Kevin C suggested the great idea of posting pics in interview attire so here they are. Suggestions welcome
Im not too happy with how my pony tail looks, I have very frizzy hair.
a little while after taking the pic I decided to remove the double tie.
I think you look good. But I'd lose the jacket. I like the jacket itself, it just doesn't compliment the outfit. You'd look much sharper with just the shirt.
And the hair is good, I wouldn't let the frizz fly freely just yet. Good luck!
Eric H.
I think the jacket looks fine. Only suggestion I would have is SMILE :o)
Excellent topic Nelo & Kev. I'd say that you should maybe consider a white or light blue collared shirt under a jacket and wear a tie as well. Everything else is great; the full suite for an interview is usually a good idea. Wearing your hair in a tail is good also.
-Phil
No, I don't agree. Do not masquerade. A blue colored shirt and a suit would not fit you. You would not look - and even more important: feel - comfortable. Wearing your hair in a tail is ok, but even that I do not think is important.
Just be yourself and know about your abilities. During the interview, concentrate on your skills and the job and do not think about how your appearance might influence the interviewer's decision.
Especially for a job as a web developer, you do not need to look like a microsoft salesman. It would even be contraproductive!
Good luck!
Tom
Guess it depends on the type of job you're applying for. I've always been told from my father, and by friend's fathers who are directors & VPs that they want to see a full suit. This may be specific to Pharma companies as they are abundnat in NJ. Actually, my dad's friend left hsi company to become CEO of another and they had an IT job opening which I applied for and interviewed for and I dressed well but without a jacket (it was summer lol). sometime within a few days my dad and the CEO were talking and he said I did great on the interview but all of the people who interviewed me were wondering why I didn't wear a suite. Not trying to argue, just sharing what I've heard.
-Phil
Hey there - I think that looks very professional. If you do not like the looks of the tail, perhaps a bun would work. I always "bun" my hair at work, and coworkers are usually shocked if they see me outside of work with my down (it is mid to lower back). I think it conceals the length nicely.
Hi Nelo,
The look is great for an interview and wish you all the best and hope it goes well. Just be yourself and confident and you should do fine.
Cheers,
John.B
This is a nice looking outfit, and I would be sure to smile too. You look a little sad-faced in these pictures ;-(
Good luck...
My pet peeve - I think buttoning the shirt collar makes for a neater appearance too as the collar stands up and doesn't wrinkle the placket of the shirt. Sorry, that's nitpicking I know.
Of course for some of us, whether we button our shirt collar is about as relevant as whether we wear underwear.
Bill
Is that a comment or a revelation? :o)
It's a commencement of a revolution. [wink]
I think you just got the job! :-)
Justin~
Thats a very sleek look you have there Nelo.
~ Dave
Excellent!! Even without the tie you look great and I'm sure you're not smileing because we hate conforming in order to get a job but keep in mind once your in and get a feel for the place you can relax. Keep thinking "chubby pay ckecks".
Humour aside you look good the pony tail althoug it may bug you is low profile and should work as it is. I have no suggestions for you unless someone else does. Remember in the interview work hard on being positive and engaging. a subtle smile and eye contact are important.
I hate giving interviews and I have three tomorrow, as I'm an overnight manager that means I have to come in early or stay late.
Joy!!!
Good Luck Nelo and let us know how it goes.
Kevin
Now that I read all the replies stick a tie on and see how that looks, it can't hurt. The colours look fine so I'll go with swiss longhair I don't think a light coloured shirt will matter that much. We want to achieve a look but don't want to become too obsessed with it. Web developement is a kind of field where your not in a white shirt and tie unless things are different in The Dominican Republic which I don't imagine they are.
Kevin
Hey, first of all, thanks for all your ideas and great comments.
I was a little uncomfortable with my hair, since I'm only starting to be able to do a pony tail, so it's not as low as I would want. That's why I was not smiling.
Also I still need to make amends with my hair, since I still don't truly accept it as it is.
Also, the interview in question never took place, since I could find the place. It was actually supposed to be more of an informal arrangement because a friend referred me to a specific person in that business, I don't think they are even expecting me. Even though apparently as he told me, they might not be hiring right now, I'm sure that because of the reference they'll give me a call.
But, next time I'll give the tie a try, I'll probably have an interview coming up in a week or two.
I know there's some feeling here that a suit would be "faking it," but...
You see a lot more guys in suits with long hair these days. And if you CAN comfortably pull it off, it tells your interviewer that "yes, of course I know how to dress in a business environment," but still makes your personal statement.
I agree! Wear a suit. Don't have one? Go and get one.
The more effort you make, the better. It sends a strong message how much you want the job.
Why would they hire you without a suit, if all the other people interviewing wore a suit?
Firt impressions.
Personally, I would always wear a suit and tie for interviews, although I always wear my hair loose, because I always wash my hair and that's how it looks best when it's just been washed. I guess if I let my hair get greasy it would look better in a ponytail, but then I could never feel comfortable in an interview with greasy hair, even if it looked perfect, which I guess is where Mouse's hair gel suggestion offers a solution. That's if you really feel that you need to wear a ponytail.
Is that the best advice? I don't know. Nobody really knows what is most successful. I guess you would have to do some sort of double-blind experiment to find out, and I'm not sure how you would do that.
OTOH, for anything more formal than a construction job or a fast-food job most people do seem to agree on a suit and tie.
You mentioned that you have frizzy hair. I can't really see any from the picture, but if you feel like you have little frizzies sticking out all over the place don't be afraid to use some gel for the interview. Frizzies are, of course, perfectly normal, but the gel works really well when you need to just look a little bit neater.
Mouse
Well, I posted four pics, I just didn't see an option to put them all in one page since I'm uploading them for my PC. And I didn't have much time to look for it.
They are in different posts.