Excellent points on appearance. I've been on several hiring boards as the only person with a vision impairment. There were times when a candidate was moved to the bottom of the queue due to their appearance. Those people could have come up with the most eloquent responses, however the sighted people on the panel could not hear anything that was being said. During the evaluation of each individuals comments would be made like who wears track pants to an interview, that person looked like they were working in the garden before coming here, may be someone should tell that person it is OK to wash their hair from time to time and so on. It is not required to always wear a suit and tie, but clean slacks/skirt and a well kempt top doesn't hurt. People have told me they have the right to wear what they want which is true. And they also have the right to ignore the culture that has formed in the places they are trying to get a job. We need to keep in mind they also have the right to hire whomever they want. So if we are not prepared to play their game; it is a challenge to get them to play our game. Often by the time someone gets to the interview it is because they have the necessary qualifications, an excellent résumé, the skills needed or whatever. By the interview stage it is often to select the best fit. I always coach people on not using generic cookie cutter résumés, show up early, because if they are running ahead of schedule moving things along is always appreciated, wear a clean outfit, scrub up a bit, be polite to the person doing the greeting in the waiting area, brush your dog, may be avoid smoking just before going in since the smell lingers on clothing, etc. BTW in Canada smoking is not a right, it is a habit. They can ask during the hiring process if the candidate is a smoker. Some of us are extraverts and some of us are introverts. In either case we might have to step out of our comfort zones and say good morning or hello. Walking in then mumbling a name then sitting down in a corner waiting to be called might achieve a different result than expected. Whether we like it or not, from time to time people on the hiring panel will ask the people in the reception area for their opinion on the first impression they received. What I have found to be helpful after an unsuccessful attempt to get another job (believe me I've had several of those) is to arrange to speak with someone responsible for hiring the person to find out what they thought I said and what they were looking for in a candidate. It isn't easy at times asking people to open up and talk about my short comings, and it may be something I don't want to hear, however it is helpful. The up side is often people are very good about letting me know what they liked as well. That gives me something on which I can build. Vic