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You can leave the tie at home.

You are told to dress your best for an interview.  However, this may not be the best tactic when you decide how to dress for a manufacturing job interview.  Dressing for this type of interview is different from how you would dress for an office interview.

As a result of recent lay-offs and downsizing, the country is flooded with people looking for jobs.  There are currently people who hold advanced degrees applying for entry level manufacturing jobs.  Because they may be used to an office environment, these job hunters might not understand how to dress for a manufacturing job interview.  By dressing incorrectly, you may hurt their chances of being hired.

So, what should an applicant wear to a manufacturing job interview?

In order to be taken seriously at a manufacturing job interview, keep those suits at home.  Employers are looking for reliable and dependable workers.  They are not looking for fashion plates.  You want your prospective employer to be able to envision you working for their manufacturing company, not sitting behind a desk.

Proper dress for a manufacturing job interview consists of nice pants and a shirt.  All clothing should be clean and free of stains or rips.  Although you are interviewing for a job that might get you dirty, the interviewer still wants to see that you care about your appearance.

Men should not wear ties when interviewing for a manufacturing job.  Not only are ties too formal for a manufacturing setting, they are also a safety hazard around machinery.  If you are offered a tour of the facility during your interview, you don’t want to have to remove an article of clothing beforehand.

Women should not wear skirts or high heeled shoes.  Many women find it is already difficult to be considered for the type of work available in manufacturing jobs.  A woman should not lower her chances of success by dressing inappropriately for the interview.

Why shouldn’t an applicant dress too formally for a manufacturing job interview?

If you were judged only on the contents of your resume, there would be no need for an interview at all.  The interview partially serves to allow an employer to judge whether or not a person will fit in with the existing staff.  If the existing manufacturing staff works in jeans and T-shirts, management will expect the same of any new hire.

Managers are looking for someone who isn’t afraid to work.  A manufacturing job is often physically demanding.  A man in a tie or a woman in a skirt doesn’t convey the message that they are able to work in manufacturing.

Remember, when you attend an interview, your job is to sell yourself to the company.  An applicant must mold their image to fit the company’s opening.  How a manufacturing job applicant dresses during the interview is a part of that image.

You may think you do not need to know how to dress for a manufacturing job.  You may think that you should be judged only on your skills.  However, when a manager is presented with two equally qualified applicants, how you dress and present yourself at the interview can make all the difference.