Face-to-Face interview question

Quick question about IT job interviews. As most of you know, most IT guys are not the best dressed bunch of people. When interviewing for an IT job do you still follow the suit approach? I have been reading "Knock em Dead" which has been recommended to me by fellow IT guys. I just wanted your opinions on this. Thanks for the info.

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Comments

royal

Let me answer your question with a question. If you were interviewing for your dream job, would you really want to risk not getting it because you didn't wear a suit?

neverdye

definately not. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't "Overkilling" by wearing a suit. ie dressing better than the interviewer.

dynamik

It's better to error on the side of being overdressed, than underdressed.

shednik

dynamik wrote:

It's better to error on the side of being overdressed, than underdressed.

+1 always dress to impress...you're going to an interview to show them why they should hire you on it can never hurt you to over dress.

oo_snoopy

neverdye wrote:

Quick question about IT job interviews. As most of you know, most IT guys are not the best dressed bunch of people. When interviewing for an IT job do you still follow the suit approach? I have been reading "Knock em Dead" which has been recommended to me by fellow IT guys. I just wanted your opinions on this. Thanks for the info.

Poorly dressed?

Speak for yourself. Full suit, even rock the pocket square if you're feeling bold.

blargoe

Always wear a suit unless you are told otherwise. No one ever lost out on a job because they were too well dressed.

Now I have been told during the first interview that the company was casual and I should lose the coat next time, but leave it to them to tell you that.

remyforbes777

Not the best dressed? I don't know many IT professionals that can't dress for an interview. Key word is professionals. You are being stereotypical.

IT_Admin

From my exp I couldnt afford to spend a couple hundred $$$ on a suit, I just didnt have the $$$, hence why I was looking for a new job, but most ppl will/should have, dress shoes, dress pants, & a dress shirt. That for the most part is all you need, you can go pick up a nice tie & dress coat (again if you can afford one). Remember its getting close to summer, so you can probably get away without wearing a coat.

This all goes back to your $$$ situation, if you can afford to spend the money, the abosuletly go with a nice suit, but if not, don't sweat it.

Mishra

xntrix18 wrote:

From my exp I couldnt afford to spend a couple hundred $$$ on a suit, I just didnt have the $$$, hence why I was looking for a new job, but most ppl will/should have, dress shoes, dress pants, & a dress shirt. That for the most part is all you need, you can go pick up a nice tie & dress coat (again if you can afford one). Remember its getting close to summer, so you can probably get away without wearing a coat.

This all goes back to your $$$ situation, if you can afford to spend the money, the abosuletly go with a nice suit, but if not, don't sweat it.

Goodwill, craigslist, and yard sales.

pwjohnston

My mother always said that you can never over dress for an interview.

I have been told by interviews otherwise, which I don’t consider a bad thing. I often get compliments on my dress. One recruiter was this cute blonde chick in her early 20’s and we just sat around and chatted one time about how badly many IT professionals dress in interviews.

BUT the 3 piece suit is typical and BORING.

I opt for matching black pinstripe slacks and vest, matte black tie, deep blue shirt, and polished black dress shoes.

I use to have the black shirt and either red or white tie and some flashy jacket, but one of my female friends said that was too “rock star.”

Also not to be sexist here, but if your interviewer is a woman make sure you wear nice shoes. Women always notice the shoes.

pwjohnston

xntrix18 wrote:

From my exp I couldnt afford to spend a couple hundred $$$ on a suit, I just didnt have the $$$, hence why I was looking for a new job, but most ppl will/should have, dress shoes, dress pants, & a dress shirt.

Don't forget Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, hell if you need to you can find something passable at JCPenny. And online Ebay, Overstock.com, Buy.com.

Most of that stuff would be last season, but who cares if it looks good go with it.

sir_creamy_

Don't be afraid to bust out the monocle and cane as well. Maybe even opt for a top hat. The "Mr. Peanut" look is what you should be aiming for.

When I worked as an intern at a data security company I always use to wear the collared shirt + tie combo and dress shoes. Our VP wore a hoody, shorts, and sandles. He was a slacker and eventually got canned, but no one took him seriously anyways.

Technowiz

I opt for matching black pinstripe slacks and vest, matte black tie, deep blue shirt, and polished black dress shoes.

I use to have the black shirt and either red or white tie and some flashy jacket, but one of my female friends said that was too “rock star.”

If I were interviewing someone dressed like that, I would take it they were ignorant of how they should prepare for an interview. Recommended dress for an interview is white or light blue shirt, dark suit with matching belt and shoes. Think conservative. It isn't just about looking good. You want to project an image that says "business professional", not a Roxbury brother heading out for a night on the town.

danclarke

Its all about first impressions - they set the tone for the entire interview.

If you don't make the effort with your appearance, then that is the impression which you will give - that you don't make the effort.

If you spend money to dress well and you don't get the job - at least you've improved your wardrobe.

Also maintain good eye contact, give a good handshake (but gauge the handshake of your interviewer carefully). Smile occasionally. Enthuse. Prepare.

There's an old joke: "How do you tell an extrovert engineer? Because they look at your shoes when talking to you".

Aldur

danclarke wrote:

There's an old joke: "How do you tell an extrovert engineer? Because they look at your shoes when talking to you".

Do you mean introvert? Thought an extrovert was somebody who was really outgoing and always looked people in the eye when talking to them.

flares2

IT guys are the best dressed guys around. Like a candidate we recently interviewed. He showed up in a shirt and tie. The only thing is his shirt was a button up flannel and his pants were jeans. He even sported a cowboy hat, which he decided to wear during the whole interview.

kriscamaro68

I have never worn a suit to an interview and have always got the job. I ususally wear a nice set of slacks and a button up shirt with no tie. I never tuck the shirt in. I show the employer how I dress on a regular basis and then impress them with my knowledge and people skills. I have never had a problem getting a job with how I dress.

HeroPsycho

Gotta say, dress to impress. Suit if you can, but at the very least wear a tie.

undomiel

Aldur wrote:

danclarke wrote:

There's an old joke: "How do you tell an extrovert engineer? Because they look at your shoes when talking to you".

Do you mean introvert? Thought an extrovert was somebody who was really outgoing and always looked people in the eye when talking to them.

As opposed to the introvert engineer who won't even look in your direction when they're talking to you.

Inc

A friend of mine went to bank for interview wearing combat boots and t-shirt. He was already expert in sun servers and system administration as well. He got the job.

This is just an example that the looks are not the key to success, per se.

sprkymrk

Inc wrote:

A friend of mine went to bank for interview wearing combat boots and t-shirt. He was already expert in sun servers and system administration as well. He got the job.

This is just an example that the looks are not the key to success, per se.

When you have years experience or already hold a 6 figure income job, you can dress how you want for the interview. If you are just starting out or trying to make a nice pay increase by getting another job you better not take the chance of wearing combat boots and teeshirt to an interview. If he hadn't already been an expert in sun servers, he might have needed a good first impression by dressing up for the interview to help his chances. So take that example with a grain of salt.

Also remember that many times your first interview is with an HR person, not an IT person. HR folks care less about your knowledge and more about how you look. Your resume got you that first interview, now if you want to make it to the second interview you better know how to impress someone who knows nothing about IT.

Technowiz

Being an expert does not make one look like any less of a slob if they dress like one to an interview. If you are someone like Vinton Cerf or Bruce Schneier then yeah they could probably walk into the interview in their undies and still get hired because a company hiring someone of that caliber probably already knows they want them before they even walk in the door. Then again someone who is really good not just in the technical aspects but all aspects of their professional life probably didn't get there by doing the bare minimum or seeing what they can get away with.

I think the bottom line is your appearance matters in an interview. If you go into it poorly dressed that is almost always going to be a strike against you. Maybe there are other factors that will overcome that and you will get the job but why take the chance when dressing appropriately is such an easy way to make you stand out from the rest in a good way?

Technowiz

sprkymrk wrote:

When you have years experience or already hold a 6 figure income job, you can dress how you want for the interview. If you are just starting out or trying to make a nice pay increase by getting another job you better not take the chance of wearing combat boots and teeshirt to an interview. If he hadn't already been an expert in sun servers, he might have needed a good first impression by dressing up for the interview to help his chances. So take that example with a grain of salt.

Would dress be more important in an interview for someone looking to be a C level executive in a company or for someone interviewing to flip burgers or clean toilets?

Or to put it in terms of our industry is interview attire more important when interviewing to become a CIO or when interviewing to fix pc's at Best Buy?

paintb4707

neverdye wrote:

As most of you know, most IT guys are not the best dressed bunch of people.

Where did you hear this from...?

I always wear a suit to my interviews. The dress code where I work is casual but I still wear slacks and a button down shirt every day (except for Fridays... then I wear jeans and a button down shirt

)

malcybood

does anyone else wear a suit day in day out?

same company for 5 years 3 diff jobs and the dress code has always been the same....shirt tie and suit / trousers....except when I was a field engineer, still shirt and trousers at least though!

for the record and matter in hand I would always go to an interview suited and booted.

malc

undomiel

Dress code here is completely casual so it is t-shirt and jeans day every day. Rare exceptions are when there is a big wig client coming in, then you'd best look your best.