How to Nail Your Interview & Leave a Good Impression

So at this point, you've now sent out what feels like about 1,000 killer emails after reading my guide. You’ve pieced everything together, edited down your resume, and finally after what feels like an eternity of * begging * everyone to give you a chance, someone has finally gotten back to you! After repeating the ritual of refreshing your emails day in and day out, your prayers have been answered and you’ve been asked to come in and interview for an entry-level job with your dream company, or at this point any company - congratulations! Many people don't even make it to the interview round so you should feel super proud of yourself for being persistent and not giving up.

Now, when going in for an interview, it’s important to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Your interviewers will most likely be meeting with a long list of candidates so staying at the top of their minds, even after you walk out the doors, can seem tough. I often feel like even if I had a great interview, when I'm walking out it's still so unclear. First things first, an easy way to stand out AND leave a good impression is with your outfit. Always dressing to impress and following one of my favorite sayings, "dressing for the job you want, not the job you have."

Depending on where you are interviewing and who you might be interviewing with, your outfit can vary. For example, if you’re going to interview at Harper's Bazaar you might wear something a bit more buttoned up, chic and fashion forward. Whereas, if you were interviewing with Seventeen Magazine, you might wear something more playful with a lot of color. Magazine’s can be a bit more liberal though when it comes to dress codes, so an even better example might be what you would wear to an interview with designers such as Calvin Klein vs. what you would wear to an interview with Betsey Johnson. The whole point of the interview is to stand out and show your employers that you are capable and could seamlessly fall into their day-to-day. Knowing the company and dressing to their aesthetic is key to showing them that you will fit in. However, still make sure to stay true to your personal style. You never want to sacrifice who you are or what makes you unique. But if you're the girl that's always wearing bright pink tutus and you're going to interview with Ralph Lauren, maybe just tone it down a bit.

When you're completely stumped and have no idea what to wear starting with two key items can make a world of difference.

1. A little black dress. It never goes out of style and with the right accessories can look extremely sophisticated and elegant.

2. A really good pair of shoes. I once interviewed a bunch of industry professionals about the dos and don’ts of interview attire, (which can be found here) And one told me that she always looks at the person’s shoes and feels you can instantly know someone by the shoes they are wearing. Amen to that!

Now that you look the part and are totally prepared appearance wise, make sure you have done your research and know all there is to know about the company and the people you are going to be meeting with. If you're interviewing for a fashion assistant job for example, you need to make sure you really understand the magazine and what that job might entail. Know, at least by name, the people you will be working under in the department and the pages they work on. You can learn all of this just by picking up the last few issues and reading them from cover to cover and also by going to LinkedIn and looking them up!

After you've done your research and picked out your outfit, you're pretty much good to go. Just make sure you budget plenty of time into commuting to the office and by all means do not forget your resume! GOOD LUCK!

For an inside look into the fashion industry follow me on Instagram & Snapchat @cvazzana.

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