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Suit for Interview?

Suit?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 29 70.7%

  • No.

    Votes: 6 14.6%

  • Other. (Explain?)

    Votes: 6 14.6%
  • Total voters
    41
msincredible said:
Wear something that 1) makes it look like you made an effort and 2) you feel confident in.
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putting on pants takes an effort, do I get credit for that? :laughing


I do have to get some new clothes though. my pants are super saggy after dropping weight and I look rather silly.
 
Terminal_G said:
My advice, dress as if you will start that day. Put your outfit together with thought and purpose, and once you put it on...forget about it.

Suits are not needed unless you will be wearing a suit for your job.

Good luck!
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You can always dress down if suit is not needed and he starts that day...

Suits make me feel great, I love when I get to wear one... I would wear one for any interview I had
 
I'm not into suits.

The valley is not really into suits either. YRMV.

I would be more impressed by a well dressed candidate that mirrors the style of the workplace.

What I have done in the last couple of interviews for senior engineering jobs is tucked in button down shirt, belt, nice shoes, clean grooming. Maybe a sweater.

Most people at my current work where t shirts and paints. Lots of hats. Some shorts and sandals.
 
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I've always worn a suit, or the nicest clothes I owned. Always got the job. I basically wear pajamas to work (scrubs) and I still wore a suit to the interview.

The old cliche "dress to impress" holds true to me. I figure the guys on the other side of the table can wear what they want because they've already made it and likely are interviewing all day and want to be comfortable. Your outfit is about YOU and presenting the best of yourself. Make an impression and show you made an effort.

OR you could just walk onto the floor, swat the foreman in the face with a Scots damper and tell him you're the best god damn machinist in the universe and they'll ask if you can start that day.
 
I never interviewed face to face for any job. I did one phone interview and two other jobs I was recommended so was basically told the job was mine if I wanted it.
If I had to show up for an interview I'd probably blow it, not too good with BS'ing.
 
CABilly said:
I've always worn a suit, or the nicest clothes I owned. Always got the job. I basically wear pajamas to work (scrubs) and I still wore a suit to the interview.

The old cliche "dress to impress" holds true to me. I figure the guys on the other side of the table can wear what they want because they've already made it and likely are interviewing all day and want to be comfortable. Your outfit is about YOU and presenting the best of yourself. Make an impression and show you made an effort.

OR you could just walk onto the floor, swat the foreman in the face with a Scots damper and tell him you're the best god damn machinist in the universe and they'll ask if you can start that day.
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Not everyone can be Lou. :laughing
 
Hi Sam,
........................ That said, I'm sorry to say we have selected someone else who has accepted the position. I do want to tell you, you were definitely in our top three candidates and we really appreciate your time. Good luck out there in the market, your personality will definitely get you where you want to go.
Cheers,
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:(

If anybody is looking for an engineering intern with quick learning skills and a great work ethic please let me know! Something quality, design, supply chain, or manufacturing related would be ideal and in my field of study; however I am open to anywhere I can gain experience. I graduate Spring 2017 but am willing to work 20-40 hours during the school year.


Also, for the curious I followed up with an e-mail after the interview and this is how he felt about the suit:

2) There's no need for the suit. I certainly don't hold it against you, but it's kind of out of context these days and therefore unnecessary, all from my POV, of course.
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Some food for thought as I continue on forward.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
 
asdfghwy said:
:(

If anybody is looking for an engineering intern with quick learning skills and a great work ethic please let me know! Something quality, design, supply chain, or manufacturing related would be ideal and in my field of study; however I am open to anywhere I can gain experience. I graduate Spring 2017 but am willing to work 20-40 hours during the school year.


Also, for the curious I followed up with an e-mail after the interview and this is how he felt about the suit:



Some food for thought as I continue on forward.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
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Its official, next time shorts.
 
nbean16 said:
Wear the nicest thing you have. People will tell you a suit isnt necessary anymore and many times its true. But no one is gonna say, "he was dressed too nice, dont hire him." I wouldnt go out and buy a suit, but if you got one, wear it. Its always better to be over dressed than under dressed.
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I am very conservative about this process and always wear a tie to interviews, but if I show up to an interview in a Tuxedo, people will think I am weird and I think that is justified. Professional dress is not Black Tie. :laughing

asdfghwy said:
:(

If anybody is looking for an engineering intern with quick learning skills and a great work ethic please let me know! Something quality, design, supply chain, or manufacturing related would be ideal and in my field of study; however I am open to anywhere I can gain experience. I graduate Spring 2017 but am willing to work 20-40 hours during the school year.


Also, for the curious I followed up with an e-mail after the interview and this is how he felt about the suit:



Some food for thought as I continue on forward.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
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Stay on point, man, sometimes the interview goes south and that is OK. The market is really strong right now and you'll find something, just stay relentless in pursuit of your goals!
 
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Eldritch said:
I am very conservative about this process and always wear a tie to interviews, but if I show up to an interview in a Tuxedo, people will think I am weird and I think that is justified. Professional dress is not Black tie. :laughing
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Yeah id avoid the white tux with tails.
 
Not trying to be harsh, but from what you posted you were done when you couldn't pass his test. I don't know if you put together a well educated guess, but if you didn't it probably hurt you more than if you had shown up in a gorilla costume.

What you know is what counts at the end of the day. No biggie. If you think circuit boards are in your future go learn about them.

The first "real" machine shop I applied to turned me down. I kept on at the fab shop I was in, took night classes at DeAnza to get my head around CNC mills and got hired there 2 years later. You will find something if you keep at it.
 
nbean16 said:
Wear the nicest thing you have. People will tell you a suit isnt necessary anymore and many times its true. But no one is gonna say, "he was dressed too nice, dont hire him." I wouldnt go out and buy a suit, but if you got one, wear it. Its always better to be over dressed than under dressed.
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Years ago I took the test and applied to PG&E to become a lineman. I did very well on the test -their words. Back in the day you walked into their office on second or third street in San Rafael and spoke to their HR department. I didn't wear a suit, but I did wear slacks and a nice shirt. After going back and talking to them many times and not getting an interview, I asked what is wrong? The woman walked through a door to the back and a few moments later a man opened the door and looked at me for a moment. He returned to the back and I never saw him again. She returned and sheepishly said "they won't hire you."

My younger brother was hired by SMUD a year later or so for the same position. He went through a similar process but always wore jeans, a flannel shirt and boots. Later in his career, he asked someone about their hiring practices. In a nutshell they want to see someone they can imagine in the field. I guess I was over dressed.

Later I became a hiring manager in the newspaper industry. I hired hundreds of people over the years from entry level production workers to journeyman electrical techs and press operators. I was not super judgmental, but the more responsibility the position had the better I expected them to dress for the interview. In the end, I always hired the person that I felt was best for the job and didn't care what they wore at the interview.

It is a tough decision. You might want to try and figure out what people wear at that company in a similar position and dress like that. It is probably not far off the way you dress now. Now do your research on the company and prepare yourself for the interview. Good Luck!
 
anytwowilldo said:
Years ago I took the test and applied to PG&E to become a lineman. I did very well on the test -their words. Back in the day you walked into their office on second or third street in San Rafael and spoke to their HR department. I didn't wear a suit, but I did wear slacks and a nice shirt. After going back and talking to them many times and not getting an interview, I asked what is wrong? The woman walked through a door to the back and a few moments later a man opened the door and looked at me for a moment. He returned to the back and I never saw him again. She returned and sheepishly said "they won't hire you."

My younger brother was hired by SMUD a year later or so for the same position. He went through a similar process but always wore jeans, a flannel shirt and boots. Later in his career, he asked someone about their hiring practices. In a nutshell they want to see someone they can imagine in the field. I guess I was over dressed.

Later I became a hiring manager in the newspaper industry. I hired hundreds of people over the years from entry level production workers to journeyman electrical techs and press operators. I was not super judgmental, but the more responsibility the position had the better I expected them to dress for the interview. In the end, I always hired the person that I felt was best for the job and didn't care what they wore at the interview.

It is a tough decision. You might want to try and figure out what people wear at that company in a similar position and dress like that. It is probably not far off the way you dress now. Now do your research on the company and prepare yourself for the interview. Good Luck!
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I think its pretty rare you arent gonna be hired becuase youre over-dressed, but in the end I agree its gonna almost always come down to qualifications and skills, rather than attire.

Honestly i always wear a suit minus the jacket because id prefer not to sweat if its hot.
 
I wore a suit to my panel interview with the elevator mechanics union. There were people that were also there in carhartts and t shirts. It probably doesn't matter so much for a position like mine, however, I feel for myself, wearing a suit shows I care enough to put myself together. It also puts me in the right mindset for an interview.

I come from an engineering background, (mechanical). Im pretty sure for any engineer position, like quality, I would wear a suit. Those fields aren't quite as laid back as say a "software engineer" for facebook or something.
 
This really just depends on the job/industry you're interviewing for. Software engineering job at a startup in the city? Then a suit probably isn't your best bet. A position in a financial firm downtown, then definitely a suit. Anything in between, it's probably safer to wear a suit, but your best bet is to just ask your point of contact at the company if you're unsure.
 
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