Wear a Suit in a Skype Interview?

Hi Debra,

If I have a job interview on Skype on a Sat. morning, do I really need to wear a suit?  Could I just wear a nice shirt?  It seems very phony to get up at 8am on a Sat. and put on a suit.  This is for a programming position. Even when I get the job, I will be in jeans. 

Thanks! Kelvin

Dear Kelvin,

Sorry, to burst your bubble. Wear the suit.  Good new though…you only have to wear the top half of the suit.  You can be in your flannel PJs on the bottom.  Only your head and upper chest will show.  Present yourself on Skype as you would in person.  In other words, sit up straight, smile, and look interested. 

You want to show that you care enough about getting the job that you will take the time to get up early on a Saturday and wear a suit.  It’s not about the company dress code or how you normally look on a Saturday at 8:00 am.  The nice shirt says, “Yeah, I might take this job. It sounds OK. Let’s see how it goes.”  (Not a good impression.)  The suit says, “I am really interested and can’t wait to hear more about the job.”  (Employers are looking for programmers passionate about working for their company.)

Good luck, Kelvin!

Deb