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I typically favor dark ties in shades of green, black or grey as a matter of personal taste but I'm curious as to how this will be seen by an interviewer. Is it better for me to wear a specific color of tie or is it a non-issue? I know that some companies don't care about ties or don't even want you wearing one, but for the ones that prefer a buttoned down look, what lends the best impression?

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Just make sure it doesn't clash. Dark ties tend to be safe since most suits are dark. – Rarity May 13 '12 at 0:31
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In research and academic jobs, the better the tie, less is your chance to get the it. – Dipan Mehta May 13 '12 at 1:11
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@DipanMehta So fraying with polka dots and 15 holes in it = shoe-in? – World Engineer May 13 '12 at 1:13
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What type of work and companies are you talking about? Can't really help without knowing the context. – Permas May 13 '12 at 1:43
I'm a CS major so it's entirely likely that I'll never have to wear a tie to a "real job" but I'm more concerned with internship interviews which are less controlled in terms of who is "hiring" in that sense. – World Engineer May 13 '12 at 1:57
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3 Answers

up vote 10 down vote accepted

If you're applying to a place where dress is highly regarded in the day-to-day work, for example:

  • Sales
  • Banking
  • Fashion
  • Law
  • Television
  • Executive positions
  • Luxury/jewelry/car sales

...then it may, but there are exceptions, and it depends a lot on the reputation/culture of the specific place. If you're applying for a job where you won't regularly be dressing in a tie, than probably not. Just make it clean, neat, and properly tied. Also, use a real tie, not a clip on.

The color of a tie is the kind of thing that can only really hurt you if you do it wrong. A properly tied, clean tie and shirt pretty much qualifies as "right" for most jobs.

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up vote 5 down vote

It would have to be a pretty bad choice of necktie to scuttle your chance at a job! Think of it as just one small part of the total image you present.

However you dress, you'll come off as more polished if it looks like you're being yourself and not just wearing a costume for one day. So if a dark tie suits you and the rest of your outfit, then that's what you should wear. So, no, it doesn't matter as long as it looks "right" on you.

I should add that even in the most conservative board-room environments where everyone is over 60 and wearing $2000 tailored suits, the necktie given some leeway for self-expression and playfulness or "flair".

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up vote 4 down vote

It's horrible to think that a good IT person could be passed over due to his choice of tie, but I guess its possible.

The seminal work on how to dress in business is the book "Dress for Success" by John Malloy. Even though it was written in 1988, it's still true today, and it's spawned an industry of imitators.

Malloy studies all the major organizational types and gives you a color picture of how to dress for that milieu. Just do what he says.

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good reference, but you don't answer the question. – David May 16 '12 at 3:26
@David - I thought it was obvious from my answer that there is no One Tie To Rule Them All. Malloy showed that there are variations by industry, so without more information there isn't enough information in the question to answer with 'Purple Bugs Bunny novelty tie' or some such ;) . – Jim In Texas May 16 '12 at 16:24
the question wasn't "which color", but "does it matter"; a summary of different color / milieu pairings would be helpful. – David May 16 '12 at 16:35
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hmmmm... I'd be skeptical about following fashion advice from 1988 :-) – Angelo May 31 '12 at 2:14
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@Angelo - In this case the Malloy book holds up very well, especially given the assumption that the OP is applying at a company so old fashioned as to think that tie choice should in any way be a hiring criteria for an IT job. Sure styles change, but the Malloy book is to business attire as Knuth is to computer programming. – Jim In Texas May 31 '12 at 21:45

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