First day of work...what to wear?

Skinfull · 13-12-2009 5:31pm #1

I just got a job, thank god and tomorrow I'm starting work. Was chatting with my brother this afternoon and he was saying I cant wear jeans to work on the first few days...
Its a tech job, big multinational, saw my future colleagues when I went for the interview and 90% of them were wearing jeans. The offer letter says I should dress smart casual. Wasnt planning on scruffy jeans and runners or anything but are jeans a no-no?

Advice?

cute_cow · 13-12-2009 5:37pm

Congrats on the job!

I would tend to agree with your bother. Even if 90% of your colleagues were wearing jeans, I wouldn't.

If it is as casual as that, maybe try a black trousers with a plain tshirt and jumper, you won't be overdressed, and you can get a chance to see for yourself what others are wearing.

Hope it helps, and your first day goes well!

Firetrap · 13-12-2009 5:56pm

Congratulations on the new job

I'm in agreement with your brother - don't wear jeans at the start. For the first few days you'll be introduced to various different people and you'll want to make an impression. So while you don't have to turn up to work in a three piece suit, hold off on the jeans for a little while.

Dave! · 13-12-2009 7:59pm

Smart-casual means slacks and shirt

Probably no need for a tie, but it couldn't hurt for the first day

amdublin · 13-12-2009 9:03pm

Pair of trousers and shirt minimum.

Personally I'd go with a tie - you can always take it off if you feel way overdressed.

Jeans next week

Best of luck wth the new job!

Seillejet · 13-12-2009 9:09pm

Agree with the other post. Check out the lie of the land in week one. By week two you will be skipping down the hallways in jean cut offs!!

Tyrant^ · 13-12-2009 9:14pm

Wear whatever the hell you want !

Eoin · 14-12-2009 11:14am

Tyrant^ wrote: »

Wear whatever the hell you want !

Come on - first day in the job??

Smart casual does not mean jeans. If your colleagues were wearing jeans, it just means that the dress policy is not being enforced - so just make the effort for the first few days at least and give a good first impression. I'm surprised you're even thinking about wearing jeans!

3DataModem · 14-12-2009 11:20am

Skinfull wrote: »

I just got a job, thank god and tomorrow I'm starting work. Was chatting with my brother this afternoon and he was saying I cant wear jeans to work on the first few days...
Its a tech job, big multinational, saw my future colleagues when I went for the interview and 90% of them were wearing jeans. The offer letter says I should dress smart casual. Wasnt planning on scruffy jeans and runners or anything but are jeans a no-no?

Advice?

You will be meeting everyone for the first time. I would ALWAYS go more formal than required on day one. Trousers and shirt at the minimum, but I'll usually bang on the suit with an open-necked shirt. There is no such thing as overdressed.

Your brother sounds right to me.

Raskolnikov · 14-12-2009 11:24am

Smart casual most definitely does not mean wearing a tie.

Trousers, shirt and shoes and you'll be fine.

sean_84 · 14-12-2009 12:09pm

If most other people are wearing jeans, then you won't gain anything by dressing "smart-casual". Wear whatever you feel more comfortable in.

Eoin · 14-12-2009 12:17pm

Except for looking like you're making some sort of effort on your first day in the new job.

sean_84 · 14-12-2009 12:46pm

eoin wrote: »

Except for looking like you're making some sort of effort on your first day in the new job.

What if his boss is intelligent enough to know that there is no connection between the clothes you wear and the effort you put into your job?

I think you should start as you mean to continue.

Eoin · 14-12-2009 12:52pm

I just don't understand why you wouldn't just play it safe for a few days.

Would you recommend someone wear jeans to an interview as well?

sean_84 · 14-12-2009 2:02pm

eoin wrote: »

Would you recommend someone wear jeans to an interview as well?

No, but when you go for an interview you don't know what people in the company usaully wear. In my last interview I was wearing a shirt and tie, and the interviewer was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so in that case I don't think it made any difference what I was wearing

Eoin · 14-12-2009 2:13pm

There's a difference between what you're wearing not having an impact on your job, and just not making an effort.

Tabnabs · 14-12-2009 2:14pm

First impressions count, it's not going to hurt your "cred" to wear trousers and a shirt. The very fact that you are here asking after having a debate with your brother means you are focusing on a really small point of interest when there are so many more things to be thinking about.

A great article I came across recently

DECEMBER 8, 2009

3 Reasons You Should Wear a Suit

In the tech boom of the 1990s, people began to trade in their suits for business-casual khakis and sweaters; and business attire has continued to get more casual ever since. Dressing appropriately is critical to landing clients, impressing your boss, and making business interactions easier. Here are three reasons to consider going old school and wearing a suit:

Ease. There's no need to agonize over whether you're dressed up enough. Because a suit is at the top of the dress-code hierarchy, you can wear it worry free.

Professionalism. There is no doubt that wearing a suit makes you both look and feel professional. It can be a good way to raise someone's opinion of you — perhaps even your opinion of yourself.

Respect. Wearing a suit shows whomever you're meeting with that you value the meeting enough to dress up for it.

sean_84 · 14-12-2009 2:48pm

Th OP has already made his first impression. They've already offered him the job.

I can't see any benefit for him to dress in a different way than 90% of the other workers there, or any risk for him to dress the same. From the description of the job I'm guessing there's not much interaction with customers.

If you wear a shirt and tie the first week, and then switch to t-shirts, what does that say to other people? "I was making an effort but now I'm not" or "I only make an effort when I think people will notice it"?

Skinfull · 14-12-2009 6:49pm

Dyflin wrote: »

First impressions count, it's not going to hurt your "cred" to wear trousers and a shirt. The very fact that you are here asking after having a debate with your brother means you are focusing on a really small point of interest when there are so many more things to be thinking about.

Only focusing on this because I'm 100% confident about the rest.

Anyways alls done and dusted thanks for the advice guys. :cool:

InReality · 15-12-2009 12:41pm

sean_84 wrote: »

No, but when you go for an interview you don't know what people in the company usaully wear. In my last interview I was wearing a shirt and tie, and the interviewer was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so in that case I don't think it made any difference what I was wearing

Ah thats not the same thing at all. He/She doesn't have to get dressed up for your interview

Iago · 15-12-2009 1:05pm

sean_84 wrote: »

I can't see any benefit for him to dress in a different way than 90% of the other workers there, or any risk for him to dress the same.

What if the day he was in for interview was the one day a week that casual wear is allowed as in many companies these days?

What if it was some typr of charity "Wear what you want day?" As a lot of companies run on a periodic basis?

While I'm not one to get carried away about what someone wears or doesn't wear I would expect every new employee to be dressed in at least slacks and a shirt until they had their feet under the desk. If I was hiring in a company where that wasn't the case I would tell the employee before their first day and highlight that jeans or whatever was ok.

If they have advised that "smart casual" is the dress code then he should wear slacks and a shirt as a minimum on his first day.

First day of work...what to wear?

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