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NO. Go in the same way you dressed for the interview. Give it a few days to observe other employees dress.
+1
Scope out your direct manager(s) and team members, then make the call. Even so, I'd be hesitant to get super casual.
The saying "dress for the role you want" doesn't exist for no reason; there is definitely truth to it. If you're looking to move up into respectable positions, dress 10% better than you have to.
Then you must be either 16 years old or be a High School drop out. No criticism intended.
Believe me, in the professional world, you wouldn't even enter the elevator dressed in that crap.
It depends on the industry. In tech/IT/creative, it's really normal to dress very casually. I was told that the dress at my new job (very modern nonprofit) was business casual but people really wear jeans, shorts, t-shirts etc. these are very accomplished professionals with advanced degrees and whatnot. And I mean, I guess Google is staffed with teens and dropouts too? Your experience of the professional world is not all there is.
Better to show up too well dressed rather than not well enough. If shorts and flip flops are normal office attire around your place of work, you'll figure out when is a good time to let your dress code slide into whatever is the "norm" around your office.
I've seen a couple of other threads about dress code. While I understand that a lot of offices are still "business casual" or "business dress", some offices that would have been straight business dress 10 or 15 years ago, now are totally casual dress, and people seem to have a hard time grasping that the office can still function, without everyone being dressed like they're on the way to a funeral.
You can never really be overdressed and it is better than being underdressed. But I agree that the phone call would be a great idea. Good opportunity to tell them how you are looking forward to starting the job and , by the way, what should I wear ?
Don
I think a phone call is a bad idea, like you can't make decisions for yourself, and really it's not that big a deal. I agree with those that say dress business casual. No need to take a change of clothes, if it's not what others are wearing, just tone it down the next day.
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Which would you prefer?
a) Showing up overdressed, and being able to make alterations to look more casual (ie- taking off the tie, unbuttoning the top buttons, etc.). You may look stuck up the first couple of days, but you can recover by coming more casual on subsequent days.
b) Showing up under dressed, and having to live with it for the rest of the day. You only have one chance to make a first impression-- and coming underdressed can make you look like you're not taking your job seriously.
I mean, if it absolutely bothers you to come overdressed, why not pack a change of clothes?
Edited to add: Definitely call. Where I work, it's dress for the occasion. If it's a typical day, jeans and t-shirts are a go, but if we're dealing with higher ups and big wigs, we come dressed up. Suppose that day you came in was a fluke?
I think a phone call is a bad idea, like you can't make decisions for yourself, and really it's not that big a deal.
Totally disagree. It's a perfectly appropriate and legitimate question related to company policy and in no way depicts the person asking as being incapable of making decisions. If the call had been made already this thread wouldn't be dragging on and in fact would never have been created!
Yeah, asking is totally appropriate. Every employer has different standards for dress, and I would hope that they wouldn't expect you to magically know what theirs is.
Totally disagree. It's a perfectly appropriate and legitimate question related to company policy and in no way depicts the person asking as being incapable of making decisions. If the call had been made already this thread wouldn't be dragging on and in fact would never have been created!
And then you'll get told to dress however you want, then you dress in flip flops and shorts, and you make a bad impression. Asking makes you look like an idiot IMO. Like you're so lazy you're unwilling to even risk being slightly overdressed for one day.
I'm surprised there's any place where people go to work in flip flops. Just wear jeans and a polo shirt. That's considered "casual".
And then you'll get told to dress however you want, then you dress in flip flops and shorts, and you make a bad impression. Asking makes you look like an idiot IMO. Like you're so lazy you're unwilling to even risk being slightly overdressed for one day.
I'm surprised there's any place where people go to work in flip flops. Just wear jeans and a polo shirt. That's considered "casual".
You've obviously not been in the workforce very long or, if you have, in a very limited sphere.
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