Saw this status update on Facebook today. *Fred (name changed) seemed miffed that he was overdressed for interview.

“Walked into an interview today, clean shaven and wearing a jacket and tie” he said. “Both men on the panel had beards and were wearing open-necked shirts. I obviously didn’t get the memo about the dress code” he lamented, clearly feeling disadvantaged by not fitting in.

So what is the dress code for interviews? Well, the traditional view is that you always dress one step higher than the level of the role you seek.

In other words, Fred needn’t have worried. He hadn’t done the wrong thing at all! Fred wants and needs to make a positive impression because he wants to work there, and his interviewers will notice that he respected their professionalism enough to put his best foot forward. (His interviewers aren’t under the same pressure—they already have jobs and can dress the way the office dictates).

Many things have changed in the world and a more casual approach is now common in every workplace.

But, there’s a time and a place for everything—maybe it’s time to learn how—and the time for a little more formality is at interview.

Are you dressing to impress no matter what the job?