What to wear when applying or going for an interview?

[JasonRox]

So, what do you normally wear?

A nice suit with pants and jacket? Just pants and shirt?

What kind of pants?

I'm applying for position in Finance and in Accounting firms.

Thanks.

 

[TMFKAN64]

I definitely make a point to wear pants to all my interviews.

Seriously, as an engineer, I put away the jeans for a day and wear nice pants and a nice shirt, but I avoid suits. (Wearing a suit just seems inappropriate somehow.) However, I suspect in finance, you had better bring out your good suit...

 

[JasonRox]

On the internet it says to wear dark pants with a white shirt. Personally, that's just a fashion clash. Black pants and white shirt.

Yeah, I guess a nice suit will have to do.

 

[FrogPad]

On the internet it says to wear dark pants with a white shirt. Personally, that's just a fashion clash. Black pants and white shirt.

Yeah, I guess a nice suit will have to do.

Just call the secretary ahead of time and ask her what people typically wear when they are at an interview there. Also, ask her what she (or he) recommends. Typically, they have been there for some time, so they should be helpful.

 

[Cyrus]

Wear a suit and tie if you want anyone to take you seriously. Its common sense, really.

 

[FrogPad]

On the internet it says to wear dark pants with a white shirt. Personally, that's just a fashion clash. Black pants and white shirt.

Plain white, and Docker black pants... yeah. Not so hot.

However, if you have some type of minimalistic pattern (maybe really light and fine stripes) , with nice black pants, this can be pulled off very easy. You can usually get some good stuff relatively cheap at Banana Republic. I usually snag a few things that are on clearance there.

 

[Cyrus]

You can usually get some good stuff relatively cheap at Banana Republic.

AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. I love that store, but even on sale its expensive.

 

[turbo]

In finance, a dark suit with fine gray pin-stripes and a colorful plain tie would probably be appropriate, with polished shoes. For an interview for an engineering/tech job, I would tend toward more casual shoes, dress slacks, and a sports coat with pastel shirt and a plain tie.

 

[Evo]

Dark blue suit is what you are going for in a finance interview. Make sure your shoes are black and well polished. Dark blue or black socks. No cologne!

Did I mention not to wear cologne?

 

[Maxwell]

You should wear a suit to any interview.

 

[turbo]

You should wear a suit to any interview.

Not necessarily. You don't want to be significantly over-dressed with respect to the interviewer. When I interviewed for a job as a technical support consultant for the pulp and paper industry, I wore light silk sports-jacket with nice slacks and some brown dress shoes. The technical service manager was wearing a dark blue sports-coat and slacks and the sales manager (a BIG gun in the company) was wearing exactly the same jacket that I was. The TS manager commented on our jackets and I said "my wife picked it out for me" and the SM said "mine,too" - ice broken, and I didn't come off looking like a rube who over-dressed for an interview for a job in which I would be required to get "down and dirty" with paper machine production staffs.

If you have an austere suit that is appropriate for a funeral, and you're interviewing for a job where you'll have to interact with customers and keep them at ease, dress down a bit.

 

[JasonRox]

I wore casual wear when I went to see my old employer about helping me out by finding a spot in the accounting or finance department. He's the owner of the company, and then I spoke to the Controller of the company. I know them personally, so to me, going with a suit would have made it awkward considering the owner doesn't even where a suit or the Controller. They working on a possible position. I'll probably (most likely will) call on Thursday to tell him what I'm look for so it can specifically to line up more with my long term goals. I'm not picky about it, but he asked. I hope I get it too.

In the meantime, I'm still applying everywhere else.

 

[JasonRox]

Dark blue suit is what you are going for in a finance interview. Make sure your shoes are black and well polished. Dark blue or black socks. No cologne!

Did I mention not to wear cologne?

I heard a little after shave is ok.

 

[Evo]

I think it's more of a faux pas to underdress than overdress. Wearing a suit to an interview for an office job is probably never a bad idea. It shows respect.

We have a pretty lax dress code inside the office, but when I interviewed, I wore a suit and the hiring managers wore suits. I found out that they only wear suits when they interview.

A few weeks ago some guy walked in ahead of me wearing a knit polo type shirt and khaki slacks. He walked up to the guard desk and announced he was there for an interview. I'm not surprised he wasn't hired.

 

[Evo]

I heard a little after shave is ok.

Keep it light. Scent can invoke emotions, so smelling as neutral as possible helps. If they are bothered by your scent, they will be bothered by you, even if they don't know exactly why.

 

[Evo]

I wore casual wear when I went to see my old employer about helping me out by finding a spot in the accounting or finance department. He's the owner of the company, and then I spoke to the Controller of the company. I know them personally, so to me, going with a suit would have made it awkward considering the owner doesn't even where a suit or the Controller. They working on a possible position. I'll probably (most likely will) call on Thursday to tell him what I'm look for so it can specifically to line up more with my long term goals. I'm not picky about it, but he asked. I hope I get it too.

In the meantime, I'm still applying everywhere else.

If you know the people, that's different. You already know how they feel/dress.

Good luck, btw!

 

[arunma]

When I interviewed with Target Corporation for an engineering job, I wore a three-piece suit and a tie. It turned out that every other interviewee, without exception, was dressed just like me (probably what pushed me to grad school instead). Anyway, I've found that if you have to make a mistake, it's far better to overdress than to underdress.

 

[turbo]

I heard a little after shave is ok.

Not even close! Don't do it. People who regularly wear after-shave or cologne get so used to the smell that they routinely over-do it and if you do that you will overwhelm your interviewer. Use a neutral, natural antiperspirant and try to smell like "nothing" if you can.

 

[JasonRox]

Not even close! Don't do it. People who regularly wear after-shave or cologne get so used to the smell that they routinely over-do it and if you do that you will overwhelm your interviewer. Use a neutral, natural antiperspirant and try to smell like "nothing" if you can.

I never wear any, but I will take your advice and just avoid wearing any at all.

Oh, one more question, how much should I spend on suit? I know anything under $100 won't look right. I find that discount clothes just doesn't fit right either around the shoulders, waist, wrists, the ratios, etc...

 

[D H]

We have a pretty lax dress code inside the office, but when I interviewed, I wore a suit and the hiring managers wore suits. I found out that they only wear suits when they interview.

I am interviewing someone tomorrow. I will be wearing my normal attire: dress slacks, shirt, and shoes; no tie. I expect to see a tie, minimum. I have yet to consider someone wearing a suit overdressed. I expect to see a well-dressed interviewee, even when the interview is on a Friday (jeans for us).

 

[turbo]

If I were you, I would do a little research before buying clothes for an interview. Do you know anybody at that business that can advise you? If the person interviewing you prizes appearance over function, you'd better look trim.

A well-tailored business suit can set you back pretty hard $$$$. If it's not looked-down-on to attend the interview in a blazer with a college emblem and nice slacks and well-kept shoes, that might be do-able, too. Luckily, most of my interviews were for technical jobs that required close customer contact in industrial environments, and the standard blue pin-striped suit was inappropriate (although I owned one). A well-fitted nice sport coat and slacks with decent shoes (like docksiders) and matching belt and a plain tie was perfect. Part of the responsibility of a technical service rep is to entertain customers during business trips, and it is not a good idea to look over-dressed when entertaining a production manager and his wife for supper. You don't have to look real dowdy or staid, but it is helpful not to look too trim and trendy, when entertaining a couple that have been set in their ways for the last 30 years.

 

[mr_coffee]

I always over dress. they love it.
If you under dress you are disrespectful, so better be well prepared than not. When I was getting interviewed with IBM, everyone was dressed up, with a suit.

I thought working for IBM meant I had to always dress up, but I soon found out you can wear just about anything to work and no one cares. My manager somtimes wears a shirt with a massive weird dragon on it.

 

[turbo]

I always over dress. they love it.
If you under dress you are disrespectful, so better be well prepared than not. When I was getting interviewed with IBM, everyone was dressed up, with a suit.

I thought working for IBM meant I had to always dress up, but I soon found out you can wear just about anything to work and no one cares. My manager somtimes wears a shirt with a massive weird dragon on it.

Not even close! IBM was a corporate dark-suit/white shirt environment many years after other employers had softened. And I don't mean pastel-shirt, but WHITE shirt. You have to gain comfortable entry.

 

[Cyrus]

I miss the days where people wore white shirts and blank pants to work. Service people wore proper uniforms, scientists wore white shirts with black neck chokers. People dressed up to go on first class on airplanes. People had more class overall. Its too bad.

When everyone at work always dresses sharp, it makes you say: Hey, these people mean business. This is a place I want to work at or do business with.

I love a photo of my mentor wearing a white shirt and black necktie while heating a large piece of metal and bending it into shape at work back in the 60's.

 

[Maxwell]

Not necessarily. You don't want to be significantly over-dressed with respect to the interviewer. When I interviewed for a job as a technical support consultant for the pulp and paper industry, I wore light silk sports-jacket with nice slacks and some brown dress shoes. The technical service manager was wearing a dark blue sports-coat and slacks and the sales manager (a BIG gun in the company) was wearing exactly the same jacket that I was. The TS manager commented on our jackets and I said "my wife picked it out for me" and the SM said "mine,too" - ice broken, and I didn't come off looking like a rube who over-dressed for an interview for a job in which I would be required to get "down and dirty" with paper machine production staffs.

If you have an austere suit that is appropriate for a funeral, and you're interviewing for a job where you'll have to interact with customers and keep them at ease, dress down a bit.

However, as others have mentioned, it's always better to be overdressed. You never know what the person interviewing you is going to be wearing, and frankly, he's allowed to be less dressed up than you - he works there already! It's your job to make an impression, regardless of what the person interviewing you is wearing.

Of course, this all applies to "white collar" jobs like accounting, engineering, etc. I suppose business casual dress works for other types of interviews.

 

[Evo]

I am interviewing someone tomorrow. I will be wearing my normal attire: dress slacks, shirt, and shoes; no tie. I expect to see a tie, minimum. I have yet to consider someone wearing a suit overdressed. I expect to see a well-dressed interviewee, even when the interview is on a Friday (jeans for us).

Yes, as I've said you can't overdress. Unless it's a blue collar occupational job, the interviewer will appreciate you dressing respectfully.

 

[Ki Man]

it depends on how attractive people find you

 

[mr_coffee]

Not even close! IBM was a corporate dark-suit/white shirt environment many years after other employers had softened. And I don't mean pastel-shirt, but WHITE shirt. You have to gain comfortable entry.

What are you talking about? I work for them now at Research Triangle Park and no one wears that.

You don't have to gain comfortable entry, even as a co-op. Our managers made it clear, we want everyone to be comfortable, that's why you'll see us (the manager's) rarely wear a suit to work.

I'm saying what they do NOW not what they use to do. Everyone, even the managers wear whatever they want. It doesn't even have to be a polo/khaki shirt. It can be shorts and a T-shirt, just as long as you don't wear muscle shirts your fine.

However, as others have mentioned, it's always better to be overdressed. You never know what the person interviewing you is going to be wearing, and frankly, he's allowed to be less dressed up than you - he works there already! It's your job to make an impression, regardless of what the person interviewing you is wearing.

Of course, this all applies to "white collar" jobs like accounting, engineering, etc. I suppose business casual dress works for other types of interviews.

Exactly. You'll be more likely to offend an interviewer by not dressing up, rather than over dressing.

 

[ENGRedcupcake]

*raises hand* I have a question. I should be starting to get ready for interviews in a few months. The only suit I have is a skirt suit... for funerals :(. Should I go ahead and buy a pants suit, just wear dress slacks and a nice shirt, or do you think the skirt suit would be okay? I've always wondered about that.

 

[mr_coffee]

I've seen skirt suit's at interviews and they look professional just as much as a pants suit.