A few years ago, as a newbie applicant fresh out of college, I remember making my way to various job interviews dressed in black pants and a black blazer, sweating under the sun and wondering if there’s a more comfortable way to go about job hunting.

Fresh graduates, used to the college dress code of jeans and T-shirts, get apprehensive taking on a more corporate look. I went to an interview dressed in cargo jeans and a shirt,” shares Crissy, a marketing graduate from a Manila university. “The company is in media and I thought that they had a relaxed dress code. The hiring manager took one look at me and I could tell she was annoyed. The interview didn’t even last fifteen minutes and, needless to say, I didn’t get a call for another interview. Should I have come in corporate attire? Wouldn’t I appear overdressed?”

On this question, our Career Coaches advise dressing to impress – appropriately.

"It is like selling yourself to employers," says Rem Villareal of Itochu Corporation. “Generally, one’s attire reveals some of his character traits – neatness, being organized, etc.”

"I usually expect my interviewees to come in corporate attire, even though our office is in a residential community,” shares Melle Roxas-Pitalgo of iDnet Consulting, Inc. “In selling yourself and your expertise, what you wear – how you present yourself – is part of the package.”

For Beth Pamatmat of Infodyne, Inc., dressing in corporate attire communicates to the interviewer that you are serious about the job. She also suggests doing some research first. Some companies adopt a more casual dress code but applicants can’t always be sure if the companies they are applying to subscribe to that dress code.

The rule of thumb is to dress one or two levels higher than the job are applying for. Remember, it’s not so much that you’re trying to get hired because of what you wear, but it’s more a matter of not getting yourself eliminated from consideration because of how you present yourself.