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I know this topic has been discussed before but I just want to say it again....make sure you dress up for your job interviews!
I just landed a job with the state of Oregon. I went through two interviews to get the job and both times I wore a suit and tie. The job is in Portland and if you've never been to Portland it's not a suit and tie town. In fact, it's not even a tie town. I felt really, really, really conspicuous wearing my suit and tie. In fact, during one of the interviews, one of the people interviewing me was wearing jeans! And no, it wasn't on a Friday.
Anyway, my new manager happened to mention to me that she likes it when people dress up for interviews. She was surprised that some of the candidates didn't dress up. I'm not saying the suit is the reason I got the job...but I'm sure it helped.
Well, I lived in Portland for 10 years and I always dressed up for interviews. It is common sense. You can always bring out your cowboy boots the next day.
However, potential co-workers look suspicious if you are applying for a secretary position, wearing an expensive suit, Which I have done, but I buy them discounted. So, a nice dress or average suit and clean shoes and trim hairstyle will win the day, but definitely keep the jeans, flannels and cowboy boots away from the interview room.
I always wear a suit and tie unless told not to do so specifically. Surprisingly, some people actually request that you don't wear a suit and tie. Otherwise, it's a suit and tie for me.
You should always dress up for an interview. It shows you took the time to try and put on a good impression.
Of course, you do have exceptions. My husband got a call off the cuff for an interview one Sunday. The manager asked if he could come down now. My husband said I am not really dressed for an interview. The manager said, "Who cares, if you can come now I would appreciate it." He did and got the job.
You should always dress to impress when going for a interview. One thing I would add, is make sure you wear the suit/shirt/tie the way it is supposed to be worn. Iron the shirt before you wear it, make sure it's clean, learn to tie a tie (it takes 5 minutes to learn) right, wear shoes and not black sneakers or boots, and buy a suit that fits! I've interviewed a lot of people before, and yes I have seen every single one of these.
One thing I've told friends is that, I would rather be remembered as the guy who wore a suit and didn't need to, than the guy who didn't wear a suit when I was supposed to.
I can't remember the last time I wore a suit to an interview. But I almost always wear a tie.
I usually have a rule to go one step above their dress code. If they are business casual I will wear a nice shirt and tie. If they are in jeans I might skip the tie. But if I am in a dress shirt I will usually slap a tie on regardless.
I think alot depends on your career. I am not an executive, in sales, or management so I can get away with it. Most of the customers I deal with are business casual at most. And the engineers at the plants I work with wear jeans.
If the interviewer is wearing a suit it usually means the job is out of my league
But to be honest, as I get farther and farther up the chain, I will probably end up having to buy myself a suit.
It could also depend on the economy. It is like the housing market. It is either a buyer or seller market. In this case an employer or employee market. Doesn't always work to your advantage but I have seen some pretty rough looking interviewees get jobs.
If you want to be safe, wear a suit. But I like to live on the edge
Yes, do dress up. I have been on interview committees a few times and I'm astonished at how some people don't even TRY. You must dress up because OTHER people who are being interviewed for the same job are dressing up.
Unless you are interviewing for a fashion-plate sort of career (ie, anything in publishing, or something like that), don't worry about looking perfect: just look like you're making an effort. It says "I care about this interview and I want to make a good impression."
I think the same reasoning applies to beards for the guys, even the ubiquitous goatee. I like to wear a beard, but I have always shaved for job interviews.
My Dad put it well when I was young: "I've never heard of anyone not getting hired because they didn't have a beard."
Or a tie.
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