Interview Etiquette

[CycleChic06]

I know, this is totally OT, but I guess that's the point of this particular board.

I have an interview on Tuesday and after an exhausting search for a new suit I now face another conundrum. The suit I bought has a skirt, although most suits now seem to be pants, I thought it was just more expected for women to wear skirt suits (is it?).

But my real question is...ok, now i have this beautiful brownish/gray suit from Ann Taylor...am I supposed to wear panty hose? Normally if the suit was black, there'd be no question that I would wear black hose, but it's brown...and aren't sheer hose looked on as slightly tacky?

It's a marketing/product managers job and how I present myself is important and I'm afraid of making a faux pas.

Any ideas???

Emily

[LBTC]

Sorry I can't help with the etiquette.....I haven't worn hose of any kind in so long I don't even know what the sizing looks like! (and I have been known to wear skirts to the office)

Good luck with the interview - just be yourself! You know they'll want you!

~T~

[Trek420]

I'm the wrong one to ask about panty hose

And it's been almost 12 years since my last interview. Some things I think are still true.

Monochrome suits are pretty standard on an interview so your suit sounds wonderful. But what will you wear for the 2nd interview?

You can take the same suit and dress it up or down with matching slacks, take the same jacket different skirt, add a scarf (not too flamboyant, you want them to see YOU, think less jewelry not more)...build for the 2nd interview.

What do you need to bring? If you carry a bag, it has to match or leave it home or in the car. PDA or cell? Turn it off.

What do THEY wear? Some people will literally stake out the co. Nooo, not so security boots you out but see what employees wear. Casual? Or business attire?

Just remember when it comes to casual these people already have the job. They may be wearing jeans...you can't...yet.

Most important thing is wear a smile, especially at the end of the interview, smile, shake their hand (if that seems appropriate), send a follow up thank you letter approx two days after.

Good luck!

[DrBadger]

First off, congratulations on the interview and finding a great suit!

To address your questions, yes, it is still considered better for women to wear a skirt suit (as wrong as that may be) especially in more traditional or conservative buisnesses. As for pantyhose, yes you should wear them, and nude hose aren't tacky as long as they are the right color. Make sure you find some that match your skin tone the best and fit well. You also probably don't want any that are too shiny. you can get some other interview attire tips if you google "interview attire", a lot of university career centers have this kind of info on their websites.

Good luck on the interview and let us all know how it turns out!

[Dogmama]

One of my roles is to interview potential staff employees.

Hose - yes absolutely. Sheer hose is NOT tacky. White hose with your outfit would be tacky. Or brown/grey hose with black shoes. You really cannot be too conservative for 99% of most jobs. Watch the details. Make sure your shoes are polished, your nails are manicured (no black nail polish), etc. First impressions are lasting impressions.

If there is a second interview, I would invest in another suit. Maybe pants this time. Trek is right - monochrome is best and watch the flashy accessories.

This is important - if you're handing them something written, make SURE the spelling and grammer are correct. I work at a major research I University and I cannot tell you how many resumes I review that have gross errors. It speaks volumes, IMO, about the applicant's attention to detail.

Are you being interviewed by a committee? If yes, make eye contact with the person who asks the question, not just the Big Boss. Be prepared for the lame questions like, "What is your greatest asset and what is your biggest flaw."

Don't bad mouth your previous place of employment, boss, etc.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Oh - be sure to let us know how it went!

Oh oh - a thank you note. Very important. Not emailed. Through U.S. postal service. You can have it ready & send it after you leave. That is assuming they aren't making up their minds that day. Even so - send it. There could be a delay and your note might be the deciding factor.

[Triskeliongirl]

I algree that the suit sounds perfect. Skirt suit is considered more professional and sheer pantyhose are not tacky but expected in most circles. Make sure to not wear open toed shoes. I learned a bit about 'professional dress' from an argument with a fellow medical school admissions committee member. Believe it or not she didn't want to admit a women who committed the sin of wearing open toed shoes to her interview. You can tell which side of the arument I was on, but what I tell my daughter is that you want to be sure to not offend anyone by how you are dressed. It goes without saying you should look neat and professional. Well groomed, but not covered in makeup, etc., at least if you want to get into medical school. As for the particular job you are applying for, I have no clue.

[Timine]

One of my roles is to interview potential staff employees.

Hose - yes absolutely. Sheer hose is NOT tacky. White hose with your outfit would be tacky. Or brown/grey hose with black shoes. You really cannot be too conservative for 99% of most jobs. Watch the details. Make sure your shoes are polished, your nails are manicured (no black nail polish), etc. First impressions are lasting impressions.

If there is a second interview, I would invest in another suit. Maybe pants this time. Trek is right - monochrome is best and watch the flashy accessories.

This is important - if you're handing them something written, make SURE the spelling and grammer are correct. I work at a major research I University and I cannot tell you how many resumes I review that have gross errors. It speaks volumes, IMO, about the applicant's attention to detail.

Are you being interviewed by a committee? If yes, make eye contact with the person who asks the question, not just the Big Boss. Be prepared for the lame questions like, "What is your greatest asset and what is your biggest flaw."

Don't bad mouth your previous place of employment, boss, etc.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Oh - be sure to let us know how it went!

Oh oh - a thank you note. Very important. Not emailed. Through U.S. postal service. You can have it ready & send it after you leave. That is assuming they aren't making up their minds that day. Even so - send it. There could be a delay and your note might be the deciding factor.

+ 1
Absolutely agree with you!
I work in a human ressources department.

[KSH]

+ 1
Absolutely agree with you!
I work in a human ressources department.

+2!

Can I also add... DO NOT WEAR ANY PERFUME.

I interviewed someone with so much perfume on... as she walked through the office people were practically gagging. I smelled "her" in my office for about 2 hours after she left. GAG!

And DO NOT WEAR a lot JEWERLY. A wedding band, fine.

10 bracelets and gawdy necklaces... not fine. Yes, I had 2 interviewees wear distracting jewerly. One of them was going in to a presentation and I had her take her noisy charm bracelet off. Another one had like 5 gold rings on and bracelets up her arm.

[Trek420]

...... and take out the exotic piercings

cover the tats..... lastly no poppy seed bagels from here on out young lady because you'll test positive for opiates when they do the drug test.

[Mr. Bloom]

Emily, I agree with everything said above, but I'd like to offer a perspective beyond the suit/hose...

The attire is a first impression (an important one...) and by its nature 'fleeting'. Once you get into the interview, it will be the strength of your character, qualifications, and abilities that prevail.

Don't get me wrong, appearance is important, but the mental preparation and the mental "sale" will ultimately prevail. Go in there feeling good about your appearance, BUT know who you are, know why you're the person for the job, tell them (in a tactful way - not arrogantly) what you bring to making their team better.

I've found that some of the best insights actually come from the "lame" questions...they tell me who knows themselves well.

Best Wishes for a Great Interview

PS: Don't oversell yourself for the job...if you're not the right person for it, you'll only make yourself (and them) miserable by getting it. Be YOU!

[Dogmama]

+2!

Can I also add... DO NOT WEAR ANY PERFUME.

Yes! For two reasons: 1. Some people are really allergic to perfume. 2. Scent hits the part of the brain that connects directly with feelings. So, if your awful step mom wore Chanel, you will call up those same feelings automatically.

Re: Mr Silver - thanks for the man's impression. I agree that strength of character will sell yourself. BUT, I always note inconsistencies in dress, especially carelessness. Maybe I'm wrong, but my dept has been burned so many times by people who interview well but are wrong for the job on many levels. The last two (for the same job - boss is really awful) I voted against and was overruled. Both lasted about three months. For the last victim, (I mean new employee ), we hired a consultant who did a personality profile. As usual, I disagreed with the committee and the consultant agreed with me!! But guess who they hired...? <heavy sigh....>

[Bluetree]

It might be regional, but few women here in SoCalif (except in the legal profession) wear hose anymore, depending on age and the shape of your legs, of course. That said, it couldn't hurt, as long as the hose is the right color.

And make sure the suit fits well! Ill-fitting and tight clothing looks like you don't know how to present yourself... thus how can you make presentations? Invest a few dollars in a tailor and make sure your sleeves/hems are the right length, waist is not too baggy/too tight etc.

And agree... nix the jewelry and perfume.

One more thing (as someone who has interviewed people)... body language is important!

• Make eye contact - be confident

• Keep your chin up and shoulders back - no slouching!

• And... Give a firm handshake! I can't tell you how unimpressed I am by a woman's limp-wristed paw. That body language tells me that they're not really interested nor confident.

Good luck!

[Duck on Wheels]

It might be regional, but few women here in SoCalif (except in the legal profession) wear hose anymore, depending on age and the shape of your legs, of course. That said, it couldn't hurt, as long as the hose is the right color.

Well, maybe not in SoCal, but I noticed that CycleChic is in MA. It's winter. It can be cold in MA. Hose are definitely appropriate. Maybe even some of the warmer kind if they look nice and "preppy" with the suit and the colors work. Try the outfit on and give yourself a once-over in the mirror the day before: Do you look like somebody you'd trust to give you advice in a bank, say? Fine, then. You can stop worrying about the outfit and shift focus to your message: What do you feel you have to offer in that particular job? What do you want to ask about the job and the firm? If the outfit is blandly serious and neat, that fleeting first impression is fine. The rest comes down to believing that you do have something to offer (which WE know you do!), while accepting that they might have other expectations (ones you, and we, don't necessarily agree with, but that they're entitled to). That way you go in there confident but not smug, just stressed enough to stay focused but not so much that you're tongue-tied. It's ok to be nervous. Just breathe deap and count to 10 before you go in, and remind yourself that hundreds of smart and experienced TE gals believe in you and have their fingers crossed for you.

[Bad JuJu]

As if you haven't had enough advice already , let me add that if it sounds like the right job for you, and you're the right one for the job, you tell them that. It can be a nice parting shot, even, to let them know how confident you are that you are the right person to do this job.

[SheFly]

Grat advice here, and I don't have much to add. Definitely wear the hose (from a hiring manager's perspective, you would look "odd" without).

Second, I agree that a Thank You is CRITICAL after the interview. However, if the job is at a high-tech company, it is perfectly acceptable to send it via email - that is what we expect. I know that I have had instances where I needed to make a decision on a candidate really quickly, and receiving a thank you note in the mail a couple of days later was too late.

BTW - Ann Taylor has landed me my last three jobs . Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

SheFly