How should women dress in interviews?

Q: A female engineer says she dresses for work in slacks with no makeup. When she goes on interviews, she dresses up in a suit, and wears her contacts and light makeup "to look her best." She wonders if that's going too far. Would it be more appropriate to dress up for interviews, or dress more casually?

Nick's reply: The guys in the audience might roll their eyes at this challenge. The women might, too, since I try to keep job candidates focused onthe work and on profitability in the interview. However, appearances matter, and they matter even more in an interview than they do on the job. It's smart to think about this carefully.

A lot -- more than necessary -- has been written about how to dress for a job interview. That's one reason I don't often say much about it. Still, I've always kept an eye on how interviewers and candidates dress, and on how they react to one another's appearance. It's worth taking a minute to discuss expectations and perceptions, especially among technical people like engineers and computer programmers, who typically work in pretty casual environments.

Casual workplaces encourage behaviors and attitudes that can be disadvantageous when you're looking for a new job. If you don't anticipate expectations in a company's interview process, you can hurt yourself. While an interviewer may be very casually dressed, that may not be what's expected from a job candidate.

Of course, we've all heard about the proverbial team of interviewers who met with and dismissed an overdressed candidate because they felt he or she wouldn't fit into their casual culture. So, what should a candidate do?

Look your best in an interview. "Put your best foot forward," is still the best, safest rule of thumb. Another old saw applies in job interviews, too: "We judge books by their cover." People quickly make judgments about character based on the way someone looks. Talented technical people want to work around others who are proud of their work. They typically don't like stuffed shirts or people who put on airs, and for good reason. Nonetheless, in an interview your dress suggests a lot about you and your respect for those you are meeting. I think the smart middle ground is this: Don't dress to impress. Dress to reveal your character and your respect for others. That's usually what's expected.

Consider how technical people perceive themselves and others. (I think this applies to most staff members in most companies, not just to engineers or computer programmers.) "Techies" that I've known like to distinguish themselves from "the suits" (the business people in their company), and they use their dress to sharpen this distinction. Engineers seem to take a special pride in their hands-on role and they dress accordingly. That's not to say technical folks don't respect "the suits," or that they don't handle business roles well. But it's a subtle characteristic, and I think it's one that reflects well on the larger stereotype we have of technical workers as roll-up-the-sleeves, can-do professionals.

So here's my advice. To accommodate variations on the engineering uniform, dress in layers. Yep -- stuff you can take off when you need to. (If you think I'm being sexist with this, or making a joke, forget it. This advice is for guys, too.) The goal is to be ready for the super-serious, business-minded interviewer as well as the overly casual engineer who wears well-worn jeans.

Dress one notch up from the people you expect to meet. (Stop by the company before your interview and take a look at people coming and going at lunchtime.) When you choose to wear a suit, make it a simple one that enables you to look more casual if you remove the jacket and tie (or scarf). Or if you don't normally wear a skirt, wear a jacket that fits with a nice pair of slacks. Then use your judgment and make adjustments to your look, but don't make a big deal about it. Asking permission to remove your jacket is too obvious. Instead, ask, "Is there somewhere I can hang my jacket?" That's more assertive and less compromising, and it communicates your focus on "getting to work."

If you're comfortable wearing makeup, use it sparingly. If you skip the suit or jacket and wear just a blouse (or shirt), make sure it's nicely pressed. A subtle way to layer is to wear a blouse buttoned at the top. (This goes for guys, too. It's good to keep a nice shirt around that you can button painlessly.) A buttoned collar is a simple way to be more formal when it's necessary. If the interviewer seems a little surprised at this severe look, unbutton it when your back is turned. (There's no need for women to give unintended signals by doing this while looking a male engineer in the eye.) You can quickly become more casual if you plan ahead.

Behavior (I don't like the term body language) affects the perception of dress and character. If the interviewer is casual, you will have removed your jacket, unbuttoned your collar and perhaps rolled up your sleeves. This will change your look and attitude entirely. The next step is to avoid sitting too straight so you don't appear stiff. Lean forward when you talk, or lean back. One pose indicates that you're engaged by the topic; the other reveals your comfort and self-assurance. Adjust what you do so you're comfortable in the setting.

Finally, draw attention away from your attire by emphasizing your behavior. Get up and walk around if the opportunity arises. Ask about relevant work-related items in the interviewer's office: What's written on the whiteboard, books on the shelf, tools on the desk, and so on. Ask for a cook's tour of the department. It can be good to step into the interviewer's work space, but only after asking permission. If the interviewer is casual, he or she likely appreciates candidates who will step forward and get involved. Even if you have overdressed a bit, your friendly and engaging behavior should win over an interviewer who's looking for a more casual character.

My simple position has always been that candidates should use their judgment and dress one notch up from the interviewer to show respect. That's still my position. Don't try to be anyone other than yourself. But you can be yourself and still demonstrate your willingness to fit into a new setting by planning your attire so you can easily shift between a casual and a more formal look.

Copyright 2008. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.