Facial Hair

you're Italian, it'll grow back by 6:30.

 

I'm confused by this. Are there really people out there who wouldn't hire someone because they have a goatee?

That may be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

 

Damn straight.

re: facial hair, you never really know what I'm going to be wearing if you haven't seen me for two weeks. Might be a full-grown beard, might be a little scruffy, might be a goatee. Rarely am I baby-faced.

For interviews, I always nix the scruff and trim my goatee. Just a preference on my part, because I think it's more presentable on my face than a full beard (which is primarily the result of laziness, anyway, except during the NHL playoffs.) I don't think that has anything to do with the outcome of the interview -- I'm 3-for-4, by the way.

And for the record: I wear a suit, always. It's not even a question.

 

This isn't Arby's, where you can wander in off the street and talk to the manager as he changes the french-fries oil. They've already seen the resume and clips before asking someone to come in. The guy in the suit is equally qualified and equally talented, but shows much more common sense by wearing a suit.

 

Can't believe there's even a debate about this one.

Wear a suit.

More than anything, it shows you take the process seriously.

Case in point: I once had a hiring manager at a decent-sized metro show up to an interview wearing a wrinkled polo shirt and jeans. My first thought: he isn't taking this interview very seriously. It's always tainted my impression of the man.

Dress as you'd like to be treated. I want to be treated as a professional.

 

The fact that there are so many discussions on this board about job-interview attire tells you all you need to know about the fashion sense of people in our business. (Then again, a walk through any press box could tell you a lot, too)

This should be obvious: Interview=suit.

 

I trimmed the beard up nicely. My suit consists of a black jacket, cream-colored shirt, khaki dress pants and dark maroon wing tips.

Not sure, but I might be 3-for-3. I was asked to go home and then e-mail her to let her know whether I wanted the job. She didn't offer a salary range, and I didn't ask. I put "negotiable" on the obligatory application. I assume we'll talk turkey after I send an e-mail. I was a little confused as to why she suggested that I let her know by e-mail. I mean, I showed up for the interview. Of course I want the job. Does this sound like it's mine for the taking? And should I wait until I'm offered the job before talking salary?

 

On the flip side, I won't hire any clean-shaven people.

 

I had titty bars, but the last thing you do during an interview is pull up your shirt and say, "Hey, look at these suckas! Hire me!"

 

Congrats on being Italian and having eyebrows, plural! ;D

 

I like the middle ground between suit and not suit -- the slacks, oxford wit no tie, and blazer combo. You'll look good. You'll look professional. But there's no chance of looking uppity or out of place.

Maybe things are different in other parts of the country, but I work in the midwest, and saw a guy roll in for an interview in a suit one time, which not only meant he was better dressed than the ME and the publisher, it also meant he looked like a doofus straight out of college who didn't know what working at a newspaper was like.

 

I don't own a suit.
When I dress up, I usually wear a nice shirt or sweater and slacks.
I'm not inclined to invest in a suit that I will never wear other than for interviews, but I wouldn't want to lose a job because I didn't wear one.
On the other hand, I kind of wonder about the type of boss who would make a hiring decision based on suit/no suit.