{"id":304,"date":"2012-01-11T13:31:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-11T13:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/career-advice\/your-interview-wardrobe-on-a-budget\/"},"modified":"2024-07-15T09:53:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T16:53:43","slug":"your-interview-wardrobe-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/your-interview-wardrobe-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Interview Wardrobe on a Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"VarietyThe big interview is almost here and you\u2019ve done your research<\/a> on the employer, assembled a list of glowing references<\/a> and rehearsed your winning answers. Now you just need to look the part. You may have have heard the axiom \u201cdress for the job you want, not the one you have\u201d–hard enough if you\u2019re looking to climb the ladder, but that old rule can be daunting when you\u2019ve been wading through the shallow waters of unemployment for months. You already know perfectly well you can\u2019t turn up in worn, stained or ragged clothes, but then how do you put together an interview outfit that makes you look capable and confident?<\/p>\n

Shop your closet<\/b>
\nBefore you spend a cent, you need to take stock of what you have. Lay out everything you have that\u2019s \u201cwork appropriate\u201d and be honest with what you find. Does it all fit? Can it be taken in or let out? Is it stained and have you tried to have it professionally cleaned? Is the garment in poor condition? Can it be repaired? Be realistic and set aside three piles: items to be professionally cleaned, items to be repaired by a tailor, and items to pitch. You can donate them if you think someone would use them, but if they\u2019re damaged beyond use, it\u2019s probably best to toss them.<\/p>\n

See your drycleaners<\/b>
\nIf you\u2019re on a tight budget, you probably don\u2019t spend a lot of time at the drycleaners but they\u2019re experts at removing tough stains. The fifteen or twenty dollars (or less) you spend on stain removal will likely you save tens or even hundreds of dollars replacing the garment. If they can\u2019t get the stain out, you\u2019re still on the hook for the bill, but it\u2019s a small investment compared to replacing a garment every time it gets stained.<\/p>\n

Meet your tailor<\/b>
\nTailoring clothes you already own that don\u2019t fit properly or are in poor repair is one of the single best cost-saving measures you can take. A good tailor can dramatically alter the way clothes fit your body, as well as repairing a wide variety of rips, wears and tears, all at a fraction of what it would cost you to replace them. And don\u2019t forget about your shoes. Cobblers are tailors for your footwear and they can fix those scuffed dress shoes or stripped high heels for a lot less than the cost of new shoes.<\/p>\n

Shop smarter<\/b>
\nNow that you\u2019ve taken stock, cleaned, adjusted and repaired your interview clothes, it\u2019s time to fill in any gaps. Even on a strict budget, you have a number of options when shopping for new work wear.<\/p>\n