From the Mailbag: Got a job interview at a t-shirt and jeans place
I’ve got an interview with an online startup company next week. The recruiter said to wear “whatever you’d be comfortable in” and the dress code at their office is usually jeans and a t-shirt (I know, who’d have thought young Internet startups would have such relaxed culture, right?)
My casual wardrobe is a good bit better than the aforementioned combination, but should I suit up anyways? Suit up, but with more individualistic flair (knit tie, wingtips)? Risk it and dress down to try and blend in?
– Chris
.
The case FOR wearing a suit to this job interview: No one ever botched a job interview because they showed up in a suit. And if that really is a make or break case at this place, do you really want to work for someone who considers dressing professionally a mortal sin against a job candidate? If it comes down to that, instead of your experience, potential, and passion for what you’d be doing, then it’s not a good place to be. The recruiter already said where whatever you’d be comfortable in. If you’re comfortable in a suit (which is the goal, right?) then why not?
The case AGAINST wearing a suit to this job interview: This is tough. They say “dress for the job you want” but if you show up in a suit for an interview at a jeans and tee workplace, you run the risk of looking like you don’t want that gig, but something else. You’ll also look like you didn’t do your research. Good job candidates know as much as possible about the place they’re applying to. It shows smarts and respect. And speaking of respect, would you show up as a guest to a casual wedding in a tux? It’s disrespectful to the host. There’s a middle ground here for sure. If it’s a t-shirt and jeans place, even for the managers, show up in your wingtips, knit tie, well fitting shirt and… a cotton sport coat and dark denim that’s free of distressing or whiskering. You’re tipping your hat to the fact that you’re there to impress them, while also acknowledging the work environment they’ve cultivated and created. If that still seems like too much of a risk, upgrade to clean 5-pocket style chinos or even clean grey jeans and go with a shirt that’s got some pattern to it for character. But skip the suit.
Your turn guys. What should Chris do? Leave your take in the comments. Top Photo Credit: Fernando Mafra
As someone who has hired at and worked for many California startups…
I’d be impressed with a well-fitting suit, but I’m a menswear enthusiast. Your prospective employer at this startup probably is not.
Your best bet here is exactly Joe’s second recommendation. I might even advise you to drop the tie unless you’ve got a nice casual knit one. Like it or not, startup culture has a healthy dose of “damn the man” running through it – this is one situation where you probably won’t earn any points for being dressed to the nines.
I know when Amazon would come on campus their interviewers would clearly state to wear jeans and a sweatshirt.
I work in a jeans and T office and had the same dillema for my interview. I opted not to wear a suit and went for a pair of super dark 501s, a blue Oxford, and a charcoal blazer, with some dark brown venetians. It was semi casual, neat, but looked like I cared. I didn’t get weird looks and ended up wearing an almost identical outfit as the CEO. I got the job. Though, you should wear whatever you feel comfortable and confident in. If you wear a suits and are going to be so preoccupied with your suit that you wont be able to concentrate on the interview, then don’t wear it.
Some of it might depend on what job you’re applying for within the company as well. If you’re applying for a accounting position or client-facing role like account executive, I’d say wear the suit without question.
My previous job was as a graphic designer at a medium-sized ad agency (150 employees). I wore a suit & tie to the interviews. It’s not finance or client-facing, but I still wanted to show that this job interview was important to me. Everyone who interviewed me complemented me on it, and then immediately said “you can take off your jacket if you’d like!” I think it’s because they interpreted my being nervous as being uncomfortable, but I kept the jacket on.
A few years later some of us were talking to one of the owners and his general thoughts were as follows: Wear the suit. Yes, it seems like baloney. But it shows you care and lets the interviewer check it off on their little criteria list that this candidate actually cares and is capable of dressing like an adult.
For my current job at a much smaller company (8 employees), I opted for wool pants & a shirt and tie to the interviews.
For my current job, I was wearing trousers and a dress shirt to the interview. A suit would have been way too much. We’re usually hiring plumbers and other manual workers, they come to the interview wearing jeans and t-shirt.
I’m absolutely in favor of dressing it down. I work in a t-shirt and jeans industry where creativity is key, and while suits can be impressive when well-fitted, you’ll show you care AND show you understand the culture by choosing a snappy, fitted, stylish “casual plus” outfit. Plus you’ll get more of a chance to show a bit of essential creativity. If you wear a suit, you risk coming across as stuffy or a bad culture fit, *even if that impression is mostly subconscious.*
Depends hugely on the culture and size of the company. I work as an engineer and have always been at tech companies, so my interviews have been done wearing a well-fitting, ironed button-down shirt and khakis/chinos. At a startup, you’d be fine with that, and maybe some “cool” shoes to show you get the culture.
Now my friend works for a Silicon Valley company doing software development, and he says that supposedly, they actually count it against you if you show up dressed too nicely. I find it hard to believe, but would not be shocked if it was true. Again, the whole “culture fit” thing comes into play.
In my experience, tech companies tend to value individuality and people who think for themselves. As long as you seem comfortable in your own skin and don’t look like you’re “that guy”, trying too hard to impress, you should be fine.
I work (and interview) in a ~50 person digital marketing shop, not exactly the black tie of workplaces (read: shorts and flops are the norm. I’m known as fancy shoe guy here). But if someone shows up in jeans, it shows that you assume you’ve already got the job and that you don’t need to work for it. We need to make sure we can put you in front of clients, CEO’s and the like; when you show up looking like you’re ready for date night it DOESN’T convey that, it conveys cockiness.
I interviewed for American Eagle (corporate, not the mall) of all places in college. Wore a suit. The first comment I got was “you didn’t have to wear a suit. looks great though!” Got an offer from them at the end of the interview.
Short answer, ALWAYS err on the side of dressed up.
First, I have to disagree with the notion that one wouldn’t want a job at a place that wouldn’t hire you because you wore a suit to a job interview. If an interviewer says “wear what makes you comfortable” when you know the place is extremely casual, then wearing a suit may indicate that while you may be a good candidate for the technical aspects of the job, you won’t fit into the culture. Let’s face it, men’s style is a niche hobby (albeit a passionate one for most of us). Your style of dress is probably not a good indicator as to whether you would be a good fit in the culture of a place, and if this were a dream job, would you really want to pass it up because they asked you not to wear a three piece to the interview?
Second, in these situations, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with contacting the interviewer and asking them if a suit would be too much. If the place is a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops kind of place, wearing a suit to an interview may be incredibly off-putting, especially if the hiring manager asked you to dress casually.
I wore a suit to a job interview on Tuesday where I interviewed with the director of a small tech firm and he was in jeans, (not even dark ones). I asked an outside high level human resources VP I know if this was a problem and she said no. I was offered a position yesterday afternoon.
Wearing a suit to the first interview is fine, however if they want you to come in for a second one, then it’s best wear what their wear. They already know you can be serious, now you need to show you can fit in. In my case I would have worn some dark wash jeans rather than a suit. Luckily it wasn’t needed.
I interviewed for a bar I worked for. Everyone was coming in wearing smart casual but one guy wore a suit…and looked good in it. He didn’t interview well at all but the suit stuck in our minds and we hired him.
“No one ever botched a job interview because they showed up in a suit.”
I have. And this was for a law firm of all places. By showing up in a suit the first impression I left was one of a rift between us and it never got patched. I ended up withdrawing y name from consideration.
I work in a 20 person “startup”. If you wore a suit to the interview you’d probably not get the job. As Others have pointed out… a job at a company like the one described, and the one I work at, is as much about culture fit as it is about technical competence.
If your style is suit wearing, but culturally you fit in with the other people… You need to make it clear that you’re a culture fit and not “uptight”… Talk to the other employees, joke with the people you see. Make it clear that you’re an interesting and fun person they WANT to be around everyday.
I had an interview at MTV back in 2001 and I’m certain if i would have shown up in a suit I would not have had a chance to work in the best environment I have so far. Jeans and t-shirt with sneakers. The first thing my future boss said at the interview is “the girls will like you here” Basically she said I fit in, which boosted my confidence, nailed the interview and got the job.
I would rather be over dressed than underdressed. Besides, maybe you can inject a bit of style into the lives of these jeans and t-shirts guys. Teach them that Friday nights are for dressing up, hitting the bars and meeting interesting people, not LAN parties. Unless its WOW. In that case, carry on….
I would say be more dressed up than you need to be, but not so much that you look like you’re trying too hard. I once had to go through 5 rounds of interviews for a very casual nonprofit (at an animal clinic). Wore a dark grey suit and tie to the first interview and got some ribbing for it, since the ED was in jeans. Rounds 2-5 I toned it down, but always at least wore nice pants and a pressed shirt. When I got the job, I found out one of the things they liked about me was that I didn’t get casual and familiar with the way I dressed, even if they were. Until I got the job, I continued to make an effort, and I never acted like I already had the job and was ready for casual friday. I’m at a tech start up now, and knew enough about the culture here to show up in a more casual summer suit, no tie to the interview. I was still better dressed than the guy hiring me, but I didn’t look like I belonged in a law firm.
I’d definitely wear something more than jeans and a tee to the interview, even if that’s what he said.
You don’t necessarily have to be in a full suit though – perhaps some nice chinos and a blazer with an OBCD. It sends the message that you’re serious, but also that you’re fashionable and with it.
I don’t think you can say that there is a hard and fast rule to go by here. Each situation is going to be different. I remember having a discussion with one of my groomsmen a few weeks ago about resumes. He’s looking for a job having just moved to Madison Wisconsin, and I gave him my honest opinion (which is admittedly influenced by working in DC). He found someone active in the Madison community and that guy gave him a lot of different advice. The point here is that with resumes and your appearance, it is wise to tailor each to the job you’re applying for. But the bottom line here is that while your clothes will make an impression, it’s the interaction you having during the interview that will make or break you. You can wear a suit to an interview at a casual place and still come across as a casual guy who is friendly and easy to get along with. If the guy said to wear whatever you’re comfortable in, figure out what that is and wear it.
I think the middle ground listed is the safest bet, and what I would probably go with, I’d be concerned with being overdressed and seeming like I’d be out of place as an employee there.
I’d go with chinos or slacks, a non-matching jacket dress shirt, no tie. If you wanna class it up a bit, add a pocket square.
Wouldn’t a tuxedo t-shirt kind of hit the best of both worlds?
I think jeans and a shirt or polo with a dark blazer is about as fancy as your getting. A suit is too much. Business casual is enough and I stress the casual. Go back and look at a few articles on here on how to dress casual. I think the Sunday late night dinner outfit that was posted a couple days ago could be a great option.
I work in a video game development shop (and yes, I read this site!) and no one would ever dream of showing up in a suit for an interview. We would definitely make the wrong impression. So casual would be the way to go. Not necessarily an Ed Hardy (or something similarly garish) tee, but jeans and casual shirt are good. BTW, I normally wear nice dark jeans, a polo, and suede shoes, and I’m considered dressy.
lol
Just because the workplace is casual doesn’t mean you get to be, you don’t work there yet. I’ve interviewed at dozens of jeans and tee-shirt companies (I work for one now) and worn a suit to just about every single one. The only time I didn’t wear a suit is when the HR manager told me at the end of my phone screen “Don’t show up in a suit, that’s reserved for our lawyers”. You wear a suit to an interview to be respectful of your place, on the outside begging to get in.
I’m strongly in the case against category – cotton blazer, dark jeans, no tie or knit tie. It’s a common sense / sanity check type of thing. The recruiter told him what to expect – I’m a recruiter, my bet is s/he told the interviewers that he knows what to expect. This does depend on the position he’s interviewing for though, if it’s financial suiting up won’t hurt, if it’s tech, it might…
Law Suit, do tell. It’s intriguing because it’s rare and probably more than just the suit.
As someone who made hiring decisions in a casual workplace, I would not consider a candidate who didn’t dress for an interview. Depending on the job, that might not be a suit, but if you came in to interview with me in any less than sportcoat, it wouldn’t matter if you were more qualified than someone else.
I’d wear the suit.
I work in one of these places and I’d never ding anyone for showing up in a suit but keep in mind that culture is usually a big issue for places like this and they may view it as not being a good culture fit. It can also show that you don’t usually interview or work at places that are this casual. General rule is dress in what’s casual for you, stay relaxed and you’ll do fine. If you want to dress it up a little I’d recommend these options going from best to worst:
1. jeans, t-shirt (plain black/dark blue), dress shoes, slim fitting sports coat/suit jacket with cuffs turned up and maybe some leather bracelets on the right wrist, if you have them. Says I’m a hip guy and would probably fit in well here but it’s also an interview and I respect that, so I’m not just going to come in wearing shorts and a Metallica t-shirt, I’ll save that for day 2.
2. jeans, dress shoes, dress shirt (tucked in), cool tie (knit or very thin), sports coat/suit jacket. Says I’m pretty cool and here to interview, bring it on.
3. Full suit, dress shirt and tie. Says I don’t usually interview at places like this but I’m giving it my best shot
4. Full suit, dress shirt, no tie. Says I’m so nervous about all this I forgot my tie.
I work at a creative, tech-y, casual workplace. (It basically looks exactly like the above photo.) I’ve recently been trying to dress up a little more, just because I enjoy it, but I still wear t-shirts and jeans at least twice a week. I’d NEVER be comfortable in a suit at my office. I’ve worn a tie to work ONCE, and it was because I was leaving early to go to a funeral.
Today, I’m wearing red chinos, blue suede brogues, and an untucked casual button-up. My boss is wearing a t-shirt and jeans.
My advice: DON’T wear a suit. You’re going to feel out of place and they’re going to think you’re not the kind of person who would fit in with their culture. I know this from experience, because I’ve interviewed people who showed up to our office with a suit and tie, and you can sense the awkwardness. I agree that you want to say “Yeah, I made an effort here,” but trust me: for this crowd, wearing a blazer is making an effort.
If it were me, I’d wear dark jeans, a casual blazer, and a button-up. Probably no tie, unless it was a super casual hipster-ish tie. I know this crowd well, and trust me… that’s plenty dressed up.
I work at a creative, tech-y, casual workplace. (It basically looks exactly like the above photo.) I’ve recently been trying to dress up a little more, just because I enjoy it, but I still wear t-shirts and jeans at least twice a week. I’d NEVER be comfortable in a suit at my office. I’ve worn a tie to work ONCE, and it was because I was leaving early to go to a funeral.
Today, I’m wearing red chinos, blue suede brogues, and an untucked casual button-up. My boss is wearing a t-shirt and jeans.
My advice: DON’T wear a suit. You’re going to feel out of place and they’re going to think you’re not the kind of person who would fit in with their culture. I know this from experience, because I’ve interviewed people who showed up to our office with a suit and tie, and you can sense the awkwardness. I agree that you want to say “Yeah, I made an effort here,” but trust me: for this crowd, wearing a blazer is making an effort.
If it were me, I’d wear dark jeans, a casual blazer, and a button-up. Probably no tie, unless it was a super casual hipster-ish tie. I know this crowd well, and trust me… that’s plenty dressed up.
I think the real criteria is how well the suit fits. If all you have is your dad’s old suit, or something you picked up off the rack, then I would say wear something less than a suit; but if you own and semi-frequently rock a great fitting suit (with all the right accessories), then you should absolutely wear the suit.
Similar to the below, bear in mind: “a suit” can mean any number of things. If you’re talking something slim, casual, and cotton (or maybe tweed, if it was cold?), and you’re totally at ease in it, go for it. Maybe go tieless, if you don’t hate that look. If you’re thinking about a navy pinstripe worsted, leave it at home and go for the dark jeans or chinos, odd jacket or vest, knit tie, &c.
Good luck!
I live and work among startup companies in San Francisco — arguably the nation’s most casually-dressed job market. You cannot go wrong with raw denim jeans and a jacket. I’m confortable with a solid tee under a jacket in 100% of interview circumstances so long as the company is a startup.
If it wasn’t, I’d go the same route replacing the tee with a fitted white shirt. But that’s just my POV from San Francisco.
Depends on the type of job and who you will be meeting with.
For example, a finance job interview means a suit, no question (and, surprise, it could be any suit / shirt / cut / style…it would not matter in the least).
However, if it is a creative position you should be more casual, though I would still dress better than you are told to (sport coat / dark jeans / dress shoes for example).
Finally, I would add that it also depends on the level of the position. The more senior, the more dressed up you should be.
The other thing that I’d add to this is that while clothes are certainly part of the impression that you make on people, it’s not the most important thing, and it certainly doesn’t define you as a person. For example I work in DC, but I live in Baltimore (which is much more laid back). As long as it’s not stupidly hot, I wear a full suit and tie, polished Allen Edmonds, french cuffs, etc. etc. to work on a regular basis. Part of that might be due to the fact that I grew up in a trailor park, and I appreciate having the option of looking my best at a job where I work for high up people in the policy community and go visit former Cabinet officials on a semi-regular basis. But at the same time, I’m covered in tattoos, I’m usually listening to black metal on my ipod in my office, and the last thing in the world I want to do is stay in DC past COB to ‘network.’ So while your clothes say something about you, they don’t define you. In demeanor, I’m probably the most laid back person in my office even though I’m usually overdressed compared to everyone else.
As a startup engineer and someone who regularly is on the other side of the interviewing table: You should absolutely 100% NOT suit up. It won’t lose you the job, but it’ll be the first thing they see, and it’ll be a strike against you. (Did he not know? Does he not “get it”? Would he be a culture fit or a force for increasing unwanted formality if we hired him?)
That said, if you pass the engineering bar with flying colors, it shouldn’t affect your chances. But wearing a suit to a no-suit place is just as bad as not wearing a suit when you’re supposed to. If you’re thinking about it this far in advance, why stack things against you right off the bat? Why depend on them being good enough interviewers to not hold it against you?
I’ve recommended we hire people who show up in suits, but it’s almost always been an indicator of them not “getting it” culture-wise and having trouble with that down the road
There’s a medium that you should go for. Jeans and a nice shirt, sweater, whatever should be fine. But both of the jobs I’ve had in my career field I’ve worn a hooded sweatshirt and a plain t-shirt at the interviews. If your capabilities are there and you can make it obvious that you understand the company culture clothes really don’t matter as much.
I do a lot of consulting for start-up tech companies. I agree with some of the comments below regarding their concern for “culture fit” of job applicants. I’d advise against wearing a suit as you might be perceived as stuffy or uptight and not down with nerf dart wars on Wednesdays (true story). Personally, I’d go with a collared gingham shirt w/ rolled up sleeves, alpha chinos, suede shoes, and give or take a narrow knit tie w/ tie bar. That shows that you cared enough to dress up a little for the interview but you’re still down for some nerf action if called upon.
Dressing formally would only be appropriate if you were looking to join the business end with finance. Being the Eric Schmidt father figure.
But if you want to be a developer/designer, you better get the culture – which means no suits!
This isn’t exactly a reply to Jonathan, but rather a message to say that Jonathan has it 100% correct here. DO NOT wear a suit to this interview. If you do, I promise you that every person outside of the interview room will be laughing at you and will have “written you off” – even if you’re awesome in every other way (and those people outside the interview room generally carry some weight in these smaller companies). The culture of these places is a very important part of the whole equation here – perhaps as much so as your resume/experience.
I’ve done this…
…everyone commented on the suit, I didn’t get the job.
People want to hire someone with the skills they’re looking for, BUT there’s plenty of people like that out there. What sets you apart is fitting into the culture. If they wouldn’t want to have a drink with you, they probably won’t hire you. If they think you’re out of touch, they definitely won’t.
I also work at a very casual software company. A direct quote from our employee handbook ”
When there are visitors, you must wear clothes.”. I showed up to the interview wearing a suit and got the job. I sometimes sit in on candidate interviews and appreciate when candidates wear suits to me it suggests that they want to go the extra mile. Also, they will likely have to work with clients at some point, for which they will need to dress business casual. Wear the suit.
Uh…I can’t imagine a law firm where this would be the case! Bizarre.