* Skip the perfume. Remember, it's an interview not a date. You want the interviewer to remember you for what you said and how you carried yourself, not how good (or overpowering) you smelled.

Gentlemen

* 100% wool conservative navy, black, or charcoal gray suit. Again, pinstripes are acceptable. 100% cotton shirt with heavy starch will make you look like a million bucks.

* Go for a tie that refuses to be dated. In other words, solid ties are always in. So are large alternating stripes in the deeper shades of primary colors. I'm a big fan of deep red ties for interviews (red is said to be a "power" color).

* Shoes should be lace ups and they should be polished brighter than Forrest Gump's.

* Fingernails are important for you too. Clipped, clean, manicured, cuticles pushed back, buffed, and ready for action.

* If you've had a beard or mustache for 20 years and know how to take care of it, then it's probably OK to keep it. Otherwise, you should have a clean shave. You should have a fresh haircut too.

* I don't care if you paid $6,000 for that bottle of cologne, save it for the afterparty (the party after you get hired, that is).

A few things should be able to go unsaid - but they can't.

* No chewing gum or candy. I know you want to have fresh breath. Take a bottle of mouthwash and rinse before you go inside. Candy and gum can make you look unprofessional in an instant. Don't go there.