Interview Attire

A few months ago, a candidate asked me three times (in the same call) what he should wear to his interview. I explained that I knew the client and the culture very well. I told him they’re a small technology company where everyone and I mean everyone works in casual clothes. No one wears a suit & tie; not even the tight-laced finance folks! The VP of Finance, more times than none, sports his LA Dodgers cap … backwards! I understand why he needed the reassurance. He had an interview a few months prior (with another company) and misinterpreted “business casual.” Wanting to make a good impression, he showed up in a 3-piece suit while the interviewer was wearing chinos & hiking boots. The candidate read on Glassdoor that my client’s environment was super casual. Not wanting to make the same mistake, he wanted to double … triple check. I plainly said that if he showed up to the interview in a 3-piece suit, he’d immediately signal to the team that he’s not a fit. Why? Because that’s not the culture. In the end, he took my advice. Apparently he wore dark jeans and a polo shirt. It was perfect. And, after three rounds of interviews, he landed the job.

Interview attire used to be a more straight forward topic. If you were interviewing for a role (any role), you wore a suit & tie. However, the rules are more relaxed these days. More and more businesses are leaning into casual environments to make their workers happy & comfortable as folks are putting in 10 to 12 hour days.

But don’t take my word for it. If you’re headed for an in-person interview and you’re nervous about what to wear, ask the recruiter about the dress code. If you get a half-ass answer, ask again. In fact, keep asking until your mind is at ease. If you’re interviewing at a large insurance firm and the recruiter says business casual, use your best judgement. Perhaps don’t wear a mini-skirt & halter top.

Happy job hunting!