Casual dress for job interview?

Peleus

Okay, I have a job interview soon enough for a part-time job doing promotions. so nothing too serious. I was wondering what I'm expected to wear at the interview. I don't want to dress formally cos its supposed to be a relaxed job. Is it okay to wear casual, just jeans and a polo shirt, to the interview?

feylya

Always dress formally at interviews, no matter what the job. Gives the interviewer a much better impression

Climate Expert

feylya wrote: »

Always dress formally at interviews, no matter what the job. Gives the interviewer a much better impression

Wrong.

Theres a huge amount of jobs where your dress at an interview is not that important and some jobs where a formal suit will actually lose you a job.

Claire121

For a part time promotions job, I'd say casual dress is OK. For just about anything else though, you should really wear a suit IMO. When I was job hunting I couldn't believe the stuff people turned up in. Short skirts, jeans, you name it. A few interviewers commented on how I was one of the only people who had made the effort to dress properly. On the few occasions I felt a suit might be too much, I wore black trousers and a smart top, never jeans and runners. It looks really, really bad to be underdressed at an interview.

AARRRGH

Did they call you for an interview or do they just want to meet you for a casual chat?

If they used the word "interview" I would wear a suit. If they used the words "casual chat" I would dress smartly but not in a suit.

Vokes

Yeh, dress Smart Casual.

Peleus

well, they said interview to me on the phone. but then talked me through the job over the phone and said we could meet up just for twenty minutes to go through some things.

To me it doesnt sound like an interview cos it sounds like i've already got the job, so I'm not sure if i should dress for a proper interview or just dress for a 20 min walkthrough of my new job. I just dont want to turn up all dressed up and have them ask me why I'm dressed so smart. but also, i dont wanna lose the job cos i turn up to an interview in a pair of jeans. would black shoes, black pants a shirt and tie be too formal for this???

DanOB

from my experience the size of the company also matters, is it big or small? for a bigger company you would be better off wearing something smarter compared to a smaller company where dresscode at an interview wouldnt necessarily matter as much..

im working fulltime stockroom in champion sports, i wore a shirt, tie, black trousers and black shoes to that interview even

edit: tell you what though, bring a change of clothes and if your outside in a waiting room of some sort and theres more people, run to the toilets and change either into casual or smart!! now theres quick thinking for ya!

@lantis

I think that it is important to think about what kinda job you're going after, and then wear clothes that goes with that job. If it is an office environment I would dress in a suit..as for you now, I would either lose the tie if I were you, or just wear the black trousers and shoes with a nice t-shirt and a cardigan or something like that..

Good luck by the way!!

echosound

I'd wear the black pants & shoes, and a shirt & tie - you can always whip the tie off if you go in and see that others are dressed more casually. TBH I'd steer clear of jeans and a tee, pants and a shirt are casual enough not to make you look like an overdressed idiot, but smart enough if it's a more formal interview.

Good luck!

Peleus

ye the thing is, i'm pretty sure its only gonna be me there. we're agreed to meet in a hotel lobby near where I live so it seems like its just gonna be me. soi cant do the take off the tie thing. I think I'm gonna lose the tie and just wear the shirt and trousers. Being in a shirt and trousers won't be too formal. but it's not too casual either. Okay, i think I'm sorted now. god, clothes are such a hassle!
Thanks for the luck! :D

pseudonym1

Perfect! And dont forget the accessories!!;)
I think this site needs a fashion forum !

DanOB

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Perfect! And dont forget the accessories!!;)
I think this site needs a fashion forum !

sunglasses with big crazy earphones around your neck.. that'll do the trick

pseudonym1

Ya and a man bag very promo work like!!

Peleus

I got the job! The shirt and tie was a bit too formal to the interview. i probably would have been safe wearing jeans and a tshirt. but the shirt was grand. made me look prefessional. even if i did get laughed at by a load of guys in a car when i was running to the interview. :L cheers for the help guys!

pseudonym1

YeH hhhhh!
Go celebrate

lisajane

I was going to ask the same question regarding dress code for interviews. I have sent out a few cvs and i want to be prepared for when they call me for an interview. What should someone wear to an interview for a vet assistant job? A suit would be to formal. I was thinking of black trousers, a nice top and black shoes?

pseudonym1

Depends on job - ya you could ware that but also do beter.
try addin a waist jacket! contempary smart and appropraite.
Whatever you choose make sure it fits well ( not to snug)
Clean pressed and sharp
No matter what clevage is a no no!
Set it off with perhaps a chick neck scarf or power bag ( multi funcion of holdin CV)
Hair make up and jewelary just bare minimum - obviously nails etc perfect

lisajane

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Depends on job - ya you could ware that but also do beter.
try addin a waist jacket! contempary smart and appropraite.
Whatever you choose make sure it fits well ( not to snug)
Clean pressed and sharp
No matter what clevage is a no no!
Set it off with perhaps a chick neck scarf or power bag ( multi funcion of holdin CV)
Hair make up and jewelary just bare minimum - obviously nails etc perfect

I would have a problem with my nails though, 1 of them is black. I got it caught in my car door last month. I couldn't wear gloves, could i?

AARRRGH

lisajane wrote: »

I would have a problem with my nails though, 1 of them is black. I got it caught in my car door last month. I couldn't wear gloves, could i?

Put a bandage around it!

I remember I went to an interview with stitches on my face. I got the job.

pseudonym1

Falsies - Ur a girl ?,look a bit strange on a guy.
even if not ur thing broadway short natrual nails are easy to put on and ware.
If Ur nail is really bad and glue and plastic wouldnt be a good idea probably plaster then but must be impeccably clean!!
And it could be an "ice - breaker" and piont of conversation U could display a wonderful postive attitude and tollerance for sufference!
Why and how exactly U do it?
Got me all on interview mode and speak now... Mmm !

MIN2511

AARRRGH wrote: »

Did they call you for an interview or do they just want to meet you for a casual chat?

If they used the word "interview" I would wear a suit. If they used the words "casual chat" I would dress smartly but not in a suit.

I was looking for your reply:p

You once told me "When you dress for an interview, what you wear shows how much you want the job":D

And tbh it's worked for me...

I don't think there is anything wrong with putting on a suit(making extra effort to please) when you want a job

MIN2511

lisajane wrote: »

I was going to ask the same question regarding dress code for interviews. I have sent out a few cvs and i want to be prepared for when they call me for an interview. What should someone wear to an interview for a vet assistant job? A suit would be to formal. I was thinking of black trousers, a nice top and black shoes?

As a girl i don't see any need to wear a suit...

smart black trousers, shirt and or jumper is suitable... heels make you look professional, make up and jewelry kept to a minimum.

I have had 4 interviews in the last 6weeks and general response about my appearance has been very good!;)


maybe cause i is black and i feel the need to impress more:p

MagicMarker

Yeah there's a time and a place for the suit... I went for an interview in a coffee shop a few months back. I thought about wearing a suit but tbh i would have felt like a fool because it's just not that important for that kind of job! I wore jeans and a casual shirt.

I did wear a suit for the second interview, but that was only because i was going to work my full time job straight after! In all fairness the interview did compliment me on it though.

axiom32

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Depends on job - ya you could ware that but also do beter.
try addin a waist jacket! contempary smart and appropraite.
Whatever you choose make sure it fits well ( not to snug)
Clean pressed and sharp
No matter what clevage is a no no!
Set it off with perhaps a chick neck scarf or power bag ( multi funcion of holdin CV)
Hair make up and jewelary just bare minimum - obviously nails etc perfect

totally disregard this statement, it is a highly under used tool in the cat n mouse game of gaining employment.

pseudonym1

Guess that would depend on what sort of job you wanted!

Eoin

MIN2511 wrote: »

As a girl i don't see any need to wear a suit...

smart black trousers, shirt and or jumper is suitable... heels make you look professional, make up and jewelry kept to a minimum.

That's because women have a much easier time of it than men do. Men are either in a suit or they aren't. Women can wear an outfit like you're describing, and it would still be considered fine for a relatively formal work environment.

axiom32 wrote: »

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Depends on job - ya you could ware that but also do beter.
try addin a waist jacket! contempary smart and appropraite.
Whatever you choose make sure it fits well ( not to snug)
Clean pressed and sharp
No matter what clevage is a no no!
Set it off with perhaps a chick neck scarf or power bag ( multi funcion of holdin CV)
Hair make up and jewelary just bare minimum - obviously nails etc perfect

totally disregard this statement, it is a highly under used tool in the cat n mouse game of gaining employment.

If that's not tongue-in-cheek, then I disagree. This may not sound very PC, but I think that if there is a woman on the interview panel, they may not like seeing a woman with boobs popping out.

Anyway, I can't understand when people don't automatically wear a suit to any type of interview (within reason) - why risk being under-dressed? Any mild embarrassment of being the only person in a suit will subside pretty soon. 99% of IT places are casual dress, so I am generally better turned out then the person interviewing me, but the only time I would consider not wear a suit is if wearing a suit would put me in an awkward position if I had to go straight from my current office. That's happened a couple of times, and I have told the agency or the person interviewing me in advance that I would be in casual clothes.

Agent Smith

dress Business Casual - its the best of both tbh

Tupins

I think if in doubt it's better to be too formal than too casual.

I used to work in a radio station and one time I was on the interviewing panel interviewing people for summer jobs doing promotional work and you should have seen the state of the majority of the people that came in. We weren't expecting business suits or anything but there were people in ripped jeans, tracksuits and basically looked liked they'd just rolled out of bed. We couldn't believe that they expected us to hire them to represent the company!

Just because you won't be formally dressed in your actual job doesn't mean that the job should not be taken seriously and you shouldn't go to an effort for the interview. Dressing smartly will show the interviewer that you have the ability to make a good effort and impression when required and that you actually care about getting the job. It also shows respect for yourself and the person you're meeting.

Needless to say, none of the scruffs got the job!

axiom32

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Guess that would depend on what sort of job you wanted!

that lively little spot to the left of Roisins

board om

interviews are always a suit. for 1st round, 2nd round, final interview, aptitudes test, interviews with recruiters, etc. always a suit. the only time i would recommend not wearing a suit is for a job on a building site. and if you turn up at the interview in a suit but nobody else does then better again, because you will be the candidate that sticks in their mind becuase you made the effort.

i did recruitment for years and anyone who didnt wear a suit to meet me didnt get sent on to meet any companies. of course if they turned up casually dressed but they explained that they were coming from work or something and that they would be wearing a suit for the job interview, then i wouldnt have a problem with it. but other than that it is suits all the way.

in fact i was recruiting holiday reps for a company and becuase of the position candidates used to turn up to meet me in shorts, jeans, tracksuits, etc. but the company had told me that of the candidate didnt make the effort to dress appropiatly then they didnt want to see them. so it is always worth making the effort.

Eoin

board om wrote: »

i did recruitment for years and anyone who didnt wear a suit to meet me didnt get sent on to meet any companies. of course if they turned up casually dressed but they explained that they were coming from work or something and that they would be wearing a suit for the job interview, then i wouldnt have a problem with it. but other than that it is suits all the way.

I would not bother wearing a suit just to meet a recruitment agent. I will of course tell them I will be in casual clothes, but they way I see it is that they work for me, not the other way around.

board om

eoin_s wrote: »

I would not bother wearing a suit just to meet a recruitment agent. I will of course tell them I will be in casual clothes, but they way I see it is that they work for me, not the other way around.

I understand what you are saying. but as i said in my previous post if you are not going to wear a suit to meet the recruiter then make a point of explaining to them that although you arent wearing a suit today, you will be wearing a suit on the day of interview. i know what you mean about the recruiter working for you, but as you know the recruiter also works for the company they are recruiting for. and if there is a chance that a candidate isnt going to dress appropiatly for the interview with the company then the recruiter isnt going to take the risk of sending them out on interview and causing themselves embarassment.

another thing is any professional recruitment agency wil have a database of candidates, and in this database it allows you to take notes like how the candidate came across in the interview, what were your first impressions of them, how they dressed, etc. now if someone turned up to meet me 30 minutes late and they were wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but they didnt excuse themselves for being late and they didnt mention the fact that although they werent wearing a suit they would be wearing one for the actual interview, then i would have to take note of that. so anytime that candidate applied for a position with the recruitment agency the first thing any recruiter will see is those interview notes. quite a few times i couldnt send candidates out for interviews with companies because even though they looked perfect on paper, their notes had very negative remarks. and if i did send them out on interview and the company complained about the candidate for one reason or another, the first thing my boss would say is why the hell did i send out a candidate who had such bad interview notes. you would be amazed how many candidate would tell you things like they got fired from their last 3 jobs, or would sit there picking their nose, or even turn up for the interview drunk. it was bizarre.

funnily enough when i first started working in a recruitment agency it turned out that i had been in there for interview years earlier but i didnt remember being there. and they had every detail of the inteview, right down to what i was wearing. they had notes of why i had left my previous jobs and everything. it was funny becuase i couldnt remember half the stuff myself but they had it all there. it was a trip down memory lane for me anyway.

Climate Expert

board om wrote: »

i did recruitment for years and anyone who didnt wear a suit to meet me didnt get sent on to meet any companies.


i.

Thats probably why you are not working in recruitment any more.

pseudonym1

Ah now dont be mean

have to say though there is a certain attitude that can be found amongst some / most rectuitment agency employees!
Whats it about? they act as if they are looking to be impressed won over and ego massaged as apposed to helping place individual in correct job! Snotty noses with a complex and such arrogence that it boarders on demeaning - almost could suggest to make themselves feel better!
That was my experience on using recruitment agencys a couple of years back anyway!! And not referring to guy previously Butf you could throw some light on why many come accross that way t wud be great!

Gran Hermano

I have to agree 100% with what BoardOM has advised.
It's as simple as this, how many people do you know that didn't get a job because they were
over-dressed at interview?

ongarite

In the current job climate, if you don't impress in manner and dress, then you ain't getting that job.

board om

Climate Expert wrote: »

Thats probably why you are not working in recruitment any more.

no, i actually still do recruitment of sort, just not for a recruitment agency. when i worked in a recruitment agency i recruited for a certain market and after a while i had a small handful of companies that were taking up 90% of my time and therefore they were paying 90% of my commission. so i now work for myself recruiting for those companies. i work from home and i head hunt staff for those particular companies. thats the benefits of targeting a niche market, knowing that market, and being good at what you do.

and it was due to the fact that i didnt send out any old candidate that walked in the door that i did so well out of it. there are plenty of recruiters who will just send anyone out on an interview. they are the ones who send you job specs that arent relevant to you, or send you for jobs that you find out mid-interview are paying €10k less than you were looking for, bascialy the ones who make promises to candidates about jobs that turn out to be BS and tell companies things about candidates that are also BS. they are the ones who think if they throw enough mud something will stick, and end up p1ssing off the candidate and the company along the way. but by knowing your market you can send a select few candidates to a select few companies, that way everyone knows where they stand, there are no surprises on either side, the candidate and company meet each others expectations, and eveybody is happy.

Frisbee

OP I got a job working part time doing promotions and I certainly didn't dress casual.
DC's, combats and a tee. Promotions companies are all about wanting fun, young staff. Turn up in a suit and you'll appear too stuffy.
Another tip for your interview, smile. CONSTANTLY!
Promo companies like people who smile

Got the job btw

board om

pseudonym1 wrote: »

Ah now dont be mean

have to say though there is a certain attitude that can be found amongst some / most rectuitment agency employees!
Whats it about? they act as if they are looking to be impressed won over and ego massaged as apposed to helping place individual in correct job! Snotty noses with a complex and such arrogence that it boarders on demeaning - almost could suggest to make themselves feel better!
That was my experience on using recruitment agencys a couple of years back anyway!! And not referring to guy previously Butf you could throw some light on why many come accross that way t wud be great!

tbh i dont know what their problem is. i know what you mean though becuase i came up against it enough times myself when meeting with recruitment agencies over the years. before i started working in recruitment i always thought these guys had some major qualifications to be doing what they were doing, or that they must have amazing connections with all these companies they recruit for to be able to act the way they do. but after working with some idiots i realise that it is just a power trip. bascially they are sales people and it is probably the most authority they will ever have and they are pushing it as far as they can. and there is nothing more degrading than being established in your career and having some twirp who knows nothing about what it is you do sit there asking you stupid questions off a check list they printed off google five minutes before you came in the door. the best thing you can do is to question them back and watch them stutter.

but when you do meet a recruiter who actually does know about what it is you do, and knows the market you work in well, and that isnt afraid to agree that you know more about your work than they do, then they might be worth chatting to. they are few and far between unfortunetly. i worked with a great guy who recruited for freight & logistics companies and he was exactly that. he knew everyone worth knowing in the companies and he knew the market backwards. he didnt try to recruit just any candidate for any old role, he just stuck to what he knew which was freight & logisitcs. so when he found a candidate he was able to build a genuine relationship with that candidate becuase he knew what he was talking about and they knew that. he might not have hit target every month but he kept the candidate happy and he kept the company happy. if there were more professional recruiters like that then people would have a lot less to compain about. unfortunelty most recruiters just do what makes them happy and thats what p1sses people off.

what i say about wearing a suit comes more from my own experience of job hunting over the years than from working in recruitment. there are a lot of companies where you could have top positions, get paid a sh1t load of money, and get to wear casual every day. but you know yourself that to get that inital job you need to dress to impress.

Climate Expert

I got a job with a clothes shop before after beating off 30 other applicants.
If I had of worn a suit to the interview I would not have got the job.

I've never met my current recruitment agent its all been phone based. They are probably the most prestigous recruitement agency in Dublin as well. If they stop working with me because I didnt wear a suit to meet them then they would have lost out on plenty of comission.

board om

Climate Expert wrote: »

I got a job with a clothes shop before after beating off 30 other applicants.
If I had of worn a suit to the interview I would not have got the job.

so they actually told you if you had worn a suit they werent going to give you the job? or are you physic and you read their mind?

Climate Expert wrote: »

I've never met my current recruitment agent its all been phone based. They are probably the most prestigous recruitement agency in Dublin as well. If they stop working with me because I didnt wear a suit to meet them then they would have lost out on plenty of comission.

in recruitment this is know as sloppy work. it is pure laziness on the recruiters behalf. and if a company knows that a recruiter is sending them candidates for interview without vetting them first then they wont be dealing with the recruiter for very long. and no recruitment agency wants to be known for not vetting their candidates before sending them out on interview as it is seen as unprofessional.

two things you never do when in recruitment. 1) you never send a candidates CV to a company without getting the candidates permission first,
and 2) you never send a candidate to a company without meeting them first.

Malice

Climate Expert wrote: »

Wrong.

Theres a huge amount of jobs where your dress at an interview is not that important and some jobs where a formal suit will actually lose you a job.

Do you have anything to back up this statement with?

Climate Expert wrote: »

I got a job with a clothes shop before after beating off 30 other applicants. If I had of worn a suit to the interview I would not have got the job.

You don't need the word 'of' at the start of your second sentence. Again, how do you know that wearing a suit could have possibly counted against you?

Climate Expert

you never send a candidate to a company without meeting them first.

Well you would have lost out about 10K in comission if you were working for me mún lakla.

Do you have anything to back up this statement with?

Yes you can ring my old boss Terry on 01 638 9968. Can you come back here and confirm it for others Judge Judy.

You don't need the word 'of' at the start of your second sentence

You are neither my English teacher or my copy editor so please **** off with your corrections.

so they actually told you if you had worn a suit they werent going to give you the job?

it is a job in a clothes shop. You are being judged on what you wear. Use your brain.

in recruitment this is know as sloppy work. it is pure laziness on the recruiters behalf. and if a company knows that a recruiter is sending them candidates for interview without vetting them first then they wont be dealing with the recruiter for very long. and no recruitment agency wants to be known for not vetting their candidates before sending them out on interview as it is seen as unprofessional.

Robert Walters know what they are doing. These are for proper jobs that pay serious salaries not your type of mickey mouse operation.

board om

Climate Expert wrote: »

Robert Walters know what they are doing. These are for proper jobs that pay serious salaries not your type of mickey mouse operation.

actually i would say it is the other way around. it is for mickey mouse operations that i would expect them not to bother vetting you before interview because obviously the company were just accepting any old candidate that turned up, whether they made an effort with their appearance or not. where as for 'professional' roles there is a prerequisite, i.e. a good CV with relevant experience, being met by the recruiter, good references, dressing appropiatly, etc. obviously your standards of what you consider a 'proper job' are a lot lower than most peoples.

and i think you mean a €10k fee, not €10k commission. just to let you know a €10k fee is not considered a big fee by any standards.

Malice

For what it's worth I've always worn a suit to interviews. The jobs have ranged from low paying waiting staff, bar staff to slightly higher paying computer programming roles. I've also sat on the other side of the interview table and first impressions do count. If I'm interviewing you for a job and you can't be bothered to wear a suit, what else are you not bothered about?

If you're serious about going for a job, you want to project the best possible image and a suit will help a lot with that.

board om

malice_ wrote: »

For what it's worth I've always worn a suit to interviews. The jobs have ranged from low paying waiting staff, bar staff to slightly higher paying computer programming roles. I've also sat on the other side of the interview table and first impressions do count. If I'm interviewing you for a job and you can't be bothered to wear a suit, what else are you not bothered about?

If you're serious about going for a job, you want to project the best possible image and a suit will help a lot with that.

your spot on there. and also dressing up well for an interview gives you that extra bit of confidence. there is nothing better than going into an interview freshly shaven, a tidy haircut, a good suit with freshly pressed shirt and tie, and polished shoes. it gives you a buzz and makes you feel in control of the situation. interviews are usually stressful enough so i find its a great way to level the playing field and make you feel more at ease.

and as you said, most importantly it shows that you have made the effort, which is exactly what the interviewer wants to see.