Job interview dress code (beach, engineers, place)

[hoffdano]

I'll weigh in here. I have been working in "IT" since 1981. I started in Houston working for an oil company where IT dressed casual (jeans) every day, though management wore ties, and the highest levels wore suits. Interviewees wore suits.

I have worked for software vendors since 1984 (moved to Austin). Daily dress has always been casual, ranging from shorts and sandals in summer to business casual. I think it makes sense to interview in clothing better than what the daily is, but it is not an advantage in most software or computer environments to wear a suit. It isn't a disadvantage to wear a suit, but nerds will care far more about technical skill and team compatibility than anything else.

Keep in mind that working in IT for a law firm is probably way different than working in IT at UT. I distinguish between IT (service to the rest of the company) and software development. If you are a programmer, your attire is probably very casual in most companies.

I recommend you dress one or two steps better than the people you are likely to work with. If their normal wear is jeans, then wear business casual. If they are normally business casual, wear a sport coat or tie or a suit.

I have visited and worked with Microsoft and Oracle many times. I do not believe they would ever not hire you because you looked good. They won't hire you if your technical skills suck or you are an a**hole.

Be on time.
Never look sloppy.
Wear clothes that fit and don't look like you borrowed it (even if you did).

[Jennibc]

When my husband, an embedded software engineer, was interviewing down here three and half years ago, he chose to wear a sports coat and tie. He had an interview with NI and the HR person over the phone told him to "please wear a tie" Of course, none of the programmers interviewing him were dressed up, but they expected their applicants to do so. I'm guessing they told him because he was coming from Seattle and there the software industry is VERY casual. When he interviewed up there, his contact in the company told him "Don't wear a tie" So every company is going to be different. I think if you have an HR contact, it's fair to ask what the expected interview attire is.

The company he works for (not NI) has a dress code because clients attend a training center on the first floor. They can only wear jeans on Fridays otherwise it's very much a dockers and collared shirt kind of a place.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Topaz

Some of this advice is really poor. What is so controversial about the idea that there are different company cultures and just because you know reality about ONE company, you don't know the best thing to do for EVERY company? I'm telling you that the best strategy is to do research about the company where you want to work.

If you want to ignore that advice and listen to someone telling you they know universal truth, go ahead, but I promise you the "one size fits all" solution is not the best one when it comes to ideal attire for a job interview. In this economy, job interviews are like gold. Instead of choosing the easy way, take the time to prepare and maximize the opportunity.

OP: Read this: Do you dress formally or casually for a programming interview? - Programmers - Stack Exchange

I agree with the advice to do the research in stealth mode. Don't ask the hiring manager what to wear, but you can certainly find out via colleagues or even by Googling. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are the companies most likely to have hiring teams who exhibit disdain toward software developers in suits.

Companies used my services to hire people for them. So I know "reality" about a lot more than ONE company. But thanks for making that presumption. I have done hiring for over 150 companies. NONE of them NOT ONE would ever not hire someone because they wore a suit to an interview. And that includes the companies that had very lax or non-existent dress codes and very large companies - including one you actually mentioned and one very large, well-known advertising agency near Whole Foods. You can do your research 'til the cows come home, but how employees dress there has absolutely nothing to do with how you should dress for an interview or are expected to dress for an interview. Could you get away without wearing a suit? Many times, yes. But many times, no. Why would you take that chance? Just because the company has a relaxed environment, doesn't mean EVERYONE there dresses like that. You have no way of knowing how "old school" the person actually interviewing you is.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

When my husband, an embedded software engineer, was interviewing down here three and half years ago, he chose to wear a sports coat and tie. He had an interview with NI and the HR person over the phone told him to "please wear a tie" Of course, none of the programmers interviewing him were dressed up, but they expected their applicants to do so. I'm guessing they told him because he was coming from Seattle and there the software industry is VERY casual. When he interviewed up there, his contact in the company told him "Don't wear a tie" So every company is going to be different. I think if you have an HR contact, it's fair to ask what the expected interview attire is.

The company he works for (not NI) has a dress code because clients attend a training center on the first floor. They can only wear jeans on Fridays otherwise it's very much a dockers and collared shirt kind of a place.

Anytime a candidate gets are recommendation for attire from a reputable source (like HR) I strongly recommend taking the advice.

[whiterabbit2]

Thanks very much for everybody. I understood that since not EVERYBODY wears a suit for an interview, it's not a custom and nobody would freak out if I don't wear one. I don't have a suit anymore, I gave it away to Salvation Army, and don't want to do some useless shopping. I can combine together something that looks nicer, for the rest go usual. After all, female business attire is outrageous, hard to lift arms (try to write on a white board, your shirt bundles up and stays there) and I find showing the cleavage to a team of guys kind of inappropriate (had to borrow a male shirt with a tie when I had the suit).

I do think (as somebody potentially hiring too) that it doesn't matter what developers wear, as long as their skills are strong, not just cookie cutters, with whom it doesn't matter which one to hire. However, if somebody is too manicured, it makes me wonder if it's just insecurity, or they manicured their resume as well. Like a salesperson. But if they have strong developer skills, in the end it doesn't matter.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by whiterabbit2

Thanks very much for everybody. I understood that since not EVERYBODY wears a suit for an interview, it's not a custom and nobody would freak out if I don't wear one. I don't have a suit anymore, I gave it away to Salvation Army, and don't want to do some useless shopping. I can combine together something that looks nicer, for the rest go usual. After all, female business attire is outrageous, hard to lift arms (try to write on a white board, your shirt bundles up and stays there) and I find showing the cleavage to a team of guys kind of inappropriate (had to borrow a male shirt with a tie when I had the suit).

I do think (as somebody potentially hiring too) that it doesn't matter what developers wear, as long as their skills are strong, not just cookie cutters, with whom it doesn't matter which one to hire. However, if somebody is too manicured, it makes me wonder if it's just insecurity, or they manicured their resume as well. Like a salesperson. But if they have strong developer skills, in the end it doesn't matter.

I question doubting someone because they are too manicured (whatever that is). I admit I do not like a "fussy" look, either for men or women. That seems highly unlikely for a software developer. No one's clothing should be a distraction during an interview.

But the interview has a distinct purpose - find out whether the candidate can do the job. The way to do that is very straightforward - make the candidate talk about their actual work. I have noticed though over 20+ years that many people are just awful interviewing job candidates. Techies seem especially bad. They chat with the candidate, but because the techie's own communication skills are weak - they don't actually learn anything meaningful about the candidate.

[FueledByBlueBell]

¨Let me assure you that slacks or dark jeans and a button down are fine. Please see The Rise of Power Jeans - WSJ.com and Wall Street Journal Article Claims Jeans Are Appropriate Interview Attire

Oh, and I am HR for a very large technology company.

[angel366]

wear a suit. if you are questioning this so much..just be safe and wear a suit. i work for dell and my recruiter even told me i didn't have to wear a suit...i did..and so did my interviewer. how stupid would i have looked dressed more casual them the person interviewing me?

[Pulzar]

I wonder how many people offering advice here have actually made hiring decisions themselves... To turn down an otherwise perfect applicant for a tech position because he is not wearing a suit is insanity.

The most important thing is to be comfortable during the interview, so you can show yourself off in the right light. It's also very important to not make the interviewers uncomfortable, so avoid beach attire . If a suit makes you feel good, wear it. If nice jeans do, that's fine, too.

[XLadylawX]

I don't know the specific answer to this question but wearing slacks, a button down shirt, and a tie with no jacket in sight is never, never, never acceptable.