# Job interview tomorrow, what to wear? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2012, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290 "2012-12-17T09:49:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oyster11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@oyster11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oyster11)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/1 "2012-12-17T09:49:38Z")
I got called by somone from a recruitment agency today, and they want to see me tomorrow. Later in the afternoon the guy sent me the email telling me the location. The job is a part-time technical postion in a 4-5 people team in a government department. I am intending to do it part time when I study in grab school next year. The email is as follow. > [@](#): > > Hi XXX, > I am looking forward to seeing you and learning more about your background and career objectives. The details for our meeting are as follows: > > Date & Time: XXX > Location: XXX > > If you have tertiary or professional qualifications, we will need to verify these prior to you accepting a position via XXX, so please bring these along to our meeting if possible, as well as photo identification. > > Please also bring proof of entitlement to work in this country, ie your passport or valid working visa. > > If you have any questions in the interim or need to reschedule please do not hesitate to contact me. > > Kind regards > > XXX Question is, what to wear? Would polo shirt and jeans be ok? Is suit necessary? Another question is, it is really a kinda formal “interview”, right? Even though they did not call it as such in the email and the phone? A stupid question I know but I have no experience. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/2 "2012-12-17T10:56:17Z")
Why would you not wear a suit? I doubt that wearing a suit would cause you to lose the job, under dressing may. ---
**Author:** ![gms453](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@gms453](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gms453)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/3 "2012-12-17T11:35:18Z")
Dress the way the interviewer will be dressed. If you don’t know, wear a suit. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/4 "2012-12-17T12:10:41Z")
> [@oyster11](#): > > Would polo shirt and jeans be ok? Unless you _absolutely know_ the organisation is very casual, then no. > [@oyster11](#): > > Is suit necessary? A suit is never a mistake for an office-based job. It’s shows you are serious about the role. Even if you end up wearing jeans once you get the job, they will never mark you down for wearing a suit at the interview. You should at least wear a jacket, trousers and pressed shirt even if you don’t go for the whole ‘suit and tie’ thing. For example, I work in design – a field of very casually dressed people. I have interviewed many people and never look down on someone wearing a suit, even though I know they will ditch it as soon as they start work. However, I don’t appreciate a designer turning up for an interview in jeans – an interview is like a client meeting, and I wouldn’t want my designers turning up to corporate client meetings in jeans and t-shirts. > [@oyster11](#): > > Another question is, it is really a kinda formal “interview”, right? Even though they did not call it as such in the email and the phone? A stupid question I know but I have no experience. :smack: Yes, it’s a formal interview. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/5 "2012-12-17T12:28:15Z")
A suit would be nice, but don’t dress for a funeral. A bright tie, but not one featuring any cartoon characters; those can wait until you have the job. At the very minimum, chinos, sport jacket, a pressed shirt and tie. You wil never have points taken off for dressing professionally for an office position. (If you were interviewing for a roustabout job with the local oil field, then you would dress appropriately for the conditions, but clean.) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/6 "2012-12-17T13:25:59Z")
The rule of thumb is to look at what people doing that job already wear, and then up it a notch. Even if you could wear “smart casual” to go to work - at least some of the time - that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for a job interview. Sounds to me like your job interview requires a suit. Tie optional depending on the type of suit - it would probably be a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/7 "2012-12-17T13:30:22Z")
Yes, this is a formal interview. Yes, you should wear a suit. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/8 "2012-12-17T15:04:05Z")
No question, wear a suit. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/9 "2012-12-17T15:26:55Z")
You do not wear jeans to an interview! If you have a suit, wear it. If not, you need to get one. Failing that, the least casual wear that you can put on for an interview and still look like you care is khaki pants, a white long sleeve shirt, tie and blazer. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/10 "2012-12-17T15:35:21Z")
> [@Hockey\_Monkey](#): > > You do not wear jeans to an interview! If you have a suit, wear it. If not, you need to get one. Failing that, the least casual wear that you can put on for an interview and still look like you care is khaki pants, a white long sleeve shirt, tie and blazer. You do if it’s an interview for bar staff. But maybe with a cleaner t-shirt or a shirt. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/11 "2012-12-17T15:36:26Z")
just out of curiosity–is this a job interview with the organization which will actually hire you? or is it just with a guy from a headhunter company who wants to know who you are so he can keep you on file, but has no real job leads? Because that email sounds so generic and impersonal-- they don’t even know if you have any degrees. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/12 "2012-12-17T16:25:18Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > just out of curiosity–is this a job interview with the organization which will actually hire you? > or is it just with a guy from a headhunter company who wants to know who you are so he can keep you on file, but has no real job leads? > > Because that email sounds so generic and impersonal-- they don’t even know if you have any degrees. It does sound like that doesn’t it? I had one of those on Friday. I wore a suit. If it’s a headhunter, you need to show him or her that you’re somebody that they can send out on an interview confident that you’ll at least look presentable. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-interview-tomorrow-what-to-wear/644290/13 "2012-12-17T16:26:02Z")
I’d say “bow tie.” What the hell, right?