Proper attire for an interview 5

[ttuterry]

I am interviewing with a small engineering firm soon. I was wondering what people normally wear to a first interview. Should you always wear a suit and tie? Or is it ok to wear a nice pair of slacks and long-sleeved dress shirt? What about a short-sleeved dress up shirt? And how about for the 2nd interview? I already know what I'm wearing, I just thought this could be an interesting topic and something new for the forum as I have not seen any posts about this before.

 

[itdepends]

For me it depends on the location of the interview- particularly if plant tours are a possibility. In a head/city office I'll wear tie, long sleeved shirt and plants. If the interview is on an operating site then I'll ask what PPE (personal protective equipment) I need as it may be more appropriate to wear "working" clothes (for me currently long sleeved shirts and pants made out of cotton plus steel cap boots).

 

[jmw]

Whenever I attend an interview via an agency, they are always particular to stress what to wear, how to present and how to prepare.
One addition: never wear any aftershave/perfume as this, apparently, may cause offence.

Sod's law says that the one time any of this will actually be significant is the one time the job is the one you'd want and they'd offer.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[SomptingGuy]

In a head/city office I'll wear tie, long sleeved shirt and plants.

Any particular kind of plants?

 

[ttuterry]

This thread is getting a lot of responses! Well I had my interview and it went well. I did not wear a suit. I actually didn't even wear a tie although I had planned to. I wore a nice dress shirt and nice pants and shined shoes. I am having a second interview with the company soon. I am planning on dressing the same for the second interview, maybe a different colored shirt though. My original post asked about the second interview, however nobody mentioned how they dress for a 2nd interview. Anybody have thoughts on the second interview?

 

[kchayfie]

Depends on the format of the second interview. If they mentioned a site visit or something then whatever seems appropriate for that situation. If its more of the same but with different people, I'd go with same dress code, different shirt (and different tie if appropriate). Same suit/pants is unlikely to be a big risk though.

 

[cksh]

I usually wear a long sleeve shirt and tie but never a jacket as I like to look slightly presentable and I have never had trouble getting a job. But I am Automotive and they are mostly business casual anyways.

But I guess I have an attitude about it too. If an employer will not hire me because I do not have a jacket on is that really an employer I want to work for anyways? Not me! I like a laid back atmosphere when it comes to a company. I believe that I am interviewing them as much as they are interviewing me.

I have been on interviews where the interviewers are in suits and I am not. It doesn't impress me. Usually when I see a suit it screams sales or marketing. And it bothers me that I probably wasted my time because I know that they are not representative of the people I would be working with.

Sorry for the rant. I am having a bad day!

Being a hands on mechanical engineer who likes to get his hands dirty I think it best to look a little rough around the edges.

Nowadays I have noticed that employers are looking more into personality than before. They seem to care less about my skills and abilities then how I will get along with everyone. They ask me about home life and hobbies. I try to brush them off but it is getting more difficult.

 

[epoisses]

Well... your personality is reflected by many things, for example your clothes. If you refuse to overdress for an interview, it shows that you either unconsciously or deliberately ignore the unwritten rule. If unconsciously, that would definitely be a big minus, if deliberately, what other unwritten or written rules will you ignore in your job and why??

 

[Ashereng]

I'd wear the same type of clothes that I had worn to the first interview.

If it worked the first time, why not the second?

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[KENAT]

As others, unless something came up to make me think differently I'd wear the same for the second as the first.

For instance if you seemed overdressed the first time in a suit I might lose the jacket but I'd be tempted to keep the tie, unless they were in shorts and thongs.

If I was underdressed first time I'd be tempted to dig my suit out.

 

[casseopeia]

Since my job requires court testimony, my interview attire was pretty easy. Conservative suit, long-sleeved shirt or blouse with a fairly high neckline and low-heeled, closed-toe shoes. Hair up, easy on the makeup and no fragrance. I’ve only worn this get-up about 3 times in the last 4 years since most cases never get past depositions.

What often gets overlooked is SOOOOOO important. You, and everything you wear must be clean and spotless; clean underwear and socks, freshly laundered, pressed shirt, dry-cleaned suit, a tie without food stains, polished shoes, clean-shaven or impeccably trimmed facial hair. NO neck hair and no crud under the fingernails. And get your hair dresser or barber to take care of stray hairs in eyebrows, ears and nose. Keep jewelry to a minimum. Take out any facial or tongue piercings. The holes will not grow closed during your interview. Small earrings on women are OK. On men, it is acceptable here in the Bay area, but probably not most other places.

If your interview is after lunch, don’t eat garlic, onions, peppers, sausage or anything that will give you gas or bad breath. Do not drink alcohol with lunch.

I know much of this sounds obvious, but as a former employer, I have seen people show up for an interview in all manner of dress. I always gave an evaluation of the person’s attire and general presentation, in addition to their skill level. If an interviewee did not have the sense to dress for the occasion and insisted on ‘expressing their individuality’, then I took it as a sign of immaturity. Interview attire is a costume.

BTW, short sleeved shirts are OK only if you never take the jacket off. If it is very hot where you are, go get yourself a white linen shirt with long sleeves. You may find that you are actually cooler with the sun off of your skin.

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[TheTick]

I've said it before (thread731-110284):

I've never seen a woman show up to an interview underdressed.

Sometimes, a little dirt under the nails can be a plus.

 

[floattuber]

epoisses, I believe the unwritten rules are changing. While I doubt we'll eventually be interviewing in shorts and a T-shirt, I think there will come a day when nice slacks and a short sleeve button down shirt will become the norm.

It wasn't too long ago that wearing a tie everyday to work was normal. Now-a-days, the only people I see wearing a tie are in sales and marketing.

 

[kontiki99]

In an interview, I usually try to dress in a manner that demonstrates my ability to represent the company in meetings with vendors and marketing types for contract discussions.

That's usually how their going to use me in the dressed up mode.

 

[itdepends]

"Quote:
In a head/city office I'll wear tie, long sleeved shirt and plants.

Any particular kind of plants?"

Metallurgical plants mainly- nickel/alumina refineries, concentrator plants- that sort of thing. Places where the mud can (and often does) fly.

Cheers.

 

[SandCounter]

I wore a suit and tie to every interview that I went to right out of school. Finally, while lining up an interview, I just asked what the standard dress was at that office and dressed according to that. That was the job I finally got.

In talking to other engineers who are involved in the selection process at larger companies, they have generally said to dress in something that you can feel comfortable interviewing in.