Dress Up?

What do you wear to an interview?

You personally - you apply for a job in whatever field and are called into an interview - what are you wearing?

Is this outfit representative of what you intend to wear once you have the job or is just a costume meant to impress someone into hiring you?

I watch interviewee's come in and out all day for a civil service job near my office. They really don't bother to dress up at ALL. Some wear jeans. I wonder how the interviewer feels about it. How would YOU feel about it?

To answer myself - I would wear some sort of suit - not trendy at all. I would then modify my wardrobe to match the atmosphere of the office once I am hired. I wore a suit to interview for my current job. It was meant to impress and it was what I was required to wear at all jobs before I got this job. I wore formal career suits for about a week after that.. now I wear whatever I happen to pull out of the closet.

I would be pretty put off if someone interviewed for a job in jeans and sneakers or something equally lax.

Message edited 2/26/2008 2:32:33 PM.

Re: Dress Up?

Honestly I guess it depends on the job. My last Job interview I wore a suit. The one before that I wore nice pants nice shirt and nice shoes.

Re: Dress Up?

I'm a civil service employee...I always interview in a suit, not a super fancy powersuit or anything, but a suit...I generally wear jeans or khakis to work though. In interviews I'm trying to make the most of a first impression, but also, I feel more confident in a suit then in jeans.

Re: Dress Up?

I usually wear a suit, even though it's not how I would expect to dress day to day (my jobs have generally been business casual). Dress to impress.

I've seen people wear nice pants and a button-down, or a skirt and blouse... but JEANS? At an interview?

Re: Dress Up?

I will always wear a suit to an interview, even if I know for a fact that the office dress code is, say, business casual.

I notice when people don't wear suits to an interview. (I don't hold it against them, but I notice.) Heck, *I* dress up when I'm the interviewer, so I think the interviewee could do the same.

Re: Dress Up?

I always wear a suit.

Re: Dress Up?

always a suit--- navy blue. I went to a school that taught us that black was too much of a statement and to wear navy blue b/c it was a calming, non-threatening color. I was hired on my first interview- so I guess it worked!
Now I'm self employed, so I don't interview anymore but if I went back to interviewing I would go and pull out my navy blue suit!

Re: Dress Up?

i always wear a suit on interviews and then follow their regular dress code once i get there (ie - casual all teh time, casual only on friday, etc.) i couldn't imagine NOT going to an interview in a suit but that's just me.

Re: Dress Up?

It depends. I personally always wear a suit, just to represent that I take the meeting seriously and I am a professional. Every job I have had with the exception of one has been business casual when I was hired but I still wore a suit to the interview.

Now, on the other hand, I'm in HR and I recruit for office positions AND warehouse positions. The office candidates always come in professionally and the warehouse people come in wearing jeans or work-pants. Although I was very impressed once when I had a warehouse candidate come in with a suit. He didn't get the job but ONLY bc we filled it internally. He still sticks out in my mind bc he made an effort to look professional. And I am still hoping to bring him on board!

Re: Dress Up?

I always wear a suit no matter what the dress code is for the company. I think it convays a good statement about yourself before you even open your mouth.

Re: Dress Up?

I can never imagine that I would ever not wear a suit.

BUT DH wears Jeans and a T shirt to work and in past jobs shorts and sandals (IT) and after interviews they would joke about the guys that wore the suits. not that they were holding it against them, just joking that they were probably shocked when they came in and saw how everyone was dressed. He says a lot of people come in a polo and khakis and it's totally acceptable.

Re: Dress Up?

Without doubt a suit. IMO it doesn't matter at all how "dressed down" the office you are interviewing in is but how you present yourself to the interviewer. To me a suit conveys someone who is professional which is always a good thing.


ETA: Regardless of how casual the current office I'm working in is, I would always be sure to wear a suit to an interview; even if that meant changing in the bathroom before I left.

Message edited 3/3/2008 12:37:10 PM.