Not every interview today requires the navy blue suit. Therefore, you need to make sure you target your attire to the company because it is just as possible to be underdressed as it is to be overdressed. Once we sent an individual to interview for an Assistant Management position at Discovery Zone. The individual wore a professional navy blue suit. The manager who interviewed her came out in standard company attire -- red shorts. During the interview the manager commented to the job seeker that if she wanted a 9-5 job where she could wear her corporate suits, that she was in the wrong place. Ouch! No matter how bad that job seeker might have wanted to work there, the employer was now convinced that she would not be a good fit.

On the other side of the coin are the frequent job seekers who feel that if they receive a second interview or if it's too hot outside, that they can dress casual. However, we can't think of a reason for ever wearing what a young job seeker did: a high school student interviewing for a summer job was told that casual attire was ok, so she went to the interview in her bikini and shorts.

While you might not make these mistakes, or other more embarrassing ones, it pays to know your target. Perform company research to get a "feel" for the corporate environment. Consider contacting competitors or watching from across the street when employees file in for work in the morning. But, caution yourself not to check the company attire on a casual Friday or you might get the wrong idea.

The best rule of thumb is to select clean, simple, classic attire for the interview. If the job is casual, such as a receptionist position in a jeans wearing construction office, wear a blouse and skirt or nice shirt, tie, and trousers. For an engineering position in a casual office, it is probably much more appropriate to still wear a suit. If the look is casual, try to always dress at least one level up from the daily attire in the organization.

Both men and women should try to avoid any distractive prints or designs in ties, scarves, blouses or jackets. Coordinated, muted colors work best. Avoid aggressive colors like red. Women should avoid skirts that are too short and should always wear pantyhose. Keep jewelry simple with no more than one ring per hand and one necklace. Men should typically not wear earrings or pinky rings. Women should wear small simple earrings. The key here is not to wear anything that will detract from you and the positive impression you wish to make.

Focus on shoes as well. Don't ruin a great looking outfit with scuffed, dirty or inappropriate shoes. If you never wear heels, now is not the time to learn. Wear shoes you will be comfortable in but that are conservative and matched to your outfit.

For high school students seeking a summer position, don't feel like you have to compromise who you are for a job opportunity. If you are not ready to change that haircut or remove all those earrings, then select an appropriate location to work. Remember that just because the company you are looking at employs one person who looks like you, this is not a good indicator that they hire people like that as a norm. That person might be a relative of the owner or might not have looked that way when they were hired. Instead, pick locations that are more liberal such as bookstores, comic book stores, and music stores. When you are ready to pursue a career and go after a "salary" then you will be ready to compromise or change your style. And who knows, you might not have to change when you get older anyway. There are many positions seeking creative individuals who represent unique and innovative styles.