Interview Outfit - Topic of the day 3/27/25
They say to dress for the job you want at an interview. And a lot of people hate interviews. So what kind of interviewer are you? What are you gonna wear to that amazing job opportunity interview?
66 Replies
I’m on the other side of the table at a lot of interviews. I could not give less of a shit about what they wear it’s all about what they know but I’m always gonna be fitted.
i overdress and am quickly humbled when my boss is wearing a t-shirt but that seems to work in my favor because i'm perceived to be professional lol
Haven't seen an interviewee in anything more formal than a polo shirt or a sweater in years
This is always going to depend heavily on the industry. In tech I almost feel like showing up to an interview even semi formal might act as a detriment if anything.
Suit would be like very weird if you're not a new grad and kinda endearing but stupid if you are a new grad
i used to interview people and during covid we relied on hireview where people would film themselves answering questions...the range of clothing choices was vast
to prevent accusations of bias i did have to watch the guy who filmed his interview in bed shirtless to completion
to completion you say
I showed up to an interview in a button down shirt and got called “fancy pants “
Another I walked in for an application and got interviewed in sweatpants.
especially on a zoom call. You're cooked if you don't have the hoodie+ballcap combo on
Outfits I‘ve worn to job interviews: I only didn’t get the job/internship when I wore the outfit with the red belt (though my outfit was definitely not the reason. I think:monkaS: )
I stay fitted in the Zoom room
I do not care if it is an interview, I do not care what side of the table I am on, you are there to listen and participate, and flexing is just a bonus
nice Focal
I would hire someone dropping a bricked fit in a heartbeat if they can do the job, and if I'm looking for a job I want the hiring authority to feel the same way
thanks I sold them to just use macbook pro speakers 🫡
It really depends on the job though. I’ve mostly had sales jobs and only hired salespeople when I’ve been in a hiring role. It’s not the only factor, but if you dress completely like shit, you probably can’t sell. There’s exceptions of course, but generally you can tell which sales people can sell and a part of that is often appearance
Yeah, I think its more important when you have a public facing role.
I'm in the creative field so I think vibes matter, FWIW. I've this M.M. Lafleur suit jacket gifted by a dear boss-lady friend when I was promoted a few years ago. It'll be good for creative director roles or meeting EU colleagues?
M.M.LaFleur
Jackets
At M.M., we are huge proponents of relying heavily on jackets and blazers. They’re the ultimate way to add structure, formality, cool factor, or sophistication to any outfit within a matter of mere seconds. Add edge with a vegan leather jacket or boyfriend blazer. Want something more lowkey? Go for a jean jacket, bomber jacket, or shacket (the...
When I am interviewed i usually wear a sport coat which makes me overdressed but not in a bad way. Usually thats well recieved. I mostly do it for myself though because it helps me feel good during the interview.
That matters!
It definitely depends on the vibe of the company I’m interviewing for, but I at least always wear a sport coat, sometimes a suit to an interview even if the dress code is casual
I’ve been on both sides of the table in a bunch of industries and my wife was a professional hiring manager before moving to operations. I’ll echo what’s already been said: it really doesn’t matter as long as you don’t look like either guy in the HR meme
I get that I'm lucky but I also have a public facing role, I do media interviews and while I get (light) shit for from my boss sometimes and smooth down the edges, they don't stop me from wearing rick on tv or video podcasts
I mean you just follow basic public decency, don't say shit about your outfit, talk about the topic and act like you belong ---> thus you do belong
PR certainly doesn't stop me
When im the interviewer for student assistant roles the only dress standard is "have you washed your hair/yourself/your clothes recently?" Which is a low bar but one some ppl manage to not pass.
yeah that sounds about right across the board :|
Yeah I think we’re lucky to live in an era where people in a professional setting are largely judged by social skills and knowledge and less by look
May be the only lucky thing about this era
:xd:
First time seeing this. Does your wife agree with this meme?
Hundred percent
Without speech bubble texts, it looks like the woman is reacting to that person's body shape.
Oh that is absolutely the intent of the meme, but not of what I’m saying
I’m just saying that the outfits specifically are a no go for a lot of hiring managers
I wore a jacket and tie to my service job interview lmfao
Feels really dumb in hindsight but I got the job so whatever
I don’t think it’s dumb
Just the outfits, not the conceit of the meme (which is if you’re stereotypically hot you won’t be perceived as a creep)
it really doesn’t matter as long as you don’t look like either guy in the HR memeIn that case, I would edit "look like" to "dress like"!
Im literally only using the outfits in the meme to say that both of those outfits are a red flag in interviews, completely separate from the meme
nah if I show up in makeup and dress even remotely like I usually do I get points docked for sure because if I spent brain power on dressing myself rather than on programming
thats why I only wear ill fitting unisex company t shirts and have my hair up for interviews
This would’ve been a better way of doing this on my part
and then they get hit with the cb fit on my first day
STEM fatale.
also even for service / sales jobs like
if you need to wear a certain thing in the interview to survive or you don't get through
it might be hell on the other end, like a worse hell
like I understand if that's a regardless too, but if you have the luxury of choice, I don't want to go to the place that's gonna police my fit
and if you don't have the luxury of choice then the theory decision is already made up for you
What gets me with that too is that hiring managers who believe this (me) have the power to literally change a work culture overnight
It’s easier if the culture is already in place
But even if it wasn’t, there’s nothing stopping me from hiring the dude who can sell like crazy and shows up in a tee shirt
In my experience though, that dude may sell like crazy in a tee shirt, but he probably has some expensive shoes. Even if they’re ugly as fuck, salespeople love shoes. And watches
That is so true LOL
Cars too haha
Walmart jeans and BRed J’s
Lmao
Like, it might be 29.99% interest because salespeople usually have the worst credit but they got a car
Walmart jeans, buck mason tee, Audi
:xd:
damn just tag me next time smh
If the interviewers think I'm not dressed up enough for the interview, it's probably not a job I want anyway.
last interview I went with dark wash jeans and a shirt under a sweater and got the job. stem job though
15 years ago, we always had to wear new grads "don't worry about dressing formal, just wear what's comfortable." Otherwise, they'd show up in a suit-and-tie and be very uncomfortable.
One day, a man shows up in a polor or something reasonable, says to the first interviewer that he hopes he's dressed alright. He gets reassured only to have the other 3 interviewers show up in suit-and-tie for some reason or another. Very awkward.
Had another man show up in a suit-and-tie on Halloween to have every interviewer in costume.
interviewing w/ the utopias lmao
i like the idea of interviewing with headphones that cost multiple times what a decent suit would
not that theres anything wrong with the interview fits
I think if I arrived at a job interview and the interviewers were wearing halloween costumes I would prolly turn on my heel and leave.
honestly that's based I wouldn't leave
I am not explaining Dracula where I see myself in five years.
I just don't think its fair towards the job applicant. Plenty of people are super nervous and the situation is awkward enough as it is.
setting the expectation (both for interview attire and day to day) beforehand would go a long way but i'm just being foolish at this rate
I've worn a suit to every interview I've ever done, but I'm old now :yeshoney:
I sit on the other side of the table now and I'm suited up every time - usually the only one. Unfortunately for the applicant, they are but a poor unwitting soul destined for collateral damage in my quest to establish sartorial dominance over my fellow middle aged male coworkers.
Judging applicants for being "overdressed" is as equally as dumb as judging one for being "underdressed".
That is all carry on.
Varies so much by field. I'm old and it was ages ago but during my brief stint as an accounting major it was made very clear to us at big firms, a suit that was anything besides navy or dark grey/charcoal was "rebellious" and heaven forbid it have pinstripes.
Now in academia it's vastly more chill. A jacket is still an expectation on main interview day (when you typically give a presentation), but that's about it. If someone wears something unusual we might wonder wtf they are doing, but most often it's not going to preclude an offer.
That said, I've literally never had someone dressed inappropriately for an interview (absent those with valid excuses like lost luggage) who wasn't also genuinely unpleasant/unqualified for many reasons. It's actually a remarkably good litmus test.
I agree it's a good indication of how they want to perceive themselves.
Good fucking riddance these ideas.
Makes me wonder, is wearing a suit now the indicator for rebellion?
Depends on the suit, if it's just some ill fitting one then they're just clueless, if they're dressed like zeo then it's drip
i mean...kinda?
it's still largely occassion and industry dependent but covid, remote work and the blurring of formality means you can get away with a lot
while it means you can wear jeans to a lot it also means you can wear suiting a lot; it depends on your willingness to put up with people's shit in response
I don't want to say it was the main or even really a relevant factor in me pivoting away from accounting, but it was definitely on my mind as an added perk when doing so.
I think also the design of the suit matters a lot. I was thinking just a standard navy/gray/whatever suit but if it's like tweed or corduroy or something then you could get away with it for my job I guess although tie would be still out of place
Yeah sorry, didn't mean to imply that!
No apology needed - I didn't take it that way, was just continuing the conversation.