude towards dress and appearance will create an impression with the recruiter.

People who show up and are dressed professionally create a positive impression in the mind of the recruiter. That helps them when it comes time for the recruiter to select who they want to submit for various jobs that they are working on.

What Should You Bring With You To The Recruiters Office?

You should always bring two copies of your resume. This is so the recruiter and you can review the resume while sitting down for an interview.

Women can easily have their resume in a pocketbook. Just make sure to have your resume in a folder of some sort. You don’t want to bring out a crumpled piece of paper.

Men can bring either a briefcase, or if that’s too serious for your liking, an attaché case or messenger bag that you see many professionals use. A leather or nylon messenger bag is basically the common place modern suitcase.

Some people wear backpacks, and it’s not uncommon for even professionals nowadays to wear them. So, as long as your backpack is not some oversized camping style backpack, then you should be good to go.

Aside from the resumes, you will want to make sure you have the address down and also have your confirmation email ready to show security. In some cases the recruiter is in a space where there is a security check in. It’s a good idea to keep a copy of your confirmation email on your phone just in case.

Don’t Appear Too Eager

Of course, there’s also a flip side to dressing professionally. If you dress too nice and too serious, then it can also create a bit of a backfire.

Showing up dressed to the nines and carrying a suitcase when the interview is with a recruiter to have a general conversation can be a bit strange, unless you’re there to discuss C-level roles.

If you are looking for an administrative role, and you show up dressed like you would be at a formal event: suit, tie, with briefcase (to hold two resumes?) then it might make the recruiter nervous.

It can make a recruiter feel a bit self conscious if you show up overdressed. This is more of an issue for men who might wear a full suit, tie, and appear too serous.

That sort of outfit is fine and in most cases appropriate for a formal job interview. But when you’re meeting with a recruiter you have more leeway with how you dress. You don’t want to overdress, but you also should be mindful of not showing up too casual.

It’s more common to appear too casual, to show up underdressed for an interview.

Dress Professional

When you show up to an interview, it’s a good idea to dress professional. For men, that means a dress shirt, slacks, and perhaps a sports coat

Also importantly, it’s important to make sure that you’re clothes are pressed and ironed. You don’t impress anyone when you show up in a wrinkled outfit.

When it comes to accessories, there is a fine line. Men often wonder if you should wear a watch to a job interview, and the quick answer is yes. Especially if you have a nice watch. If it’s a bit too flashy (like a rolex) then perhaps leave it at home.

Women can wear jewelry of course but they should be cautious to not dress like they are out clubbing.

Is This an Agency Recruiter or an Internal Recruiter

Finally, a word of advise and  a bit of a distinction between agency recruiters and internal recruiters.

Agency recruiters often work on the harder to place roles. They also are more concerned with your competence. They are less picky with smaller things like how exactly you dress.

When it comes time to interview with an internal recruiter, there is a bit more emphasis on dressing professionally. You do not want to show up to an internal recruiters office dressed in business casual. Especially not jeans.