What To Wear To a Web Dev Interview

transcript

WHAT TO WEARTO A WEB DEV

INTERVIEW

20 SLIDES

Web dev careers come in many forms.

You might be in-house, nursing a mega-company’s mega-site.

Churning out sites at a homeyspecialty studio.

Or obsessing on a startup’s one product, all day (and night). 1

But wherever you end up, all web devs start out in the same place: worrying what to wear to an interview.

HATE ALLOF THEM

TOO OLD.. NOPETOO CASUAL??

SMELLSBAD

Dressing to impress is a concern for all. But web dev’s unique ancestry makes it especially tricky.

See, tech’s always rebelled against fancy, fast-talking, suit-wearing corporate-ness.

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAHBLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

It’s given us the image of the opposite extreme: the unkempt, basement-dwelling, junk-foodie.

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So now every company likes its own balance of the techie chic they expect with the employability they need.

It’ll never be quick or easy, but scout these tell-tale signs that guide you to the right interview look.

If the company in any way resembles a:

FA N C Y A D AG E N C YDress, well, fancy. Borrow from someone who’s graduated from something, or works in money. Your discomfort foreshadows the 16 hours a day you’ll spend sweating.

If the o�ce fridge is exclusively stocked with:

ENERGYDRINKSPop your collar. Spike your hair. Invest in costly teeth whitening treatments. Roll in for your interview sans appointment.

If the o�ce décor is:

PRIMARILY WOODGRAINWear plaid.

Handlebar mustache. Over-sized glasses. Pants 2 or more sizes too small. If you have ta�oos, show them now. Woodgrain or not, try plaid.

If the company is (or says they act like) a:

STA RT U P

If the company still:

SUPPORTSIE6Suit. Tie. A baby-blue pantsuit also seems strangely right. You should reflexively yawn when you look in the mirror. Apply pharmacy-bought perfume/cologne.

If the company is run:

OUT OF A GARAGE

IF THE COMPANY OFFICE IS: A S TA R T U P

Wear what you’d sleep or sweat in, if you wear anything at all to sleep, or ever willingly sweat. Sweatpants. Sweatshirts. Knit hats. Hipster Underoos®.

If the company is:

RUN BYNUDISTSArgyle socks pulled halfway up. Full-suspendered Norwegian shorts. Turtleneck. Headband. Economy-size Purell.

If the company is:

FINEWear a smile + the nicest outfit you’d wear any normal day of the week. Show up on time. Accessorize with demonstrably mad dev chops.

Because when it comes to your cra� and career, the best thing to wear is your heart on your sleeve.

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What To Wear To a Web Dev Interview

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