Q: What's the appropriate attire for an informational interview? I don't suppose it'd be the sort of Sunday best I'd wear for a formal interview (or would it?); nor do I think it would be right to show up in a Polo shirt and shorts. What sort of outfit says "professional but not presumptuous"? Should I wear a tie?
Also, I've seen want ads for reporting jobs at one particular news organization -- I won't say which -- requiring applicants to submit, along with resume and clips, five story ideas, each five sentences long. I'm all for having story ideas ready for the job interview, but this just seems like a way for the editors to harvest lots of ideas without having to do the legwork. What are your thoughts on this requirement? The paranoiac in me wants to know, how can I keep a really good story idea from being poached before I've even been interviewed, other than not applying to the place in question?
J.T.
A: You're right. The Polo shirt and shorts should stay home. Put on a tie. Look as though you're there for a real interview, but do not try to hijack an informational interview into a job interview.
If you feel upon arrival that you are overdressed, just loosen the tie and carry the jacket. Men have it so much easier than women!
Don't worry so much about having them steal your story ideas. But in keeping with your status as a job candidate, fuzz up a tantalizing detail that you'll be happy to clarify -- once hired.
