The interview selection process followed before march 2020 is very different from the selection process followed after March 2020. Now almost all hiring is being done through video calls and online meetings. You have to adapt to the new video interview and should know what to dress to wear for the video interview in 2021. But let me tell you a story before we dive deep into a serious topic of what to dress for video interview success in 2021.
How To Dress To Play James Bond
There is an interesting story behind the selection of George Lazenby as legendary spy James Bond 007.
It was in the year 1967, and Sir Sean Connery decided to quit after his fifth James Bond Movie. Producers were facing immense challenges to find a replacement to take over the role of James Bond.
Somehow, George Lazenby got a chance to audition for the role. He has competition from candidates such as Oliver Reed and Adam West, as well as future Bonds Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton. Lazenby was a successful model but had no acting experience. He knew that he has to look and dress like Sean Connery to impress the producers. Lazenby visited Sean Connery’s barber to get the same haircut and asked him to cut his hair like Bond. Then he talked to the barber and got the address of Sean Connery’s tailor. He visited Connery’s tailor to get the same suit. Lazenby was not able to wait the six months necessary for Anthony Sinclair to make a bespoke suit. But Sinclair happened to have a suit made for Connery that Connery did not want. He asked Sinclair to lengthened the sleeves, and then he purchased it.
George Lazenby did all that for a better shot at the role. He wanted to show the producers that he is what they are looking for in an actor for the James Bond role. The rest is history.
The dress may not be the only reason he got the role, but it must have a significant impact on the producers to look at him favorably during the meeting.
Dress For Video Interview Success And Your Confidence
Deciding on the best dress to wear for an interview is as crucial as your preparation to answers questions to highlight your confidence and competence for the job. The objective of dressing for the video interview remains the same as before the pandemic hits the economy. You want to dress nicely to get success in video interviews and in-person interviews.
The hiring manager prefers video interviews over the in-person interview to protect themselves and candidates from Coronavirus. You can expect a video interview Call as the method of selection for your next job in the year 2021.
Dress Smartly AND Formally
The choice of dress for a video interview is slightly different from the preferred outfit for an in-person meeting. But the significance of appropriate attire and its impact will remain the same. You may think that people care about it and take adequate steps to dress well for an interview, but you will be amazed to know that sometimes people forget to follow the standard procedures and dress up like they just woke up from sleep.
The best personal impression during the video interview is without any doubt is significant to get positive feedback at the interview. If you look good in the video interview, then you are going to feel confident and better during the discussion. Dressing appropriately for the interview will help you to perform better. We know that different organizations follow different rules for formal and casual dress. Sometimes if you dressed too formally, then it gives the impression that you are old-fashioned. But if you dressed too casual, then it can give the impression that you are not serious about the interview. So the best approach is to dress smartly and formally.
Your formal dress is unlikely to count against you, whereas being too casual might give the impression that you are not taking the interview seriously. If you are in doubt about what dress to wear during the video interview, then feel free to talk to the recruiter before your interview and ask them about the dressing code for the interview.
Some organizations, especially in the financial and banking industry, prefer formal dress. Be very particular about your appearance while attending an interview with the financial and banking industry.
What To Dress To Wear For Interview Success: Color And Attire Combination
What to dress for a video interview come down to common sense, but you have to be mindful of the choice of colors and materials that may create a technical challenge or may not look nice on a computer screen.
Here is a basic rule for interview
- Men. Wear a suit, a clean shirt, and a tie. Avoid any logo or loud print on a necktie. On a necktie, opt for a medium-sized pattern, like stripes.
- Women. Wear a suit (a skirt, blouse, and jacket or a dress and jacket or a pair of trouser suit).
Keep into the consideration following while attending interview through video conference:
- Choose warming colors.
- Colors like teal, cobalt, purple, and coral pop on screen.
- For women, wearing a top in one of these bright shades will warm up your face. For men, neckties are your best opportunity to deliver a punch of color.
- Avoid white, bright red, and all-black outfits.
- All three of these colors pose technical problems.
The bright white top will glow on light and not right for a video interview. You can wear a white shirt if you are wearing a dark jacket and necktie, but a light blue top/ shirt is a better option for an on-camera interview.
Similarly, black poses the same problem during the online video interview. You may try to adjust the focus of the camera on your face, and it will turn black to too dark. The design of the garment will be lost and distorted. A bright red sometimes look flashy on camera, giving off a slight, hazy halo.
That is the reason the photographer prefers solids to take the best professional photos.
The larger patterns are too distracting and divert the focus of the interviewer from you to the dress. You want the focus on you during the interview. Also, avoid small and tight patterns that can look dazzling on the camera.
Keep jewelry simple. Do not wear big jewelry, can be visually distracting, and can create distracting sound during the interview. Computer microphones will pick up the sound coming from the friction of your bracelets.
Final Check Before Interview
Try to do a test run on your computer camera to finalize the best dress that looks good on camera and not taking away the focus of viewers from you. Try two or three different alternatives and shortlist one to wear for your interview.
Dress for the video interviews as if you are attending the interviews in-person to avoid any uncomfortable situation. You may ignore wearing dress pants during the interview, but God forbid, in case you have to stand up to pick up something or close the door behind, then it can create an awkward situation both for you and the interviewers. So be mindful of your attire as you have to follow the above protocol to dress for success in the interview in 2021.