Should I wear the bright green, metallic nail polish I just applied to my nails to the job interview I have scheduled for Friday?

Absolutely don’t wear it. Allow your jewelry to be the interesting stuff, not your nails. It sounds silly but I’ve seen it happen—bright, crazy nail polish gives the impression that you’re wacky, whereas interesting, even exciting jewelry says something totally different.

Don’t do it. There’s plenty of time to be funky and casual after you’ve been hired. You can always repaint your nails after the interview.

What kind of job are you applying for?

No matter what, I wouldn’t. I’d wait at least a week after hiring to get a feel for the place.

Look at it this way: wearing it could tip the scales against you (even just a little bit, even unconsciously); whereas if you don’t wear it, nobody is going to say “I really liked psychocandy for this position, but she just didn’t quite measure up. Now, if only she had been wearing green nail polish…”

Sacrifice the manicure. You can always redo it. How many employers are chasing after you with job opportunities?

Unfortunately I would agree that it’s a bad idea for an interview.

Absolutely. By all means. Assuming you’re interviewing at a circus or clown college.

Agree with @KTWBE unless you are applying for a job as a nail stylist, assistant to a tattoo artist, or other type of job where the look is not only appropriate but de rigueur.

@Jeruba How many employers are chasing after you with job opportunities?

Jeruba comes through again with excellent insight.

Hey! No! ;)

Go with funky jewerly.

I say yes, if they advertise casual and funky and you look casual and funky and eager to work as opposed to casual and funky and eager to slack.

Since you don’t really know in advance what their definition of funky is, do not do it.

I would think not, but on the other hand, if you don’t care that much about the job, and you feel that the green nail polish says something about you that is true, maybe just go with it.

Unless it’s a tatoo parlour or a head shop, I would say no. Just because they say it’s casual, does not mean you should go in looking like a punk rocker or a teenaged junior high school girl/boy. And go easy on the cologne, preferably don’t wear any and don’t wear bright red lipstick either, save that for special events and office parties (and don’t drink at those, ever!)

All this being said, I love green nail polish, just not for work.

Speaking as a mom with royal blue toenail polish on, that also owns a funky green (along w/many other colors), don’t. It’s been stated before, but you might not know what their version of casual is or is not. Don’t let your nails define you, figure out their level of funk after the interview, hopefully get the job, then wear it…if it’s appropriate.

I, for one, would not care about the color of your nails, especially if I had previously emphasized that the office was very, very casual.

Maybe they’ll find it enderaring. Maybe they’ll hate it. Do you really want (or really need) this job? If the answer is yes, then perhaps you should remove the polish, just to be safe, as almost everyone has suggested.

EDIT TO ADD: And if you don’t really need/want the job, ask yourself: do you want to work at a place that would think less of you because of the color of your nails?

I used to teach young people job-readiness skills. Several interview-prep videos I saw advised interviewees to always dress professionally, to wear nothing that would take away from the talent you’re wanting hired. In the case of casual interviews, where the hiring manager has already stated the dress and setting will be low-key, etc., then the interviewee should dress business casual – even if the hiring manager wears shorts or jeans. You want to give the impression that you’re serious about working, even in a funky workplace.

yep. you should. they used the word “funky” themselves. if green nail polish, especially around halloween, is what doesn’t get you the job then come on, they’ve lied and aint worth your time.

also, think about it. what is the manager going to say? “she was really nice, very smart, seemed eager to work. she had horrible nail polish on though, so on second thought, toss her resume into the trash can.” psh.

No. Be as funky as you want after you get the job if it fits in with the office, but don’t make assumptions beforehand.

How a business defines funky can be quite different from how an individual does.

Since I don’t need the job, I think I’ll wear it. I don’t want to work for people who describe a workplace as casual and funky and then refuse to hire a person with cool nail polish (at Holloween). Thanks all.

@psychocandy Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

At least make sure it’s not chipped before heading into the interview. Good luck!