interview attire question

does what you wear really matter?

my go-to interview attire has always been:
* black pant-suit with a splash of color in the blouse... although red is my all-time favorite color, i usually go with blue.
* nice high heels

today, i had an interview and wore my "uniform."

when i came out of the interview, i saw the person who was next. i happen to know her.

she was wearing her "regular" work clothes: kahkis and a knit top (not exactly a t-shirt, but it was a knit fabric).

i know there are people here who do the interviewing... how much weight does a person's attire really have on the process?

what if this other lady blows me out of the water on her answers to the questions... does my dressing "appropriately" really carry any weight?

i'm not planning to change what i wear to an interview, but was just wondering.

Re: interview attire question

I’m not really sure how it matters in an interview. I think it depends on what job you are interviewing for.

I can say that I went on a job interview for my dream job (I got it, but short contract) and I wore a black dress with tights, a cardigan, and boots.

They asked me questions like how do you deal with all the marking (I’m a teacher), and I basically said I don’t. Then they tested me on my language skills. I walked out of there thinking that I didn’t get the job. Well, I got it. However, I think I got really lucky with that one.

I have an interview next Monday. What am I going to wear? I have no idea. Probably the black dress with flats. The interview is in German, so I’m a bit nervous. I’ll get through it; I can wing things really well.

Re: interview attire question

I think it depends on the job really. I used to have to do the hiring at 2 of my past jobs and attire didn't matter as much as knowledge and likeability. In my line of work, the office was small, the people were close and had to be able to mesh well. Now if someone walked in like a complete slob to an interview, that would definitely be different. Super fancy / fancy / more casual - depending on the actual job, as long as they were neat and professional for the position, knowledge beats all.

interview attire question

I was recently on an interview committee and was surprised that more people did not wear suits. Most wore what you would on a normal day of work - pants and a blouse. Some wore a blazer jacket as well, but it was not a suit piece. Some I thought were too casual. We did not base hiring on what the people wore. One person who got the job I thought was underdressed.

interview attire question

Message edited 7/15/2019 8:47:18 PM.

interview attire question

It depends on the industry. I would never wear anything but a suit to an interview and would never hire anyone who wasn’t wearing a suit.

DH got a new job last year and the HR person, noticing he came from finance, told him not to wear a suit to his first in-person interview (finance position, digital media company). Clearly the HR person was right, since he got the job.

Re: interview attire question

Really depends on the industry/job/interviewers.
The last girl I hired wore black pants, a jewel toned top and a blazer. She looked very well put together though and professional. My office is pretty casual though.
I always say though, better to err on the side of overdressed than under.
You can't go wrong with a suit so better to just wear it and not take the chance

interview attire question

All other things being equal (qualifications, skills etc), being more "appropriately" dressed will help you pull ahead of the "competition." I do think that it shows a degree of respect for those who are interviewing you, and a degree of respect for yourself, and that you want to present yourself in a way that makes a good first impression

Re: interview attire question

I'm in the legal field and everyone wears suits to interview. Everyone. We recently were hiring maintenance workers and they even got the side eye if they weren't in suits even though the position obviously doesn't call for that type of dress.

Re: interview attire question

Dressing appropriately can only help you, but it would not be the factor on which they hire you.

On the other hand, dressing inappropriately can hurt you and it could be the reason they choose not to hire you.

I've had young girls come to interviews with short, tight skirts and low cut blouses. We've nixed them before they even open their mouth. While we are not prudes in the office, it is a red flag when your boobs are hanging out upon a first meeting.

Re: interview attire question