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All you mentions that there are many high paying companies who would look at you like you were crazy if you wore a suit to an interview. I am really curious what companies this would be?
Speaking for myself, I only said there are numerous exceptions to the suit only rule - and that some of those exceptions include high paying jobs. I never commented about how anyone might be judged based on wearing a suit or not. In any case, examples of high paying employment that doesn't require wearing a suit for the interview include multiple roles in the following sectors: arts (fine, music, etc), entertainment, fashion, science, engineering, medicine, education, consulting. Are there jobs in those sectors that would require wearing a suit for the interview? Absolutely. But there are also jobs in those sectors where wearing a standard Brooks Brothers suit to the interview would be out of place. As I alluded to before - people tend to think of basic jobs like retail, service, finance and corporate business jobs - but there are a lot of alternative kinds of employment and even the standard workplace model is changing.
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Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot
well,ok so a nice pair of slacks and a nice jacket is alittle different than a pair of old jeans and t shirt. Don't you think?
Yes but the premise of the OP is that it's absurd not to wear a suit to an interview - not that it's absurd to wear jeans to an interview but that there's a range of other acceptable garb. That would make wearing anything other than a suit to an interview inappropriate - jeans or nice slacks - neither are a suit.
Again, though, from the little we can glean from the OP - that does sound like an interview that required a suit - and that jeans were highly inappropriate. But the OP asked how do you not wear a suit to an interview - and now there are several examples of how provided throughout the thread.
Actually, those of us who interviewed him thought it odd since he came from the same type of industry where business casual is the norm. I also interviewed a guy once for a position that didn't warrant a suit and he wore one. To me, he was trying too hard. I guess I'm just trying to say that you can't make generalizations about wearing or not wearing a suit - all depends on the situation.
You dress casual(if that is the norm) AFTER you get the job. When you interview, you wear the suit unless otherwise instructed.
All you mentions that there are many high paying companies who would look at you like you were crazy if you wore a suit to an interview. I am really curious what companies this would be?
Google and Apple (Corporate, not Retail) are the two big examples I know of; they'll tell you explicitly not to wear one for engineering interviews. As well as "business casual", interviewees come in in T-shirts, jeans, flip-flops, what have you. (but don't show up in a competitor's T-shirt, at least if that's not where you're coming from). Many other tech companies are likely the same. Even Microsoft doesn't demand one, though you can't go wrong with one there. (I'd wear a suit to Oracle, but I'd never interview with Oracle anyway).
All you mentions that there are many high paying companies who would look at you like you were crazy if you wore a suit to an interview. I am really curious what companies this would be?
Pretty much everywhere my husband has worked in IT. Nobody wears suits to interview. His last interview he wore a long sleeve shirt, slacks and a tie. That was about as dressy as it gets. I don't want to name companies but they include an international oil company and a telecommunications company that just took over another one.
Pretty much everywhere my husband has worked in IT. Nobody wears suits to interview. His last interview he wore a long sleeve shirt, slacks and a tie. That was about as dressy as it gets. I don't want to name companies but they include an international oil company and a telecommunications company that just took over another one.
We live in different times now and the social standards have declined quite a bit.
No one cares if you dress in a fancy suit. Heck, if you come in with flip flips and tattered jeans, they'll still hire you if you're qualified for the job.
I work for a defense firm here in the Valley and I expect applicants to show up in a suit and tie. We hire engineers and other personnel in two phases- the initial interview with HR and then a subsequent interview with the project manager for the type of engineering you specialize in. When I was the project manager for three years, I EXPECTED each applicant to wear a suit and tie to an interview. When you're applying for a $65K-$75K/ year position, I expect applicants to take the interview as seriously as I did. If you didn't wear a suit and tie, I didn't even consider you. Some project managers have similar points of view, others were more lenient.
I'm a hard-ass for LOOKING professional when applying for a professional job. You could be the most qualified person in the world but if you didn't appear like you were taking the interview seriously and showed up in Dockers and a polo, I pretty much threw the application out after you left. Now when you work for the company, it's a more casual environment but during the interview phase, I expected more formal attire.
Can you elaborate more on the type of job this is? I think there are a few select jobs where dressing nicely in jeans and a button up is acceptable, (can't ever really see a t-shirt). THere are cheap looking jeans, and then there are ones that are $250+.
I think sometimes people also do things like this for shock value and to be remembered (see, it clearly worked, although not in a favorable way for you). Others, maybe they are cocky and feel like their qualifications are good enough they don't need a suit, and I don't think this is a good idea it.
I wore a suit to an 7 dollars an hour retail job a long time ago. I thought that was appropriate.
I didn't wear a suit to any of my retail job interviews. Just a shirt, tie, slacks and one time, a cardigan. I think that's overdressing, unless it was a place like Jos. A Bank or Men's Warehouse. I think the store would rather interviewees dress professionally wearing their product than in a suit.
I didn't wear a suit to any of my retail job interviews. Just a shirt, tie, slacks and one time, a cardigan. I think that's overdressing, unless it was a place like Jos. A Bank or Men's Warehouse. I think the store would rather interviewees dress professionally wearing their product than in a suit.
I got a job offer from all 3.
I guess I was raised differently. I am not saying this to be rude but I think that pretty much sums it up. I was always told that when you interview for a job you should always look your very best and not assume that the job you are interviewing for don't care. I have honestly never heard of such thing. You learn something new everyday.
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