Re:Interviewing for startups : are formal cover letters + su...
by ajross on Monday June 16, 2008 @04:13PM
(#219059)
It depends. Certainly a suit is never going to be helpful when interviewing at any true technology company, whether it be a startup or not. But the idea that it would hurt is situational: certainly if a mid-career professional walks into an interview in a $500 suit, his/her attire just screams "I've been writing VB code for 10 years in an IT department."
But if it's on a recent graduate, or an amateur trying to break into hacking as a profession, not so much. There, it's just a sign of naivete. It's cute, not dumb. It might be awkward, but at least it shows the candidate cares about the position.
Re:Interviewing for startups : are formal cover letters + su...
by tptacek on Monday June 16, 2008 @04:15PM
(#219063)
You are never going to get ruled out of a good job for wearing a suit. You can get ruled out of a lot of really crappy jobs for not wearing a suit. So, OK. But you are always safe in business casual. And you can adapt on the fly, untucking your shirt if everyone else is in cutoffs and Birks.
Cover letters extremely valuable. Cover letter says, "I gave your company 5 minutes of thought before I clicked the button that sent my resume".
Best possible thing you can do prior to an interview? As in, the single best possible thing you can ever do that will raise your chances more than anything else you do? Research the company. Hardcore. Everyone who worked there, everything those people have done, and on and on. Come in knowing everything about them, and armed with a litany of questions.
#1 criteria for hiring: smart, gets things done, competant.
#2 criteria for hiring: committed to working here.