EDITOR'S POST

How do I dress for the interview?

Q. How do I dress for the interview?

A. That depends on the position, but it seldom hurts to be formal. When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to ask. Asking, Should I wear a business suit? when you arrange the interview on the phone is easy and quite appropriate. If the company's offices are nearby, you can drop by and see how the employees dress. Your appearance is the first thing the interviewer notices about you, so it should be as favorable and professional as possible. Your grooming should be immaculate, with hair and nails clean. Stress may cause sweating and body odor. Watch out for bad breath --- you may not notice it, but the interviewer will. If appropriate, clean and press your clothes, comb your hair, scrape your chin, and shine your shoes. Before the interview, go to the restroom to check your appearance.

A note for men with long hair: if you observe that all men in the company dress conservatively and wear their hair short, then you should either cut yours or not waste your time interviewing there. If the hair is not a problem, then make sure it's clean and neat. A ponytail can help.

It's difficult (but possible) to overdress for an interview. A cocktail dress for a woman or a tuxedo for a men would probably be inappropriate. Business attire may look silly, for example, at a software development shop where everyone dresses casually. However it's much worse to underdress (e.g., wear jeans when everyone expects you to wear a business suit). Unless told otherwise, men should wear a business suit and a conservative tie (stripes are good; cartoon characters aren't), and a woman should wear a daytime dress or business coordinates. If you don't regularly wear these clothes, check for stains and missing buttons some time before the interview. Even if you expect to dress much less formally to work, don't wear shorts and sneakers to an interview. For example, someone interviewing for a tennis pro job would not be expected to wear tennis whites and carry a racket to the interview. Most companies view a job interview as a very formal affair, not unlike a funeral. Sometimes a technical person, who normally dresses casually, is asked to dress up because she'll interview a candidate that day.

The dress code is an important part of an organization's culture. Being overdressed or underdressed at the interview can indicate that you don't really know what the potential employer is about. If you dress in a similar vein to the employees, you are subtly projecting the image that you are already one of the team.

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