What to Wear to the Interview (Marketing, Advertising, PR)

Welcome to the second installment of Keep It MBAchic! Hope you found the first Keep It MBAchic article helpful – this article is about what you can wear to an interview in marketing, advertising or PR (check out the first piece for some general tips on what to wear to the interview).

As you search for your dream job or summer internship, it is important to think about your personal brand, and how you are communicating this to potential employers. For a marketing/PR interview, Joe Zee of ELLE Magazine (@mrjoezee) suggested a chic blouse, pencil skirt, and a fitted jacket (thanks again to Joe Zee!).

In these settings, you can be a little less conservative in the styling of your look. You’re an MBA lady. If you’ve made it past a phone interview, or your resume has qualified you for a first visit, they know you are smart, you work hard and you are a professional. Make sure what you’re wearing does not throw anyone off – your packaging should be consistent with your brand.

Using Joe Zee’s advice, I put together a possible look for what to wear to the interview:

This navy pencil skirt is classic, the bright top adds some interest and the white blazer keeps it crisp. The accessories are a little expensive (this DVF Harper bag is fantastic, but carries a steep price tag), so the key is to work with what you have. This look is achievable at any price point!

Polyvore is a great tool for planning different looks and collections (so far I’m loving it). I am still poking around the site and finding more great things, but I am having even more fun browsing some other collections. For example, I love this look:

When I Put On My Louboutins, I’m the Boss

This look is so chic, but it will work for you depending on what your office environment will be. Make sure you research the industry and firm to understand what is acceptable office wear. Try to keep the accessories classic, at least for the interview.

One thing to note: keep the jewelry light. If you already have met someone from the firm, look at what she is wearing and take your cue. But let’s be real: if your bracelet is so loud that you can be heard, clanking all the way from the elevator lobby, maybe slip that one off. Coco Chanel once said, “before leaving the house, a lady should stop, look in the mirror, and remove one piece of jewelry.”

Best of luck to everyone in your upcoming interviews!

If you have any more ideas for what to wear to the interview, please share them below or on Polyvore (mbachic).

{Note, Polyvore was sold and links outside of screen grabs will no longer work. Find our #keepitMBAchic workwear inspiration over on Pinterest: @MBAchic_com.}