Expert: Melisa Singh - 8/10/2010

Question
Hello, I am a college student and have been invited to an interview for a job
on campus. The dress for the interview is to be business casual. Could you
help me with the definition? My understanding is business casual means
professional attire but does not require a suit or a tie. Could I wear chinos
and a polo for business casual?

Thanks for your help,
Justin Cohen

Answer
HI Justin.

I would recommend to dress as well as possible for your interview and make an impression that makes you stand out from the other people who are dressing business casual who just wore the typical chinos and polo.  You are correct that you don't need to wear a suit or tie, but aside from that you should look as polished as possible.  Dark slacks, polished shoes, a buttoned up shirt and good belt will be business casual but also show that you are taking the interview seriously and that you put effort into it.  This will make the interviewer aware that you don't just do the bare minimum to get by.  Here is an article I wrote for my site about dressing for an interview:

http://www.bullseyeimage.com/blog/how-to-dress-to-get-the-job/

Hope this helps,
Melisa