No Tie, No Second Interview

It is always interesting to look back on professional mistakes that we made along the way, especially those that seem so obvious in retrospect:

When I graduated college with a degree in marketing, I applied to several advertising agencies, public relations firms and marketing companies. Securing interviews was no problem but actually getting called back for the second round was a real challenge. I had read that advertising professionals are more laid back in the office and do not wear a suit or a tie. To show that I could fit in, I went to every interview with just a button down shirt and slacks (no suit and no tie). It took me a while to realize that I had to dress more professionally in order to be taken seriously on an interview, no matter what the regular corporate culture. Once I started dressing more professionally, I started getting call backs for additional rounds of interviews.