The Techie's Guide to Dressing For An Interview

What do I wear to an interview? One of the more anxiety-producing parts of interviewing is deciding what to wear. In today’s world of casual offices, especially in the tech world of Seattle, seemingly anything goes. Unless you happen to be interviewing! There are some important attributes your interview outfit should have: <ul> <li>It should convey who you are (or better, who you are going to be). </li> <li>It should express confidence. </li> <li>It should also communicate competence. </li> <li>It should be a little higher quality than the clothes your interviewer will wear. (this is one of those situations your Mother told you about: Better to be over dressed than underdressed)</li> </ul> Why am I here? Let’s take a brief step back for a second. You are out interviewing because you want to improve your life through a better job. Everything you are doing in this job hunt is geared to get you to that magic moment known as ‘the offer’. So, your clothes need to be part of the solution. Looking like you just rolled out of bed probably won’t make that solution happen. If you look tired and disheveled they may think your attitude and skill-set will match. Who are you? Well, really, do you know? If you look through your closet, you’re probably going to find that you are: <ul> <li>A little too collegiate (Button-down shirts, Blue Blazer) </li> <li>Stuck in your ways (5 different-colored shirts, same maker, same style, same size) </li> <li>An advertising board (company logo on your shirt?) </li> <li>Frumpy (100% cotton chinos w/pleats) </li> <li>Tired (Rolled out of bed, no shower, picked outfit off the floor) </li> <li>Somewhat out of date (10-year old shirts <> 10 year old single-malt scotch)</li> </ul> If you’ve moved along in your career, but your clothes haven’t, perhaps going out and interviewing might also be a good time to think about a wardrobe upgrade. Could be it’s time to tell the world that you’re someone they need to pay a bit more attention to. But what about casual office attire? According to Darcey Howard, CSO of Lifestyled, the key to taking things up a notch is all about finer fabrics. “Instead of going in with a cotton polo, you go in with a silk knit polo. Instead of a cotton sweater, go with a merino wool sweater. The look is the similar, so you don’t look out of place, but there’s something about you that looks a bit sharper.”  It’s the drape of the fabric that really catches the eye without being showy Another thing that many people don’t consider when they are buying clothes is how others will react when they touch the fabric. We all know of people who, when they shake hands, also pat you on the shoulder. “Oh yes, they’ll notice the difference”, says Darcey. Finally, color is a big piece of any wardrobe, and yours should have some. Lately, everyone seems to go with blue as a primary power color. Darcey comments, “Blue is overdone. A nice way to stand out, and still convey power is to go with another dark color: Black, burgundy, dark purple. Find a nice dark color that matches your color palette and most importantly compliments your skin/eyes/hair. This is considered a ‘drama color’ and will make you feel grounded, calm & confident while complimenting your features.” This sorta sounds expensive… Actually, a couple of adds to your wardrobe should not be a big bill, certainly nothing like buying a new suit! Too, many of the retailers have store-branded merchandise that are made from higher-end fabrics, and use the current colors. The key here will be to combine a few new items with the more current parts of your wardrobe. Maybe you already have grey wool slacks, which, when you add a purple long-sleeved silk blend polo would look great! But don’t forget the shoes – a dingy pair of shoes can give it all away. At the very least spring for a shoe shine even for your casual leather kick-arounds. You’ll be amazed at how good they look. Wait, wait, I’m not Management… don’t make me into a suit! Interviewing is usually a short process, and maybe you’ll need two different outfits, so these recommendations are small steps. And remember, your aim is to look just a bit better than the people in the office, and to feel more confident. If you’re going into a casual environment, and you show up in a suit w/a full Windsor knot in your tie, trust me when I tell you that you’re not going to magically become management anytime soon! So don’t worry, you’re not making a significant wardrobe change. Who knows, you might like it, and with the salary increase, you might want to buy a few more items! These are great recommendations, and I’m still lost! There are a couple of ways to solve this. First, find a friend who has good fashion sense regarding professional attire. Talk to them about the look you are trying to achieve, and see what they recommend. Second, go shopping. Try out the store, and the help. When you find a salesperson that has your best interest at heart, and has a decent sense of what you’re trying to accomplish, give them a chance to show you what they can do. Remember that you don’t have to buy what they recommend. Look in the mirror and make sure it all works before opening up your wallet. Third, contact a lifestylist, such as Darcey. Although this is going to involve a bit of coin, the results are worth it! 2008-05-01T02:20:31Z

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the-techies-guide-to-dressing-for-an-interview

2008-05-01T07:21:36Z

Darcey Howard, Chief Style Officer for LIfeStyled, and Dave Hardwick, Job Hacker and Principal for Hardwick Technical Recruiting collaborated on the sketchy topic of how to dress a techie for an interview. Here are the valuable results.

The Techie's Guide to Dressing For An Interview

2009-02-24T09:44:13Z