This happened all the time when I worked in the government. People normally dress business-casual (which as I understand it, is WAY more casual than it is in the private sector) but they dress up (suit and tie, heels and hose, etc) for interviews, internal or external.
And there were constantly internal interviews. If your job goes from contract to permanent you have to apply again. People are always moving from one section to another. All of these required interviews, and all resulted in the interviewee quite obviously branding themselves as such.
I found it all a bit bizarre. It was literally at the point that wearing a suit was a reliable and incontrovertible signal that you have an interview. This leads to inevitable gossip (“you’re leaving the branch? Why, is it because you don’t like us?” “Did you get a better offer? Why didn’t I get that offer?” “OMG if you’re interviewing for THAT job it means Lisa who’s currently in that position is leaving! where’s she going?” “If you’re leaving I wonder who’s going to get your position?” “Hey, your contract position is going permanent? I wonder why MY contract position isn’t going permanent …” “Ooh, how much more money will you be making?” And so on, ad nauseum.)
Wardrobe-based gossip. I hate it. I always changed into my suit in the washroom on another floor.
Seconded. I had to go for an interview straight from my other job, which was very casual indeed. I called the new HR dept. and explained the situation, and they primed the manager - I got the job. Other times (when leaving my most recent job) I went to the interview in a suit, then changed back into my sloppy clothes in a gas station toilet. Gross.
Actually my current boss chimed in with the recommendation that I dress up a bit, so I’ll go along with that. Just gabardine slacks and a dress shirt, no tie. I can always say I have to go to a dinner and speech from my wife’s business association.
I’ve always understood the general rule to be dressing up 1 level above what your daily wardrobe would be (casual > business casual> shirt and tie> jacket and tie> suit). And when in doubt, suit and tie, or the closest you’ve got.
I’m reminded of one time I interviewed for a software company, and I had no idea what the dress code might be. I wore a tie to the interview on a friday, and noticed everyone around me in shorts, sandals, and t-shirts, but I just figured it was casual day, and they were dressing down. I got the job and started on a monday, and wore business casual (I figured I could lose the tie) aaaannnnddd…everyone was still wearing shorts and t-shirts.
Sometimes the boss dresses for an interview too. I interviewed for a programming job at a company that was semi business-casual during the week then fully casual on Fridays, and my future manager mentioned it was casual Friday but he wore a tie because he had an interview. It actually took a few minutes for it to register that he meant the interview with me; it didn’t occur to me that the employer would try to dress up for the sake of the candidate.
I’ll second that. We’re interviewing outside the company right now for a job in my department. Not only has every single candidate come in wearing business attire, but every time my boss has an interview scheduled she comes in dressed up.
I think she expects the candidates to dress up (we’re a buisiness casual environment) and she wants to make sure they don’t feel they overdressed.
Huh. I haven’t worn a suit to an interview in years and I’ve been offered…(thinks, counts)…six of the last seven positions I’ve interviewed for, so it can’t be too much of a turn-off.
My rule of thumb is to dress one “level” nicer than the everyday attire for that job. For example, if it’s a jeans-and-polo shirt job, I throw on some khakis and a button-up shirt (no tie).
Nope. It depends on the company. We do business casual (dockers and polo shirts for the guys), and people still dress up for internal interviews, just not to the extent of a suit, usually. Nicer slacks and a dress shirt at the least.
I dress every day in khakis and collared shirts, no tie, and when I interviewed externally in Silicon Valley, that is exactly what I wore. Ditto for interviewing internally. I do agree that if your normal dress is shorts and a T-shirt you should upgrade. I’ve brought lots of people in, and none of them dressed up, and we had mass internal interviews, and none of them dressed up. Someone coming from college and dressing up we understand, but if you’ve been in the Valley any length of time and interview for a technical job in a suit, you’d be considered a bit odd. I think ability would still win out over being over-dressed, though.
Anyone moving internally should be assumed to know the culture already. Bankers and lawyers no doubt need suits or jackets. IT people? Not hardly.
It’s all about the first impression…are you going to take the care to dress nicely for the occasion? My son wore a suit to an interview at Steak 'n Shake, and the manager called us later to tell us how impressed she was that he would take the effort to dress for what was basically a diner position, and that she regretted that since he was leaving for college in three months, she would be unable to hire him. She said many applicants came in wearing jeans and flip flops.
Just a quick note on dressing up surreptitiously: don’t be sneaky. Wear the suit or sport coat proudly to work with no apologies. Explain that you forgot to wash clothes and this is all you have clean. I worked with a programmer, who, about every 3 weeks, would come to work in a suit and tie instead of the usual jeans and T-shirt. He used that excuse. In his case, there was no doubt. He, along with the rest of us, was working 80+ hour weeks. As long as you don’t have a nose like Pinocchio, you shouldn’t have any problems.
I guess it depends on your industry. However, in Asia, people dress a lot more formally than in the US. In the hotter parts of Asia, standard business wear is suit pants and button down short sleeve shirt with a tie. That said, all the formal meetings and interviews I’ve ever attended in Asia was suit driven. I would never dream of wearing anything but a suit to the first formal business meeting, and it goes without saying to a job interview.
For internal, ask HR, your boss or even better one of the interviewers.
