I recently found out my role is being moved to the UK. Not a huge deal but as much as I like the company I'm working for, I can't find it in me to uproot the family. So I'm back on the market and find myself sending out resumes and getting my head back into the 'interview' game.
One of the dilemmas I always find myself in is how do I ensure I'm dressed appropriately. A good friend and former recruiter always suggested you should dress one level above your interviewer and if you don't know how they dress then wear a suit and tie. This is pretty solid advice if you're a banker, investor or accountant. Me? I'm in the software and internet-based world and I can say that this advice has burned me in the past. Nothing worse than showing up for an interview with the CEO and have this go horribly wrong. Me: Slacks, tie and sports jacket. Him: 'Holey' blue-jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket. A minute into the interview and he asks "so, do you dress like this all the time?"... Didn't get that job.
I wish I didn't live in a world where my clothing options and lack of a leather jacket didn't impact my employment opportunities but here we are. How you present yourself is as important as what you present and to be competitive, you need to do some research on the companies you're interviewing at.
There are two, supper easy ways to find out what would be appropriate to wear at an interview. Firstly, go to the company website and check our the 'management' page. Here you'll normally find photos of the CEO and company leadership. The marketing department is usually pretty keyed into the culture of the company so you'll normally find the management team wearing something they would find dressy, but appropriate. And that is what you're shooting for: formal, but appropriate to the organization. If they don't have any photos, you can always search for their names in LinkedIn and see what they're wearing there.
On the odd occasion that the leadership are photo-phobic, you always have the ability to pop into their office a couple days before your interview to drop off your beautifully printed CV. The receptionist is the person the company presents to the world and will always be dressed appropriately.
Last word of advice: I don't suggest stalking the leadership to find out what they're wearing, as this might come up in the interview later...
