Work Clothes

I'm about to finish my degree at WGU and will begin a job search soon. This will be my first IT job so it will probably be help desk. My question is what kind of clothes will I be wearing on a daily basis? My closet is filled with t-shirts and jeans so I'm going shopping soon and I want to make sure I pick up the right stuff.

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markulous

A lot of help desk environments are business casual, so slacks/khakis and a collared shirt. In an interview I'd wear a tie though.

kohr-ah

Depends the place.

Hospital I had to wear button up and a tie with slacks or khakis. (help desk)
Next place was Polos and Khakis (NOC / Network Engineer)
Third place was Button Up or Polo with Dark Jeans or Slacks/Khaki (Mid level network engineer)

Interviews I wear no less than a nice button up, Tie, slacks, and black shoes

networker050184

Get a suit for interviewing then go from there when you find a job. It could be anything from your tshirts and jeans to suit and tie in this industry.

RHEL

Always do a nice looking (doesn't have to be expensive) suit for interviews. You want to look sharp and professional, that's all.

For daily work, it depends on where you work. I wear a polo or sweater and jeans with tennis shoes to work.

nachodba

Khakis, Slacks, Polos and Button-ups. With nice shoes.

anhtran35

Suits for Interviews. You can get cheap ones at Target.

For Dress pants you can get a brand name Michael Brandon from TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory or Ross = $15 per pant/slacks.
For Dress shirts I suggest you go on Craigslist. I have purchased about 75 dress shirts from Craigslist for $5 to $10 per shirt.
For Dress shoes = Men's Shoes | Discounts up to 75% off and Free Shipping at 6pm.com
For Ties I suggest Walmart, TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, or Burlington for zipper ties or reg. ties.
For cheap work cologne. Walmart sells knock off colognes( Obession/Drake Noir etc ) titled Classic Match = $8.

$20 to $30 tops. You can go for the Robert Wayne brand which are left over Steve Maddens that didn't sell.

Chitownjedi

Recommend suit for Interview definitely... I would make that a priority. Can't recommend it enough.

ratbuddy

anhtran35 wrote: »

For cheap work cologne. Walmart sells knock off colognes( Obession/Drake Noir etc ) titled Classic Match = $8.

Highly suggest you leave the perfume off. It's a place of business, not a high school dance.

snunez889

anhtran35 wrote: »

Suits for Interviews. You can get cheap ones at Target.

For Dress pants you can get a brand name Michael Brandon from TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory or Ross = $15 per pant/slacks.
For Dress shirts I suggest you go on Craigslist. I have purchased about 75 dress shirts from Craigslist for $5 to $10 per shirt.
For Dress shoes = Men's Shoes | Discounts up to 75% off and Free Shipping at 6pm.com
For Ties I suggest Walmart, TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, or Burlington for zipper ties or reg. ties.
For cheap work cologne. Walmart sells knock off colognes( Obession/Drake Noir etc ) titled Classic Match = $8.

$20 to $30 tops. You can go for the Robert Wayne brand which are left over Steve Maddens that didn't sell.

Although I do agree you should buy cheap. The problem I have with this is that sometimes you are not buying the best fitting shirts and pants. Everyones body type is different and you can tell when some is dressed with "cheap" and clothes doesn't fit them right.(not always the case)

The way I look at it, you are going to be wearing the clothes for a large part of your day, so dress with sometime that will make you feel and look great. Doesn't matter if you wear jean, slacks, tshirts or a nice button up if your clothes doesn't fit you right.

You prob wont know what to buy untill you land a job.

JGDaily

Instead of asking the forums, ask people who are currently in the department and see what they wear.

You'll get mixed replies on here. I am a Systems Engineer for a known college in Los Angeles. I am fully sleeved (tattoos) and wear anything that isn't in shorts or sweats.

Congrats btw!

LeBroke

anhtran35 wrote: »

Suits for Interviews. You can get cheap ones at Target.

For Dress pants you can get a brand name Michael Brandon from TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory or Ross = $15 per pant/slacks.
For Dress shirts I suggest you go on Craigslist. I have purchased about 75 dress shirts from Craigslist for $5 to $10 per shirt.
For Dress shoes = Men's Shoes | Discounts up to 75% off and Free Shipping at 6pm.com
For Ties I suggest Walmart, TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, or Burlington for zipper ties or reg. ties.
For cheap work cologne. Walmart sells knock off colognes( Obession/Drake Noir etc ) titled Classic Match = $8.

$20 to $30 tops. You can go for the Robert Wayne brand which are left over Steve Maddens that didn't sell.

Please don't wear any of that unless you're in rural Nebraska and it's considered fancy.

Most important thing about clothes is the fit; it's really easy to tell if you picked something up, or you actually spent the effort in shopping. Banana Republic or Mexx (if you're under 30) are both pretty cheap if you can get stuff on sale ($25-30 for an OK dress shirt). You're better off rotating between 3-4 nice shirts than 50 that make you look like a plumber on a Friday night family outing to TGI Friday's.

Good ties can be found in places like Ross (US)/Winners (Canada), however.

MeanDrunkR2D2

Also, you can get some good deals on decent clothing at JCP as well. I frequently will buy things on clearance and will also take advantage of the $10 off $25 purchase as well that they have going on very often. Really knocks the price down on dressy clothes. They aren't "high end" but they are more than acceptable for most business environments and they are pretty good quality, much more than you'd find at TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, or any other 'low end' clothing shop. There are good reasons why those clothes are cheap there, usually very poor quality.

Verities

Emphasisx wrote: »

I'm about to finish my degree at WGU and will begin a job search soon. This will be my first IT job so it will probably be help desk. My question is what kind of clothes will I be wearing on a daily basis? My closet is filled with t-shirts and jeans so I'm going shopping soon and I want to make sure I pick up the right stuff.

This is something you want to ask during an interview. There are some places that allow you to wear t shirt, shorts, and flops to work whereas others you just need a polo + jeans + nice shoes. I work in the public sector and wear a polo+slacks+nice shoes. On a positive note, we have "casual" Friday, so you know if you have a Hawaiin shirt....

Kinet1c

Suit for interview, always. As for day to day, it'll depend on the company and whether or not clients will be visiting the office. If clients will be visiting, it's probably slacks, shirt & tie - maybe even a suit. If not, then probably slacks & shirt or polo shirt.

My previous role was in an off shore development house with no clients visiting, it was slacks & shirt from Monday to Friday with jeans/khaki on Friday. My current role is in a 24/7 gaming company with no clients visiting and it's anything but shorts or track suits.... although during the warm months it's ok to wear shorts in.

Master Of Puppets

I agree - go with a suit for the interview. However, you will find out that different places have very different dress codes. Where I work, the IT people wear whatever they like - jeans, t-shirt etc. I have gone to work with a metal band t-shirt on and people couldn't care less.

Bryando

Your professionalism will be judged based on how well you dress and act. I wear a dress shirt and tie daily even though it is not required. Some people would say this is good and others will have an issue with it.

logisticalstyles

My current job allows me to wear jeans and sneakers with a t-shirt. I never wear a t-shirt though. It's usually a polo or button down shirt. My last job in a call center required khakis or slacks and a nice shirt. We had one guy who always wore a button down and tie, sometimes even the suit jacket and he caught hell everyday. Fortunately the company that just made me an offer has a jeans policy.

stryder144

For the interview, I agree with what most have stated...go with a suit. You can pick up relatively nice ones on clearance and even at thrift stores and yard sales (seasonal). I would, though, highly recommend that if you go that route, buy one that is slightly large and have it fitted to you. That usually costs less than $20 per suit (very location dependent). A lot of dry cleaners will also do alterations or will know of someone who does them. You would be amazed at how a well-tailored suit can make you feel.

Thefoxyfox

While I cannot speak for IT dress policies just yet, I know in purchasing we are typically business to business casual - depending on who visits the office. My office was more of a central hub for some of our other businesses, so we had VIPs frequent the office resulting in a more strict dress code (Dress shirt + tie + khakis) although we were given casual Fridays. As others have said - a well fitting suit for interviews is a must. Remember, this is their first in-person impression of you.

jvrlopez

Suit or shirt and tie for the interview. If the dress code is not brought up during the interview, ask about it.

I usually try and stay within the pre-approved dress code, but you can get an idea of what's tolerated and what's not when you get comfortable in your office once you get started.

devils_haircut

A lot of people in here are saying suit, but I think it depends largely on where you live. Where I live, shirt and tie is perfectly acceptable, but people in the Midwest aren't hung up on fashion.

The type of position you are applying for will also play a factor. The more senior the role, the more I think it's appropriate to wear a suit.

Personally, I have an issue with people who expect you to wear a suit to an entry level role. Some of us aren't made of money, and if the job I'm applying for only pays $30k a year, a suit is out of the question.

MeanDrunkR2D2

devils_haircut wrote: »

A lot of people in here are saying suit, but I think it depends largely on where you live. Where I live, shirt and tie is perfectly acceptable, but people in the Midwest aren't hung up on fashion.

The type of position you are applying for will also play a factor. The more senior the role, the more I think it's appropriate to wear a suit.

Personally, I have an issue with people who expect you to wear a suit to an entry level role. Some of us aren't made of money, and if the job I'm applying for only pays $30k a year, a suit is out of the question.

I do have a couple of suits that I do wear for interviews and have worn one for every position I have applied for in IT. It's about the first impression and honestly I'd rather be over dressed than show up not up to expectations that a potential employer may have. Now, I wouldn't wear a suit every day, unless I were in a high level position such as VP or above that required it and would pay me more than enough to stock my closet with them and is the expectation.

coreyb80

ratbuddy wrote: »

Highly suggest you leave the perfume off. It's a place of business, not a high school dance.

Please follow this advice. Missed out on a good opportunity due to my choice of cologne at the interview.

bhcs2014

For work I get to wear jeans and a polo

For interviews I always call and ask how people dress there. Depending on the place it is probably shirt and tie or suit. Shirt and tie should be a minimum.

xocity

Interviews I always wear a suit and tie. My first IT job however I wore a Dress Shirt , Tie and Dress pants.
Day to Day its been Dress pants and a Polo with Dress Shoes. Fridays is Casual Friday, Can wear Jeans and Polo with sneakers.

coreyb80

bhcs2014 wrote: »

For work I get to wear jeans and a polo .

This is exactly what I wear to work everyday.

darkerosxx

My best advice: Clothes Make The Man

lsud00d

darkerosxx wrote: »

My best advice: Clothes Make The Man

Just got some new chukka's after consulting MFA

aderon

Emphasisx wrote: »

I'm about to finish my degree at WGU and will begin a job search soon. This will be my first IT job so it will probably be help desk. My question is what kind of clothes will I be wearing on a daily basis? My closet is filled with t-shirts and jeans so I'm going shopping soon and I want to make sure I pick up the right stuff.

I think it is 100% based on the particular company and culture. It's not uncommon to see people wearing gym shorts, sandals, and geeky t-shirts at my current place of employment (management included). But, you'd be sent home the second you stepped in the door if you'd worn that at my last place.

In general though, I've found IT to be pretty business casual. Pants/khaki/jeans and a polo/shirt/cardigan. I've never had to wear a suit and a lot of times you'd probably inadvertently alienate yourself if you did.

As for interviews though, dress to impress. I would say dress pants, dress shirt and tie at a minimum (a suit wouldn't be out of the picture here either). Even if you were slightly overdressed, most people would chalk it up to you not being familiar with the culture yet. Whereas if you under dressed and they expected more, then you might be seen as either lazy or not taking the interview seriously.

anhtran35

LeBroke wrote: »

Please don't wear any of that unless you're in rural Nebraska and it's considered fancy.

Most important thing about clothes is the fit; it's really easy to tell if you picked something up, or you actually spent the effort in shopping. Banana Republic or Mexx (if you're under 30) are both pretty cheap if you can get stuff on sale ($25-30 for an OK dress shirt). You're better off rotating between 3-4 nice shirts than 50 that make you look like a plumber on a Friday night family outing to TGI Friday's.

Good ties can be found in places like Ross (US)/Winners (Canada), however.

And this is where I disagree. I have purchase Men Express, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Van Heusen FITTED shirts on Craigslist for $5 to $10 per shirt. I live in the DC/VA/MD area. Unfortunately, people there gain or lose weight and well they can't fit into their fitted shirts anymore and instead of donating it will attempt to purge it. Anything that is considered CLASSIC fit will results in slight bagginess; however, this can be resolved if you find a descent seamtress.

Additionally, Ross/Marshalls/Burlington Coat/TJ Maxx sells fitted dress pants name brands include Michael Brandon, Kenneth Cole, etc...