If someone asks you "what's the most important part of your job interview attire?", what would you answer? The suit? The shirt? The shoes? Perhaps. But did you know that the tie, to your outfit, is what the focal point is to a picture?

The shirt is the canvas and the suit is the frame. Change the frame on a picture and no one notices, change the picture in a frame and you can change the look of an entire room. That's why it's important for your tie to enhance your look, not detract from it.

Buying The Right Tie

To begin with, you first need a quality tie made of 100% pure silk to accomplish that job. As a male, you are generally expected to wear a plain colored, non-distracting tie with your interview suit, e.g. in a dark red or dark blue color.

However, simply buying the most expensive tie you can find in town won't just leave that "most-favorable" impression you are looking for. People judge your capabilities by how you look. A crooked tie projects a sloppy look and says the same about your skills and abilities. Therefore, it's important to focus on the tie knot as well.

Tying the Four in Hand Knot

The most useful tie knot to know for starters is the Four in Hand. It's somewhat narrow and slightly asymmetrical in form and looks just about perfect with any standard button-down shirt.

To tie it, you stand in front of a mirror with your tie hanging loosely around your neck. Now, there are two ends to a tie: One that's wide that we're going to call "W" and a rather narrow one that we're going to call "N". The wide end "W" should extend about 12 inches below narrow end "N".

To begin, cross the wide end "W" over narrow the end "N". Then turn the wide end "W" back underneath the narrow end "N". Continue by bringing the wide end "W" back over in front of the narrow end "N" again. Afterwards, pull the wide end "W" up and through the loop around your neck.

Next, hold the front of the knot loosely with your index finger and bring the wide end "W" down through the front loop. Finally, remove your finger and tighten the knot carefully to your dress shirt's collar by holding on to the narrow end "N" and sliding the knot up.

If you're feeling a little overwhelmed right now, don't worry! Rather check out the colored diagrams at http://www.tie-a-tie.net/fourinhand.html which might be quite helpful to you.

Once you've tied the knot, make sure that the widest part of your tie hangs roughly at the same height as the upper edge of your leather belt. And the belt, of course, should match the color of your shoes!

The Benefits of Tie Accessories

Another item you should consider buying besides your tie is something called a tie accessory. Tie accessories come in the form of tie bars, clips, tacks, chains and straps. Their main purpose is to hold your tie in place at all times and prevent it from getting in your way when you eat, work or play. From my personal experience, I would recommend a classic silver tie bar.

During a job interview a tie accessory comes in especially handy. That's because without one, your tie would move around as you greet your interviewer or when you shift in your seat. Subconsciously, you would reach down to adjust your tie and straighten it out but such little things would make you feel even more nervous than you already are.

Conclusion

So, here's a quick summary of what I recommend you do before going to your next job interview:

#1: Buy a quality, conservative, 100% pure silk tie.

#2: Practice how to tie the Four in Hand tie knot and make sure that the tie's widest end is roughly at the upper edge of your belt.

#3: Use a tie bar to attach your tie to your dress shirt.

Remember -- wearing a quality silk tie, properly tied and fastened, is probably the fastest way there is to improving your overall job interview appearance and doubling your chances of leaving a favorable impression. Enjoy the interview!