What should you wear to a campus or company interview?
Wear clean, well-fitting formal or business-casual clothes in plain colours, with neat grooming and comfortable formal shoes, unless the company tells you otherwise. Aim to look tidy and professional, not expensive.
Explain it simply
First impressions form in seconds. You do not need a costly suit; you need to look like you took the day seriously.
For most campus drives in India: a plain light shirt with dark trousers, or a salwar kameez or kurta, or a shirt with trousers, in plain colours. Ironed clothes, clean formal shoes, tidy hair, minimal accessories and light or no perfume. For startups, smart casual is often fine; check the invite or ask the placement cell. For video interviews, dress fully formal at least above the waist and check how colours look on camera.
Example
Situation: Sameer had an interview at a large bank on campus and only owned a few casual shirts.
Task: Look professional on a student budget.
Action: He borrowed a plain white formal shirt from his roommate, had his dark trousers ironed, polished his black shoes, and got a haircut two days before. He kept his resume copies in a clean folder.
Result: He felt confident walking in, and the interviewer's first comment was about his well-organised folder.
What to say in the interview
"I'd wear clean, ironed formals in plain colours, neat grooming and polished shoes, unless the company said otherwise. Tidy matters more than expensive."
Common mistakes
- Wearing loud colours, flashy accessories or strong perfume.
- Wearing new shoes that hurt.
- Ignoring the dress code mentioned in the invite.