Another $0.02: it’s been 5 years since I went to an interview, but I can’t imagine going to one without a suit, even if everyday office dress is business casual. I used to coach people for interviews at a former job, and I would have told any of them the same thing unless they were working in a super-relaxed creative environment. Maybe the suit, but with a somewhat funky blouse or scarf or jewelry?
I bet if you go to your local dry cleaner, explain the situation, and beg, they can tailor your jacket by Monday night. If you don’t have one you trust not to mess with you, I do – it’s in Andersonville. They are open until 7 pm during the week, and 5 pm on Saturdays, so they might even be able to squeeze you in tonight or early tomorrow and have your jacket back to you by Monday if you’re convincing enough. If you can spare the, what, $20 or so, I’d do it. (And I sympathize with your tailoring issues, as a fellow member of the Curvy Girls Club. When you have a bit more cash to spare, stretchy fabrics are your friend – 2 or 3% Lycra can make all the difference for something like a suit, in terms of fit and comfort.)
For some jobs, a suit in the interview is mandatory. For others, the suit can kill your chances of getting the job.
I went for an interview today for a bank card company. The dress code is 'business casual", which is more casual than business. I wore an ankle-length beige khaki skirt, a beige floral-print t-top type blouse, and beige heeled shoes. I wanted to wear a suit jacket, but my mother talked me out of it. In other words, “nice”, professional, but not overly dressed. I think I would say that I was dressed about the same level as the manager who interviewed me. At the end of the interview, she said she was going to give my paperwork to HR for the next step of the screening process (criminal background check), which I guess means I got the job. She told me that if I did, given the dress code, the person interviewing me would think “Who does she think she is?” She has failed to get jobs when she went to the interview in a suit, the whole heels and hose bit, because the dress code was casual, and the people interviewing her made comments to that effect, and she’s pretty sure it was because she was too “dressed”. Also, she took some computer courses last summer, and she showed up for class in a light dress, no hose, nice sandals, and the instructor pointed her out as an example of how to dress for a job interview.
Of course, this is Las Vegas, where Unprofessionalism reigns supreme…
But I would definitely go with the “one step above the dress code” rule.
Sorry for double posting, but I do think the red blouse might be a bit much. If you have maybe a tan or beige blouse, something that could pass for a matching/coordinated two-piece set with the skirt, I do think that would be a better option.
Not to beat you over the head with “wear the suit”, JARBABYJ, but here’s another reason that no one has yet mentioned:
Wear a suit to the second interview, because you wore a suit to the first interview. Obviously they didn’t read that as “uptight and won’t fit in;” they gave you a second interview (yay you!). BUT if you dress noticably down for the second interview, you run the risk of looking (a) over-confident or (b) disinterested. (“She’s dressed down from what she wore before. Does she think she’s already got the job? Or doesn’t she care enough about the job to dress up?”)
I think you should wear a suit because you’ve already demonstrated what you think is appropriate interview attire, and if you deviate from that now, they may wonder why. If OTOH you had worn “cute skirt and tailored blouse (no jacket)” to the first interview and gotten a second interview, I’d say – sure, obviously you were dressed appropriately, they asked you back. But I wouldn’t switch sartorial horses in mid-stream. So to speak. Good luck with the interview!!
Sometimes but rarely. When I was at a job fair in business school, occassionaly some dot-com consulting firms like Razorfish would see the suit and be like “um…we aren’t looking for strategy folks”. Of course, maybe they should have been.
Anyhow, it never hurts to err on the side of professionalism.
It might also be taken as if she had only one suit! (If anyone actually cared.)
In Silicon Valley, we interview by leaving work a few hours early. When I interviewed for this job, I did not wear a suit, as it would be a dead giveaway. No problems at all, but our CEO has been quoted as saying the only reason for wearing a tie is to keep soup off your buttons.
I don’t think the suit will hurt, but other, conservative, clothes won’t either - especially not for a second interview.
Dogzilla was the choice mostly due to dress, or to the lack of professionalism of the other two candidates? The state of the portfolios would seem like a good way of distinguishing them to me.
I’m of two minds on this one. Frankly, I would say go with your gut. I sort of lost track of this – would you be wearing the same suit, or a different suit to your second interview? If it’s a different suit, then fine. If it’s the same suit, then I would lean more toward the skirt and blouse.
Another suit trick is to come in wearing the suit (skirt? pants?) and a blouse, and carry the jacket. Hey, it’s June! It’s warm! You might be more comfortable without the jacket on, but it’s still sending the message that you are in fact responsible and professional enough to own a suit. The key of course is to find a blouse or other top that looks very coordinated with the (skirt? pants) of the suit, so that you are still wearing an outfit when you take off the jacket. I think your choice of blouse, and jewelry, can still establish the “energetic, cheerful, and creative” image you are going for.
It sounds like your alternative is appropriate considering the way you described the office.
A suit is not always neccesary. I disagrre with the idea that a person needs to wear a suit to an interview at McDonalds. Sometimes it’s overkill. Just a little bit more than would be required for an average day on the job is usually fine.
I am in the process of interviewing for a teaching position. My first interview was last Thursday … and I wore a suit. It shows the administration my professionalism. Might I add, the only one I own. Things went very well and I was invited, on the spot, to do a demonstration lesson for the following Tuesday. Even though a teacher typically does not wear suits to work on a daily basis, I am putting my best foot forward and so I wore a suit. I never ever wear a suit to teach. It is the most uncomfortable and restraining piece of clothing known to anyone who tries to write on a chalk board. Anyway, regardless, I now have a third interview. This time it is with the superintendent. (God, will this ever end?!) Unfortunately, I am afraid they are tired of my one-man-band-suit and so I think I will have to break down and buy a new one for the next interview (prolly Monday evening). The moral of my story? I would love to wear something else , but I do not know who I will meet in my interview and I want to impress them with my best business (read: professional) dress even if we only get to exchange “Hellos”. First impressions are what make or break you in a lot of cases.
Overall:
Even though this is your second interview, maybe they will want you to meet an important someone you have never met before. You may only get to say “Hello” and therefore his/her image is of you in the pencil skirt with red top. Not to say it is a bad thing, but that’s your ‘professional’ dress to them. Maybe their opinion is minimal, but maybe not. You never know who your direct audience is.
To make my long point less long, wear the suit ot something with a jacket (even if you carry it - good suggestion delphica)
There is nothing wrong with looking boxy, as long as you look professional and bright. If the suit is ill fitting though, it can really hurt. Other than not showing off your waist, how is the jacket a bad fit? Do the shoulders look right? Are the sleeves the correct length? Does it look funny when you sit down? Can it be worn unbuttoned? KellyM tells me that you have an hourglass figure; it can be really hard to even alter suits to look good on that type of figure unless to start with the right suit.
Second interviews do call for less conservative choices, but not necessarily less dressy. When I was job hunting in 1996, my first interview suits were grey, or beige and the second interview suit was red and black. I sent out 8 resumes, got 4 interviews, 2 second interviews, and 2 job offers. Those were the days!
i talked to my father, who is a headhunter (literally, it’s grisly…) no no…but anyway, he said definitely wear the suit, especially since I’m interviewing with the vice president of sales, where they’re trained to dress for success. I’m still wearing the red shirt, because there’s red in the skirt, and I’ll carry the jacket for good measure.
lee, I have to buy these jackets too big, so they fit my chest. So the sleeves come down to my finger tips and the collars look HUGE. It’s real goofy.
Not to be too much of a hijack here…but I also have an interview on Tuesday. Would a black suit jacket/black skirt with (also) a black shirt be appropriate (assuming all items are modest and conservative). With black flats. I’ve heard that black is considered a “power color” and shouldn’t be worn. I’ve also heard that conservative colors are best, and black is the only conservative color that doesn’t make my skin look wonky (grey makes me look green (unless it’s sweatshirt grey), and so does navy. Brown just makes me look…all brown and weird, and I don’t know that it counts as being conservative/suit-y anyway). So I’m kind of at a loss.
Also, I find it funny that I’m required to wear a suit to a job interview regardless of the fact that I wouldn’t take a job that required me to wear a suit every day. But that’s the game. . .
This is just my opinion, but it seems to me that “black is an intimidating power color” is more for men’s suits than women’s. It seems like most women’s suits are black, for one thing, while men have a lot more variety. I have two black ones and a navy suit I wouldn’t wear if you paid me. Also, women have a lot more options on what colors to wear under the suits - black and red might seem a little aggressive, but it also looks tailored. If you’re worried about it, wear some other color under the suit. I wouldn’t go all black, though, just because it’s a little funereal. But I certainly wouldn’t worry about wearing a black suit.
Actually, both. The choice was about the entire package in terms of how the candidates presented and sold themselves and their work. Because the quality of the work in each portfolio was comparable and all excellent. It was the way in which the work – and the person – was presented, that said “professionalism” to us.
How is everyone’s interview going? I go for the third interview tomorrow. My hopeful employers have checked all of my references as well as wanted an administration reference, so they are thorough in everything they do. I have heard from most of my current collegues that this will be the interview. This is where they offer me the job. If I didn’t wear a suit and they offered me the job, I would feel extremely unprofessional. I don’t know why - I never have to wear a suit again - but it’s the game as Angel of the Lord said.
I’m really nervous about this interview. I mean, I’ve been out of work for a year (longer actually) and I really like this position. it wouldn’t be me SETTLING for something, which is nice. I’m so ridiculously perfect for the job I just know I’m going to screw it up.
Even though they said they want someone friendly and funny and creative, my dad said ‘don’t BE funny in the interview, don’t try and be cute and casual’, so then I have no idea, in my ugly black suit, how to portray that I bring a lot of fun and energy to the offices I work in other than saying “Hello, I bring a lot of fun and energy to the offices I work in.”
**Jarbabyj ** - why not wear the suit, and wear a really cool blouse or top underneath it?
Once you get in and shake hands etc etc, you could take it off before the interview really starts, maybe make a funny comment about getting comfortable or something …?
Is that dumb?
I’ve had a lot of different jobs - mostly entry level, but in a variety of environments, and I’ve always worn a suit jacket in a pretty colour, a white shell underneath, and a black skirt, neutral hose, and black shoes.
It still looks professional but it also gives me a chance to show a bit of my personality.
I would wear the suit, if only because it’s better to overdress than underdress.
But I understand your predicament. I had an interview in April at the NJ DEP and showed up in a very nice dark navy blue suit. Everyone in the office was dressed in muddy sneakers/boots and raggedy t-shirts, which made me feel weird as I sat in the “waiting chair”. The interview lasted all of ten minutes. Still, I managed to convince the guy that I was an experienced field biologist and not some silly girly-girl.
Funniness comes out of me when I’m nervous…and it’s always self-deprecating. I showed up to an interview once ONE HOUR AND A HALF late, covered in sweat, with my hair all big and afroey due to the humidity. I showed up right when another candidate did…and guess who was on time? Embarrassed but sorta resigned, I jokingly told the interviewer I knew which one of us was going to get the job. And guess what? I was wrong.
Don’t try to hard. Just be yourself and the fun and creativity will shine through. I know it’s kinda late, but maybe you can find a cute broche to pin on your jacket. Like a lizard or a lady bug or something. (In an ideal world, the interviewer would compliment you on it). Don’t be inhibitive when it comes to laughter (especially if you have a nice laugh). Give yourself time to think about the questions the interviewer asks…it will make you seem less nervous and more “cool”. If you think of something to say that would provide easy levity, go for it. It will make you feel better when they laugh.
Good luck, jarbabyj. I hope how stressful it is looking for jobs because I’m going through it too!