Dress code tips for your Finnish job interview

Are you excited and nervous about your Finnish job interview? Dress for the job you want will impress the interviewer.

Knowing what to wear is an important part of your interview. You’ve submitted your CV to the Finnish company, researched their website and social media channels to learn more about them and their corporate culture, and now you need to impress them with a face-to-face interview. By reading up on companies on peer review websites such as Suomiarvostelut you will gain further insight into what you can expect when dealing with a company such as Asos, too. On those peer review websites, actual customers have left their opinions, comments, and insights so you’ll be able to make better-informed decisions and learn about your prospective company’s outlook in the market.

When you think of what to wear for your interview, you should first think of outfits that are conservative, professional and business-appropriate. Having said that, your outfit will vary depending on factors such as the weather season, weather, time of day, and the type of job you are looking to land. The aim is simple: dress to impress.

Things for you to consider when searching through your wardrobe are: is the company formal, or a casual tech start-up, or an informal summer holiday job? What you wear presents to the interviewer that you know your role in the company and understand the company’s culture.

In general terms, and a country such as Finland with relatively conservative business practices, it is best to wear business attire for a job interview if you don’t know the company’s corporate dress code policy too well. For me, it will usually mean a suit jacket, slacks, a button-down shirt, and formal shoes. For women, it means a blouse, dress pants, or a skirt. Always be neat, tidy, and well-dressed: it doesn’t mean you should rush to a shop to buy an expensive outfit: rather, make sure your clothes are clean, stain-free and wrinkle-free.

Another top tip when selecting clothes for a job interview is to wear clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident.

Avoid clothes that are revealing. Hair and make-up must be subtle, not distracting for the interviewer. Darker coloured clothes are usually better, and most certainly no bold colours. Also avoid “styled” clothes with designer wear and tear patterns such as slits, tears, holes, and fading. Keep jewellery to a minimum, too.

For business casual workplace environments, try to dress better than the average employer in the company to impress the interviewer. Avoid wearing jeans and sneakers – unless you’re applying for a position as a coder in a video game studio, for example.

Many young people from university also ask for job interview dress code guidance for internships. Depending on the internship, default to wearing business appropriate attire. You might not have a wardrobe with many options, but loan a pair of slacks and formal shoes from a friend or a skirt from a girlfriend.

Dressing for a job interview in Finland is half the interview battle completed. The next phase – answering their questions and showing your aptitude for the job – will help you land that dream role.