wearing black nail polish in a corporate job inappropriate?

Definitely take it off! After you get the job is one thing, but for the interview you want to look as 'bland' as possible. Let your skills and personality shine through to get you the job. You don't want anything to distract from that. for example I have very long dreadlocks, over 3 1/2 feet long, with beads and shells attached. I usually wear long flowing skirts (some I made), handmade tops and wild earrings. I look like a hippie. Do you think that when I go for an interview I'm all hippied out? No, I save the earthmama gear for home. When I go for an interview or even on the job, my hair is neatly up in a bun and I dress very conservatively in neutral colors. I look so different that once one of my students (I teach) saw me out somewhere and almost didn't recognize me! LOL

In my logic, if it calls for a discussion with your friend AND a topic asking for opinions, I would just plain not do it. People are oh so judgmental these days, no matter how far your skills go. And like someone else previously said, other interviewees have the may have the same skills and requirements for the job, so the interviewer will be looking for something in each one to weed out the competition easier.

I have worked in the business world for 10 years now. First impressions really matter. I think you should remove the black nail polish atleast for the interview, and if you get hired wait to til you get the feel of the office. I haven't gone and read the whole thread, so I may be missing something. I saw some of the previous posters mention the court room. I also worked for the District Clerk's office. We had a very strick dress code, mainly because the DC was very old fashioned.. we're talking about wearing pantyhose if you're wearing a dress, dressy blouses with dress pants, no crazy hair colors and if you were going to be in the court room for whatever reason you defenitely had to wear a 2 piece dress suit with hose or a nice subtle plain dress with hose. On the other hand I have also worked in a place where business casual was the deal, and nail polish really didn't matter. But of course there is always one person that will have a problem with your look or the attention that you're getting..lol.. we call those people haters... for interviews you have to present yourself as a blank canvas, clear nail polish is best in MHO.

why does it matter? think of it this way... you have a business, you want to portray a type of image... you want to be noticed by a certain type of demographic... you have an idea of what that demo likes and respects... you establish the dresscode and business conduct and people who work for you either follow it or they can leave... Now you are trying to get into this business and you have no idea what they expect or what they like. It's better to play it safe, until you know how things run and then go from their.

moral of the story: What people see upfront really is what matters when you're trying to sell something, and in this case, you're trying to sell yourself... (in a sense) You could also try reading up on the company you are applying to and try to find out more inside info what are the demographics? what are theyspecialized in? all this can help to kind of help you get a feel for the ambiance of the office and help you pick the right look!

Interviewing for a corporate position is not a good place to display anything too far out of mainstream. If you get the position, you will be in a better place to see what the limits are for that company.

Edit: I agree the color of your nails don't dictate your skill level, but a any corporation has the right to enforce the image they wish to project. If you want the job, unfortunately, you may have to conform. :sad:

wow, I am dis heartened to heat this. So the color of my nails determines how people will perceive me, WOW. It's just a color on my nails, why should that matter.

Basically i can have all the qualifications in the world and a great personality, but because of the color of my nails i might not get hired..WHAT!!!!! ::jaw drops::

If you want to be in the corporate world, then you have to play the image game too. Part of it. If you want to do your own thing, then be your own boss. It's your choice. In the corporate world part of the qualifications are having the corporate image that company desires. Some can be very conservative!

A few years ago, I would have agreed with your friend, but today black polish is fashionable. Wear it. I love black polish and think it looks nice.

I do hiring in a corporate office... safe bet is to take it off. I'm not just talking about black nail polish, any color that is extremely varied from a natural color isn't a good bet until you know who you are dealing with.

Also goes for creative hair styles and colors in general.

You don't know the companie's policies, so it's best to not go in with a possible set back that's so very easy to avoid.

There are so many other challenges with interviews these days- this is one simple thing you can do.

On a similar note- if you have any visible piercings other than one hole in each of your ears, I'd keep them out, or as un-noticable as possible.

During the interview, ask what the dress code is, and what the business standards are, as far as all of that goes. Trust me- the interviewer will recognize that you are unique and self assured, yet still respectful of the corporate policies and expectations.

Depends on the type of role and the culture of the place you're interviewing in.
I work for a digital agency and interview a lot of people. I don't judge by polish or what they're wearing but our industry is a bit more relaxed than others.

But I've also never changed the colour of polish regardless of how corporate or conservative a client is.

I disagree with your friend. I'm in HR and do the hiring.... as long as your nails are well-kept, the color does not matter. Your personality and experience will catch my attention more so than your nail polish preference. GOOD LUCK!

Plain and simple, you have a tattoo on the inside of your wrist, obviously you do not think like most of coporate america nor are you putting yourself in thier shoes

BINGO!
Once again, truth is hard to accept.
The world is not always fair, and we must live and function is the world that is - not the utopia that should exist but does not.
People are just clueless.

wow, I am dis heartened to heat this. So the color of my nails determines how people will perceive me, WOW. It's just a color on my nails, why should that matter.

Basically i can have all the qualifications in the world and a great personality, but because of the color of my nails i might not get hired..WHAT!!!!! ::jaw drops::

That's life....Impression means more than anything else.

Hey, it's the real world out there. Your appearance is most important, making that first impression. Sure the color of your nail polish is shallow, but that is just how it works. You can stand for what you want, but just remember you need to impress them with how you work and you, not your look..

wow, I am dis heartened to heat this. So the color of my nails determines how people will perceive me, WOW. It's just a color on my nails, why should that matter.

Basically i can have all the qualifications in the world and a great personality, but because of the color of my nails i might not get hired..WHAT!!!!! ::jaw drops::

Should the color of your nails play a role in whether or not you get the job? No, absolutely not. Will it? Yes, very much so.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Go for a clear coat for the interview and then rock the black polish once you get the job!

Yep! Also, I'll add, for the interview, what you want to stand out, is your on paper qualifications, and your ability to communicated your qualifications, plus your personality. Image wise, you don't want them to remember anything. Black/Grey/Blue suit, plain black pumps with not too high a heel, conservative hair do, and nothing that stands out like dark nail polish, or extra long nails.

Once you get the job, you can probably go with a little more of who you are, depending on how conservative the company is.

Again, there's always self employment.

Personally, I don't think the color on your nails should matter! If they judge you from the color on your nails they will judge you on everything else so therefore if you didn't get hired based on that your better off!! Besides I personally think depending on your outfit black polish would look good!

I agree it seems so silly. In the profession I am working hard to get into it is all suits all the time. Now I am the girliest girl possible, why do I want to dress like a man? Why would wearing clothing that has color and accentuates my curvy figure detract from my effectiveness in the courtroom? smh It is just the way it is.

I have worked in a courtroom and know many attorneys and you can add color to a suit. Wear a colorful, appropriate shirt under your jacket, wear fun heels. If you are a girly girl, pick a skirt suit. No one says you have to wear pants. There are even some nice colored suits now.

Even working in a conservative, business dress code there is room to express yourself. And besides, once you get a job, you can see what others are wearing and adjust as necessary. Where I work, I've seen attorneys dressed way down and some way up. And they all work for the same company.

Hopefully, I will get lucky. I LOOOVE my high heals! and it would make a grey/ black/ navy suit sooo much better if I could pair them with my 6 in coral pumps I interned in a very conservative office. After my first day in court, they pulled me aside and asked me to dress more professionally in the future. I had no clue what they were talking about. I had gone completely grey suit, low black heals, thin pearls, etc. I had to ask the supervising attorney to clarify. It was my lack of pantyhose! I had actually started off in them, but by the time I escaped the dog and the kiddos, they were already snagged. The county I am in now is sort of a good old boy environment and much more laid back in every aspect, so hopefully It won't be so bad.