Dress for a Zoom Interview

What do you wear for a Zoom interview? The simple answer is to wear the same thing as you would for an in-person interview. But we’ve dug deeper than that to provide you with dress-for-success advice that’s catered to virtual interviews. We’ve also gone beyond your outfit choice to offer helpful advice on looking your best on camera and feeling calm and confident. Keep reading to get prepared and ace that Zoom interview!

Steps

Dressing for Virtual Success

1. Research how current employees tend to dress at work. It’ll be easier for the interviewer to picture you working for the company if you already dress like the people who work there. Browse the company’s website for photos that reveal how employees dress not only for headshots but also day-to-day activities. Don’t try to copy this exact look, but use it to help you formulate your wardrobe strategy.
   • If you’re not getting the info you need from the website, get in touch with your recruiter or other primary contact at the company and ask them how people typically dress there. Don’t worry—they get asked that question more than you think!
2. Go one level above the typical dress formality at the workplace. This is common advice for in-person interviews, so you might think it’s too “stuffy” for a virtual interview. But it’s a mistake to go too casual just because you’re on Zoom! Instead, dress a little more formal than the average workday wear, without feeling the need to go overboard.
   • So what’s it mean to go one level above? If, for example, workers typically wear a blouse or a shirt and tie without a jacket, add a jacket to your ensemble. If polo shirts are more typical, go with a blouse or a shirt-minus-tie.
   • It’s better to over-dress than under-dress for an interview (in-person or virtual), so dressing up one level gives you a nice buffer zone.
3. Opt for neutral colors or jewel tones that aren’t distracting. While a hint of flashy colors or bold prints might work okay for an in-person interview, they can really stick out and be distracting onscreen. It’s best to go all-in on muted colors to make sure the focus remains on what you’re saying.
   • Some styling experts say to play it extra-safe and stick to the most neutral of neutral colors—blacks, grays, and whites. Others say it’s fine to broaden your color palette to include jewel tones—muted reds, greens, yellows, blues, and purples. In either case, just make sure your chosen color doesn’t blend in with the color of your background!
4. Choose well-fitting clothes, not bulky or skimpy items. The camera tends to make bulky clothes look even bulkier and skimpy clothes look even skimpier. Now’s the time to choose an ensemble that fits your body just right without revealing too much of it. It might seem like overkill to get your jacket tailored for a Zoom interview, but you’ll end up with a great-fitting jacket for all kinds of occasions.
   • It’s true that the interviewer will almost certainly only see you from the mid-chest up, so pay extra attention to the fit and form of your clothes there. But it might give your confidence an extra boost to wear a well-fitted ensemble from head to toe.
5. Wear coordinating pants and footwear even if they won’t be seen. Yes, you might be able to get by unawares while wearing gym shorts and flip-flops for your virtual interview. But what if you have to stand up to go grab something you forgot, or you spill coffee on your lap? Instead of taking the chance, play it safe and dress for success from head to toe.
   • Dressing head-to-toe for the interview can also really help get you “into the zone”—that is, the confident frame of mind you need to ace the interview. You might not be able to get there if you’re still in your pajama pants!
6. Opt for traditional interview attire if you’re still unsure what to wear. If you’re worried that you’re overthinking things here, just treat it like an in-person interview and dress in a classic and fairly conservative style. For example:
   • Pair a dark blue or dark gray suit with a white shirt, a monochrome or diagonal-striped tie in muted colors, and matching black or brown leather shoes and belt.
   • Wear a white or light-colored (but not see-through) blouse with a dark-colored jacket and a matching skirt or trousers, along with neutral pantyhose (as needed) and dark (typically black) shoes with medium heels.

Looking Your Best on Camera

1. Wear light makeup and minimal jewelry if you'd like to. While you might be tempted to wear more makeup to look good on camera, it’s likely that your makeup will look even more pronounced and possibly be distracting. Jewelry can also be more distracting on-screen than in-person. Opt for a light touch when it comes to both jewelry and makeup.
   • You might, for instance, put on a bit of mattifying primer to reduce shine, add a little foundation and concealer to even out your skin tone, and add a small amount of natural color to your cheeks and lips.
   • If you don’t typically wear makeup, don’t put makeup on just because you’ll be on camera. Unlike a TV newscaster, you won’t be using super high-def cameras that show every crease and blemish on your face.
2. Select a plain, light-colored background. Make sure the focus is on you, not on whatever is behind you. If you have a light-colored blank wall in your home or other interview space, go with that. Alternatively, hang a curtain or sheet behind you to provide a neutral backdrop, or change your Zoom settings to Change-Your-Background-on-Zoom.
   • Since you’re probably wearing darker colored clothing for the interview, it’s best to avoid dark backgrounds. But, in any case, make sure your clothes don’t blend into the background so that you end up looking like a disembodied head on your interviewer’s screen!
3. Set up so there’s even lighting coming from behind the camera. Here’s the ideal lighting scenario: center your camera in front of a window that lets in lots of natural light (but doesn’t have direct sunlight beaming in). Absent that, set up a lamp behind your camera so that it bathes you face in even light without causing heavy shadows on your face.
   • If you’re using a phone-on-a-tripod camera setup, consider investing in a phone ring light. They project even lighting onto your face and often cost under $20 USD.
4. Position the camera at or slightly above your eye level. Looking down at the camera can result in some less-than-flattering angles and shadows. Instead of potentially putting your nostrils on display, raise the camera so you can look straight or ever-so-slightly up at it. This is a more flattering camera angle that’ll help you Look-Good-on-Zoom.
   • Positioning the camera at the right height also makes it easier for you to maintain good posture instead of slouching or hunching over during the interview.

Interviewing with Confidence

1. Run practice interviews to nail your best look and best presentation. Practice makes perfect when it comes to Do-a-Video-Interview—and that includes getting your look just right. While it’s great to do several mock interviews in sweats, do at least one “dress rehearsal” interview with the clothing, styling, lighting, background, and camera setup you’ll use for the actual thing.
   • Use your practice interviews to ensure you know how to Use-the-Zoom-App effectively, including adjusting the settings and features to suit your needs.
   • Practice your interview with a friend, colleague, or mentor who will give you honest and constructive feedback about both how you present yourself and what you say.
2. Make good eye contact (with the camera) during the interview. In some ways, Make-Eye-Contact is less stressful during a virtual interview—but remember to look at the camera, not the image of the interviewer on your screen! Make regular eye contact when they’re speaking, and near-constant eye contact while you’re talking.
   • Focusing on making good eye contact can help Calm-Yourself-Down-when-You're-Nervous and reduce your tendency to fidget around. To help ease your nerves even further, Breathe-Deeply right before the interview starts.
3. Treat the interview as a conversation, not an interrogation. It’s easy to feel like you’re on the witness stand being bombarded with questions by a trial attorney who’s trying to trip you up. Instead, try to envision the interview as a getting-to-know-you conversation with someone with shared work interests. Be confident and knowledgeable, but also reveal some of your personality.
4. Tell relevant stories instead of just giving answers. In other words, Answer-Interview-Questions to share a true, relevant example of success and/or growth in your life. Instead of abstract answers, personalize your responses so the interviewer gets a better feel for who you are.
   • One of the most infamous interview questions is “Tell me your greatest weakness.” In response, craft a relevant story about a genuine weakness you recognized and, with specific examples as evidence, are continuing to overcome. For example:
     • “I tend to be too much of a people-pleaser, and that led me to be too lenient during performance reviews when I started my previous position. I have learned that by doing thorough, impartial analysis and preparation beforehand, I can give more even-handed performance reviews.”
5. Remind yourself that you’re interviewing them as well. Remember that “fit” is a two-way street! The interviewer wants to figure out if you’re the right fit for the job and for the company’s culture, but you should equally want to know if the job and culture are the right fit for you. Ask probing questions of your own to help get a better feel for how the role and workplace align with your goals and values.
   • You might, for example, ask your interviewer one or both of the following:
     • “What do you like most about working for this company?”
     • “What do you find most difficult about working for this company?”

References

See also

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