Dress for Success

• Do get dressed up for the interview. Wear a well-tailored suit with a plain light-colored long-sleeved shirt. For men, make sure the pant cuff falls lightly over your shoes. For women, make sure that the hem of the suit skirt is no more than two inches above the knee.
• Don't wear political or religious emblems, pins, buttons, etc. Your potential employer might not share your particular affiliations and you may be immediately eliminated from the candidate pool before you can even make the case about your suitability for the job.
• For Men- Do make sure that your tie is tasteful. Do not wear ties with large prints, cartoon characters, or holiday motifs.
• Don't wear excessive or flashy jewelry. For men, don't wear anything more than a simple watch, cuff links, and wedding band. If the new environment is formal take out any earrings or nose ring/eyebrow ring piercings. For women, simple earrings, a wedding band/engagement ring, simple pin, necklace, or bracelet, and basic watch are appropriate. Don't wear multiple rings or bracelets, loudly patterned scarves etc. that distract from your outfit.
• Do wear well-polished, non-scuffed, leather shoes in black or brown. For women the shoes should have a flat or medium-sized heel. Pantyhose should not have any runs or snags and should be neutral. Avoid designs and textures.
• Do pay close attention to personal hygiene. Hair should be neatly cut and professionally styled. Make sure that you use a good deodorant and nice-smelling cologne, aftershave, or perfume. However, make sure that it is not overpowering, as strong scents are a huge turnoff. Make sure that nails are well manicured and that hands are well moisturized and not flaking, peeling, or callused. For men, if you must have long hair make sure that it is neatly pulled back into a ponytail. Beards and mustaches should be neatly trimmed. For women, avoid elaborate hair dos, buzz cuts, two-tone, or wildly-colored hair, etc..
• For Women- Do go easy on the makeup. Avoid bright lipsticks and eye shadows.
• Do take a briefcase (preferably leather) or folder that contains your resume/notes etc. Include your name and your list of references.
• Even your company or the company at which you are interviewing has a "casual Friday" dress code; you should ALWAYS take the time to dress professionally for the interview. Show that this interview is worth your time to prepare for it, and remember, first impression can increase your salary by $5000.

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