Interviews for blue collar jobs can be tricky. You might be wearing a work shirt, jeans and boots to the job, but should be wearing them to the interview?

Warehouse job interviews are full of potential pitfalls, so it’s important to walk in well prepared. Consider the following tips if you have an interview for a warehouse position coming up soon.

Dress well

Wearing boots and jeans to the interview won’t get you immediately disqualified. However, it won’t do you any favors either.

Your interviewer will most likely be wearing some kind of business casual attire, so you’ll want to dress at the same level as them. Dress slacks, office-appropriate footwear and a buttoned-down shirt always make a good impression at a warehouse job interview, for either men or women. Keep it classy, and not super fancy. A suit might be overkill for this kind of job interview.

The important thing is to impress your potential employer. If you still have questions about what you should wear, just ask. Inquiring about appropriate dress for an interview won’t count against you, and it might even score you ‘good communication’ points.

Research and practice

Even if you are applying for a front-line, entry-level warehouse position, it doesn’t hurt to do your homework and run through some practice interview questions. Be sure to research the company’s history, its products, the industry, latest developments and key personnel. Practice interview questions should include some of the standards, like “What is your biggest weakness?”

Prepare for open-ended questions and to talk about yourself

Most hiring managers today are going beyond the typical interview questions and trying to find out who applicants are as professionals and as people. In order to get to the root of who someone is as a professional, interviewers ask open-ended, behavioral questions. These questions ask about a time in your past or a hypothetical situation where you had to show your quality. For instance, you might be asked to describe a time when you showed leadership, or how you would handle a natural disaster striking your workplace.

Today’s interviewers also want to find out who applicants are as people to see if they will fit into their company culture. For candidates, the best policy is to honestly represent yourself. You don’t want to pretend you’re one type of person, only to find yourself in a work environment you can’t stand.

Bring essential materials

A good approach to impressing your potential employer is by taking along a few copies of your resume, certifications, driver’s license, references list and letters of recommendation. Most of the time, the hiring manager won’t have all your materials printed out. By having extras, you show your ability to think ahead, prepare and be reliable.

At Action Group Staffing, we are constantly helping job seekers find jobs that take them further along in their career path, assisting with everything from locating open positions to interview prep. Please contact us today if you are looking for some job-seeking assistance.