402 Frequently Asked Questions In Quantitative Finance
Appearance
Good clothes It is entirely possible that in your interview
process that every person you meet is not wearing a
suit, some may not have shaved. That doesn’t make
it wise for you to turn up in ‘‘smart casual.’’ How you
look is not a big deal for quants, you’re being paid to
think. However, some people do get remembered for the
wrong reason, and it can undermine your application a
little. You should feel comfortable, and if that means
a bit of perfume or good cufflinks then that’s fine, but
see below
Neatness is good More important than colour of cloth or
design of tie, is the general impression of being in con-
trol of how you look. This means wearing it well, and
being ordered in your appearance. It is worth checking
this before you go into the bank.
Colours Black is the new black. White is nice for shirts
and for no other visible item of clothing. Shoes should
be clean and preferably black for men, and muted tones
for women. A particular issue for women is the poor
workmanship in most of their shoes. Do not attempt to
walk long distances in new shoes that hurt your feet
so badly they bleed (we know one person who stained
the carpet with her blood). Make sure your clothes
fit — badly fitting clothes do not look presentable and if
your trousers are too tight you (and everyone else) will
find this distracts from the matter at hand. There are
some complexions that are generally complemented by
certain colours, and apparently in some circles ‘‘brown’’
is seen as a colour for your clothing. It is not; it merely
says things about you that are never said to your face.
