While the college campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit your flair for the latest in fashion style, the interview is not the place to do so. With very few unusual exceptions (my apologies to Apple Computer), sandals and sweatshirts are out. Oxfords and business suits are still in. I don't like a necktie (noose?) any better than the next person, but it is still a fact of life in interviewing. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don't buck the trend.

Unfortunately, most college grads are woefully underprepared with proper interview dress. They feel they can "get by" with what is already in their wardrobe. Usually not. Dress for the world outside college is quite different from the campus scene. Remember that stylish is not conservative. You should be doing the talking, not your clothes.

This is not to say that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard "uniform" is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. For now, no one will fault you for wearing the same sharp outfit each time you interview. If you desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet.

For those of you who need a quick review of the basics, follow these guidelines for successful interview dress:

Men and Women

• Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
• Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
• Clean, polished conservative shoes
• Well-groomed hairstyle
• Clean, trimmed fingernails
• Minimal cologne or perfume
• Empty pockets--no bulges or tinkling coins
• No gum, candy or cigarettes
• Light briefcase or portfolio case
• No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.)

Men

• Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern
• Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
• Dark socks (black is best)
• Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews
• No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)
• Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed
• No rings other than wedding ring or college ring
• No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)

Women

• Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses
• Shoes with conservative heels
• Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
• No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
• If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
• Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)
• No more than one ring on each hand
• One set of earrings only

If you are still unsure about the specifics, check out a copy of John Molloy's New Dress for Success or New Women's Dress for Success. While these books may seem to have a rather conservative slant, it is the norm in most of the professional marketplace. It is almost always better to be higher than the standard than lower.

If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call them and ask! That's right--call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager--instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say:

"I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as an _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?"

Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that's a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress.

While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the work standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism.

One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish--he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like their shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person's opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person's shoes. It is not enough to be clean, pressed, and ironed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.

All Eyes are on You

Your choice of eyewear can also be considered a part of your interview dress. Glasses or contacts? For those of you who have this option available, consider it wisely. There are preconceived notions (as you are probably well aware) of what wearing glasses connotes. Specific potential positives include attention to detail, focus and intelligence. Potential negatives include awkwardness, shyness and lack of human interaction. While these stereotypical attributes are obviously just that--stereotypes--they are still extant in our society.

If you have the option of wearing contacts versus glasses, use the following as the guideline for which to wear:

·         Contacts - people positions - consulting, sales, advertising, customer service, etc.

• Glasses - data/things positions - accounting, information systems, engineering, etc.

If you do choose to wear glasses, wear a pair with more conservative frames. While there is little you can do to change the preconceived stereotypes surrounding the wearing of glasses, you should be aware of the potential positives and negatives and adjust accordingly.

The Most Important Interview Nonverbals

Many interviews fail because of lack of proper communication. But communication is more than just what you say. Often it is the nonverbal communication that we are least aware of, yet speaks the loudest. Following are the top five nonverbals, ranked in order of importance, when it comes to interviewing:

·         Eye Contact - Unequaled in importance! If you look away while listening, it shows lack of interest and a short attention span. If you fail to maintain eye contact while speaking, at a minimum it shows lack of confidence in what you are saying and at worst may send the subtle message that you are lying. Do not just assume you have good eye contact. Ask. Watch. Then practice. Ask others if you ever lack proper eye contact. If they respond that they did notice, ask if it was during speaking or listening. Some people maintain excellent eye contact while listening, but lose eye contact when speaking. Or vice versa. Next, watch yourself on videotape. It does not necessarily have to be your mock interview; in fact, if you were videotaped informally (that is, you were not aware you were being taped), this will provide even stronger evidence. Then sit down with a friend and practice until you are comfortable maintaining sincere, continuous eye contact.

• Facial Expressions - It continually amazes me how many college students are totally unaware of the sullen, confused, or even mildly hysterical expression plastered on their faces during the entire course of the interview! It is almost as if four years of college has left some students brain dead or worse. Some interviewers (not myself, of course) have been known to hang humorous labels on these students, such as "Ms. Bewildered" (who looked quizzical during the interview) or "Mr. Psycho-Ax-Murderer" (who looked wide-eyed and determined to do something, although you dare not ask what). Take a good, long, hard look at yourself in the mirror. Look at yourself as others would. Then modify your facial expressions--first eliminate any negative overall characteristics that might exist, then add a simple feature that nearly every interviewee forgets to include--a smile! Not some stupid Bart Simpson grin, but a true and genuine smile that tells me you are a happy person and delighted to be interviewing with our company today. You do not need to keep the smile plastered on for the full interview, but remember to keep coming back to it. Think about it--who would you rather spend thirty minutes with?
• Posture - Posture sends out a signal of your confidence and power potential. Stand tall, walk tall, and most of all, sit tall. I don't say this to offend the "short people" of the world--in fact, I am under 5'5", which is a full seven inches shorter than your proverbial 6-foot IBMer. Height is not what's important, posture is. When standing, stand up straight. When you are seated, make sure you sit at the front edge of the chair, leaning slightly forward, moving within an overall range of no more than 10 back or 20 forward, intent on the subject at hand.
• Gestures - Contrary to popular belief, gestures should be very limited during the interview. So please don't use artificial gestures to try to heighten the importance of the issue at hand (pardon the pun). It will merely come off as theatrical. When you do use gestures, make sure they are natural and meaningful.
• Space - Recognize the boundaries of your personal space and that of others. If you are typical of most Americans, it ranges between 30 and 36 inches. Be prepared, however, not to back up or move away from someone who has a personal space that is smaller than your own. Hang in there, take a deep breath, and stand your ground. For most of us, merely the awareness of our personal space is enough to consciously prompt us to stand firm when speaking with someone. If you have a smaller than average personal space, make sure you keep your distance so that you do not intimidate someone who possesses a larger personal space. P.S. If you want to have fun at a social gathering, step inside the personal space boundary of a friend. With some practice, you can back them up around the entire room without them even being aware of what is happening. But beware. It can also happen to you.

The Whites of Their Eyes Technique

Eye contact is an area of importance that many give lip service to, yet fail to implement in actual practice. If you have difficulty maintaining eye contact, try this simple technique to lock in a strong first impression. Concentrate on noticing (and remembering) the color of the person's eyes as you shake hands. In doing so, you will not only show excellent initial eye contact, you will also create interest in your eyes, which will be clear and focused.

Winning The Body Language Game

Everyone uses body language during the interview (whether they realize it or not), but very few think about in advance and modify their body language to produce the most positive effect. Body language is merely the smaller, less prominent nonverbal cues that we give others while communicating. Following are some typical interpretations of body language cues:

·         Openness and Warmth: open-lipped smiling, open hands with palms visible, unbuttoning coat upon being seated.

• Confidence: leaning forward in chair, chin up, putting tips of fingers of one hand against the tips of fingers of other hand in "praying" or "steepling" position, hands joined behind back when standing.
• Nervousness: smoking, whistling, pinching skin, fidgeting, jiggling pocket contents, running tongue along front of teeth, clearing throat, hands touching the face or covering part of the face, pulling at skin or ear, running fingers through hair, wringing hands, biting on pens or other objects, twiddling thumbs, biting fingernails (action itself or evidence of), tongue clicking.
• Untrustworthy/Defensive: frowning, squinting eyes, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, pulling away, chin down, touching nose or face, darting eyes, looking down when speaking, clenched hands, gestures with fist, pointing with fingers, chopping one hand into the open palm of the other, rubbing back of neck, clasping hands behind head while leaning back in the chair.

As you can see, there are far more negatives than positives--possibly more than we are consciously aware of. This list is given not so that you can artificially adopt the positive body language techniques, but more to help you recognize and avoid the negatives. If you have a habit of doing any of the above negatives, remove that action from your pattern of behavior before it sends the wrong signal. Concentrate on removing it now so you will not have to think about it during the interview.

And keep in mind the opposite side of the desk. As you talk with an interviewer, be aware of (although not preoccupied with) their body language and nonverbal cues. Do not try to read in more than is actually being communicated, but try to develop a sense of the interviewer's reception of you. The most obvious example is the smile connection--when your smile brings about a smile from the interviewer. Do your best to stay connected with your interviewer--both verbally and nonverbally.

The Nonverbal Interview Technique

Don't just give lip-service to the concepts listed previously--practice them! How? With a Nonverbal Interview. Unlike the mock interview, this one does not require a great amount of preparation--just an observant friend. Ask the friend to ask questions, but instead of focusing on your answers, ask him to make note of your nonverbals and body language and the messages being sent. Or play back your mock interview with the sound off. The results might surprise you

Being Sincerely Honest

If you have a tendency to use phrases such as, "To be honest with you," "Just between you and me," "Well, I'll be completely honest about this," or other such qualifiers, eliminate them from your vocabulary. Think about it. A person who uses such a qualifier is implying by its usage that they typically are not being honest. If you are being honest all the time (which you should be), there is no need to use this kind of qualifier.

The Show and Tell Technique

If appropriate (the key words here being "if appropriate"), feel free to bring samples or copies of your work to the interview as concrete examples of your capabilities. Use reports, projects, photos, programs, or whatever it is that provides a tangible example of what you have done. It's one thing to say "I developed a report," and quite another to actually show the report you developed.

While the types of samples you use may vary, they can include any information developed either through capstone-level classes or work projects.

Following are a few examples that have been used successfully:

·         Programs and system design specs by an Information Systems major

• Complex financial analysis done by a Finance major
• Working product prototype developed by a Mechanical Engineering major
•  

Be fully prepared not only to "show" but also "tell" about your sample. Be ready to answer any and all possible questions that might come up. This should not be a casual sample--it should be an example of your very best work. It will stand as the icon of what your capabilities are. If you are extremely proud of something you have done, show me--and tell me why.

If possible, you might want to consider using your show and tell samples as "leave-behinds" for the company to look at later. There is usually not enough time within the course of the interview to fully explore a good "show and tell" item. This also puts another "hook" into the company for necessary future contact.

Although using your sample as a "leave-behind" should only be done if the item is reproducible, you might want to consider leaving behind "sample only" items with an employer, if you are truly interested. Tell them: "I'll just pick it up when I'm here for my next interview" or (if this is your final interview) "I would be more than happy to pick it up on my start date." Presumptuous? Possibly. But it may also be your golden opportunity to close the sale!

The Sneak Preview Technique

A variation on the Show and Tell Technique is to provide the company with a sneak preview of what they can expect of you as an employee. While Show and Tell looks backward at material you have developed in the past, the Sneak Preview Technique focuses on the future. This technique works well when you have been given an indication (perhaps in a previous on-campus interview or phone interview) that there is a certain level of proficiency which the company is seeking. Take this as your cue to prepare for that question in advance.

An example of the use of this technique comes from a Multimedia Developer, who was asked in an initial interview if he knew a particular multimedia presentation software package. While he acknowledged that he did not at the time, he promised to research the package and provide a demo of his results at the next interview.

He found the presentation software to be very similar to one he had worked with extensively. After developing a full presentation based on company marketing materials, he presented the results in the office of his future manager. He noted that the presentation was put together in his spare time with little training. The company would, of course, receive a much higher level of performance upon hiring him full-time in the position. That sneak preview not only landed him a job offer, but also expanded the scope of initial responsibilities on the job (and his overall pay).

The Proof Positive Technique

Another variation of the Show and Tell Technique and Sneak Preview Technique will provide you with a way to fill a stated need, especially in a later or final interview. The need for a required proficiency may be requested in the form of a "Have you ever . . . " question. If the answer is no, you can still show proficiency by offering to provide them with the output or results in a short period of time. This is an ideal way to answer the unanswerable question. Ask the interviewer for time to solve the problem, then take it home, do your research, prepare your result and present your solution. Then ask for the job.

You cannot prepare for this in advance, as with the previous techniques. But it is an excellent way to respond to an interview question for which you have no previous experience to reference. Everyone says they are a fast learner. This technique is your way to prove it.

For example, a Computer Science major was asked if he had ever developed Web pages in HTML. He stated that he had not, but went on to say that he was a quick study and to prove the point, he would take the corporate flyer which he had been given, put it in HTML format and deliver the result via e-mail by 8:00 a.m. the following morning.

He went straight from the interview to the library, spent the better part of the evening reading and researching other Web sites and delivered the final product on time the following morning. Proof positive indeed!