Interviewing Tip #2 – Attire

While I can’t say precisely what to wear for the specific company and job you are interviewing for, I can give a solid rule of thumb.  Assess the dress attire standard your role would follow once in the job and take it up one notch for the interview.

If you would typically dress in jeans and a t-shirt for the job, then consider interviewing with casual slacks and a polo shirt.  If you would typically dress in casual slacks and a button-up collar shirt, then interview with nice slacks, a dress shirt and either a sport coat or a tie.  You get the idea.  I’m obviously giving examples for men, because that’s what I know best.  Women should follow this same general approach using their categories of work attire.

I also recommend mostly ignoring the advice of any existing employees at the company.  They might tell you, “Don’t worry about dressing up for the interview, because we’re pretty laid back here.”  Instead, just take it up one notch to come across as professional and serious.  Don’t upgrade from jeans/t-shirt all the way to a suit & tie, because that’s too much of a jump and might cause you to feel really out of place.

See the rest of my series on Interviewing Tips here.   I also have a related series for Resume Writing and one for Job Hunting.

Author: Gordon Daugherty

Gordon Daugherty is a best-selling author, seasoned business executive, entrepreneur, startup advisor and investor. He has made more than 200 investments in early-stage companies and has been involved with raising more than $80 million in growth and venture capital. From his 28-year career in high tech, Gordon has both an IPO and a $200-million acquisition exit under his belt. Now, as co-founder and president of Austin’s Capital Factory and as author of the book “Startup Success”, Gordon spends 100 percent of his time educating, advising, and investing in startups. View all posts by Gordon Daugherty