Would you wear a suit?

I usually go with a suit as most companies have a business casual dress code. But would you still wear a suit if the company states this:

"Our dress code is casual and the work environment informal. For your interview, business casual is appropriate. Suits and ties are not required"

I know, "not required" doesn't mean banned, but not trying to stand out too much if I don't have to with a suit. I was thinking business casual -- Slacks, Dress Shirt, Tie.

Thoughts?

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Comments

Bl8ckr0uter

erpadmin wrote: »

Man, I do love these threads.....they bring a smile to my face. We should have a basketball game.....polos vs. suits! (My money will be on the latter.)

Polos will win because we will purify ourselves in the water of lake minnetonka

Zartanasaurus

erpadmin wrote: »

Has it ever occured to you that maybe companies write that stuff PRECISELY because there are some people that will wear a rumpled-old suit to an interview, or wears another that's either too tight, or too big? That maybe these companies want to lull you into a false sense of security thinking it's ok to wear that vendor-swag polo shirt you got in the mail the other day?

This seems like the wine scene in The Princess Bride.

Tackle

vCole wrote: »

Don't feel like too much of a bum, I don't have a suit either. I don't even have a blazer. I have one black tie and a few nice pairs of slacks and shirts.

No suit for me as well and I'm not even 100% sure what a blazer is. I like to buy a new shirt and dress pants before I start turning in applications...unless I have a pair of pants that still fit my fat a$$.

OP: Shirt, tie and slacks and you will be good to go!

Zartanasaurus

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Polos will win because we will purify ourselves in the water of lake minnetonka

You know where you got that polo from and it wasn't the men's department.

Bl8ckr0uter

Zartanasaurus wrote: »

You know where you got that polo from and it wasn't the men's department.

After we win will be sure to make pancakes for everybody.

pham0329

I've never really worn a suit to an interview either. I usually go in dress pants, dress shoes, shirt and sometimes a tie...but no jacket. Maybe when I get to a point where I'm interviewing for management position, I'll go in a suit.

I wonder if the suit thing has any relationship to your age? I don't know too many people in their 20s who would go interview in a suit

TLeTourneau

pham0329 wrote: »

I've never really worn a suit to an interview either. I usually go in dress pants, dress shoes, shirt and sometimes a tie...but no jacket. Maybe when I get to a point where I'm interviewing for management position, I'll go in a suit.

I wonder if the suit thing has any relationship to your age? I don't know too many people in their 20s who would go interview in a suit

Age may have something to do with it but I think the big thing, as mentioned earlier, is knowing the culture of the company your applying at. I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that if a person shows up for an interview were I work not wearing a suit they will most likely not get a call back.

Heero

If they specifically say that business casual is appropriate for the interview, they mean it. Make sure you are on the dressier end of the business casual spectrum. I'd say wear a tie, well fitting shirt and slacks, and nice dress shoes. However, I don't think you would go wrong with a suit unless they have a certain "culture" that they are trying to hire people from, Like when Steve Jobs rips some invterviewee in a suit to shreds and "Pirates of Silicon Valley."

ramos

This is a situation where you can't afford to take a risks. You want to do everything you can to make the best impression. Try to cover all bases. You don't want to have any regrets afterwards, wondering what if you wore a suit. So yes, i'd definitly wear a suit.

Zartanasaurus

ramos wrote: »

This is a situation where you can't afford to take a risks. You want to do everything you can to make the best impression. Try to cover all bases. You don't want to have any regrets afterwards, wondering what if you wore a suit. So yes, i'd definitly wear a suit.

Seems like wearing the suit is the risk here.

hiddenknight821

Just wear what suits your needs.

I always wear the suit to interview regardless. Good luck deciding.

universalfrost

i have to wear a suit at my job, but I never wear a tie... i have managed to start a trend at work and more folks are ditching the tie, but keeping the suit.

last time i wore a tie was when i was getting an award and I would be photographed....

suit yes, tie no... kind of like business informal.. lol..

for the OP, if I were in your shoes I would were a suit, but no tie. gives the aire of casual, but maintaining a formal approach.

Raidersfan81

My friend just went through this EXACT same scenario with a tech company in Portland. He finally decided to go with the Suit and he said exactly 6 co-workers asked him "why you over dressed" and he said the interviewing manager at the start of the interview told him that he didn't have to wear a suit as I stated beforehand.

Everybody was walking around in basketball shorts and flip flops and such and wearing whatever they wanted and he said he felt so out of place. When they said "business casual" they really meant it.

He still got the job and everything went fine, but that was his experience with it all.

hackman2007

pham0329 wrote: »

I've never really worn a suit to an interview either. I usually go in dress pants, dress shoes, shirt and sometimes a tie...but no jacket. Maybe when I get to a point where I'm interviewing for management position, I'll go in a suit.

I wonder if the suit thing has any relationship to your age? I don't know too many people in their 20s who would go interview in a suit

It doesn't have anything to do with age in my opinion. I always wear a suit when I interview and I am in my 20s.

hennrizzler

hackman2007 wrote: »

It doesn't have anything to do with age in my opinion. I always wear a suit when I interview and I am in my 20s.

Nothing to do with age. I'm in my early 20s and always interview with a suit. It show's you're a professional and you are taking the interview seriously. As sad as it is, first impression does make a difference in how the potential employer will see you and how the interview will go. If you turn up in some rag tag clothes with a hole in the shoe, as brilliant as you are, there will be some concerns about why you appears into an interview dressed like that. Obviously I'm not saying what you wear is the be all and end all of how your interview goes, I'm just saying it definately counts.

Or it could be a trick, like others suggested? You could go in swimwear? Show them that you are really good out of your comfort zone.

On a serious note, I reckon smart casual as others have posted. Shirt, slacks, shoes should be fine as the invitation stressed that suits are optional.

okplaya

In case anyone was wondering, I did not go with the suit. I went with the slacks, shirt, and tie. I was more formal than everyone that interviewed me. In fact, everyone that interviewed me had jeans on. The entire atmosphere was very laid back and informal as advertised.

As for the interview itself, it went okay. Thanks to everyone for their best wishes.

okplaya

Another update in case anyone was wondering, I accepted the job offer. Actually had 2 offers (the other I wore a suit to the interview

). Definitely feel fortunate to have been able to find "permanent" employment before my contract work came to an end. To those out there still searching, don't give up! Took me about 4 months to get only 2 interviews, and I was lucky to get an offer from both. On another note, the pay sure is lower going from contract work to permanent lol.

NinjaBoy

Excellent, well done