Internal Interview Attire

danoriordan1402

Not really a work problem, more of a query - I work in a tech company doing a tech role for the last few years. Dress code is very very casual. An internal position has come up which would take me away from the tech role. I have an interview scheduled for it but wearing a suit/tie would seem totally OTT and would look bizarre in our office.

My colleagues in this role are usually casual to smart casual so I am wondering if would dark chinos, shirt be suitable. Still unsure about the tie, but would still like to make a good impression however I feel full suit/tie/jacket would be too much.

OMM 0000

Yes, chinos, shirt, clean shoes.

Good luck.

Saint_Mel

OMM 0000 wrote: »

Yes, chinos, shirt, clean shoes.

Good luck.

Funnily enough this happened in a place I worked before ... 1 internal promotion/position up for grabs and 2 devs went for it. Both of a similar level competency wise. 1 got suited and booted, other went in regular casual working clothes (similar to above).

Suited guy got the gig and 1 reason that was said off record was that they were closely matched skills wise but he had shown that he wanted it more by putting in the effort and treating the interview as anyone would going for a new position, where as the other guy just turned up and treated it as a regular meeting and by not getting dressed up looked to have a lazy attitude to the process.

You might feel like the full rig out is too much, but you are not trying to impress yourself.

Are you in work for the full day? Can you have the suit in the car and change into it just for the interview?

rd1izb7lvpuksx

Saint_Mel wrote: »

You might feel like the full rig out is too much, but you are not trying to impress yourself.

I guess it's heavily dependent on the company and the culture. In the software development companies I've worked at, abnormally wearing a suit would probably backfire. I'd be wondering what you were trying to distract me from, anyway.

Saint_Mel

Jake Shallow Abscess wrote: »

I guess it's heavily dependent on the company and the culture. In the software development companies I've worked at, abnormally wearing a suit would probably backfire. I'd be wondering what you were trying to distract me from, anyway.

Really!!!! It must be a funny spot if making an effort is seen as suspicious :pac:

danoriordan1402

Saint_Mel wrote: »

Funnily enough this happened in a place I worked before ... 1 internal promotion/position up for grabs and 2 devs went for it. Both of a similar level competency wise. 1 got suited and booted, other went in regular casual working clothes (similar to above).

Suited guy got the gig and 1 reason that was said off record was that they were closely matched skills wise but he had shown that he wanted it more by putting in the effort and treating the interview as anyone would going for a new position, where as the other guy just turned up and treated it as a regular meeting and by not getting dressed up looked to have a lazy attitude to the process.

You might feel like the full rig out is too much, but you are not trying to impress yourself.

Are you in work for the full day? Can you have the suit in the car and change into it just for the interview?

yeah, in work for the day - still 50/50 on it, will decide on the day, Friday Even chinos and a shirt is putting in an effort in our place,

rd1izb7lvpuksx

Saint_Mel wrote: »

Really!!!! It must be a funny spot if making an effort is seen as suspicious :pac:

I think most software companies would be like that (as opposed to a company with a dev team but whose business focus is elsewhere). I've never seen a developer wear a suit to work (except at one bank which had the worst dev team I ever met in person), so I would definitely wonder what's going on.

I also wouldn't see it as making an effort - a shirt take a few minutes to iron and that's it (assuming you already own a suit). The effort I'd be looking for is research into the role, technical aspects, responsibilities, a mapping of existing experience to the job, etc.

That said, I wouldn't work anywhere that expected you to wear a suit to an interview - internal or external - so my experience is self-selected.

Snotty

Work in similar tech company, never would dream of a suit even for a exec visit, but for an internal interview I might. Chinos and a shirt definitely, no tie needed.

What does your top management ware, what do they ware if they have visiting execs or VIPs? If the answer is a suit, then suit for interview.

The Royal Scam

I am 20 yrs with my company. I have have 3 internal moves. Each time , treated it like I was an outsider and got the job each time.

Last one was only last Mar, shirt tie and chinos got me the job over the other candidate who didnt wear them I am told , as we were so similar in qualifications.