When I go on a job interview, should I dress down?

Question

I have play clothes, levis, and shorts and t-shirts, but I don't really have any "middle" clothes. When I dress, I wear designer clothes that are very expensive. I have never thought about buying "dockers" or some thing like that. Should I do it? I can't get a job, and my thinking is , I go into an interview, and my clothes cost more than the H.R. guys annual salary. So, should I go to Jaques Penney and get some "middle class" wardrobes? And should I trade in my Jaguar for a , I don't know, a Ford Taurus or something? I really need a job. And I don't think these folks think I need a job when they see me pull up in a jag and hop out in an Armani suit. But, yeah, I need a job, because in the pockets of this Armani suit, there is barely enough cash to afford the McDonald's dollar menu. Seriously, how should I dress? And how do I make the interviewer not self-concious?

well, thank you all. but i may not be "back" this is a gosh darn serious question. it has been quite a while since i went on interviews, and the results this time around are, well, devastating. and yes, i did actually apply at McDonalds. No, I did not get the job. In my life, I believe that that is the most horrible thing that has happened to me. Yes, I pulled up in front, the manager was there standing next to his Ford Focus, smoking a cigarette. I got out , dressed what I call "upscale" casual, and the guy freaked.

Answer 1

Business professional. I actually had to teach my peers the proper way to dress when going in for a job interview, while at work, etc. Maybe if you had a less expensive suit, don't wear a jacket. Black pants, a nice button down shirt with a tie, plus shoes to match of course. You don't want to dumb it down quite so far as dockers. They usually recommend dockers for business casual, after you already have the job. :-)

Answer 2

Wear a dark suit, white shirt and a nice solid color tie (red or blue maybe). Conservative is better.

Personally I would not know an Armani suit from one off the rack at JC Penneys. I just know when someone comes in the office to interview that they are dressed in a professional manner.

You only have the one time to make a first impression. If you "dress down" and don't look as if you took the time and effort to put forth a professional apperance then the HR person will look down upon you.

How to make the interviewer not self conscious? Dress nicely and that's that. I have never been self conscious in an interview no matter what a person is wearing across the table from me.

Better advice to you would be to prepare for this interview. Read up on the company and learn about it so you can ask intelligent questions. Prepare answers for the questions you know they are going to ask (where do you see yourself in five years, why you want to work here) so you don't stumble when asked.

If you need a job badly then you need to be prepared for the meat of the interview. The way you look plays a big role in whether or not you are hired, yes. But what matters is a professional appearance not the label on the inside of the jacket. Stop worrying so much about the clothes and start preparing for the interview so you can get this job.

Answer 3

The appropriate attire depends on the job one is interviewing for. I don't think Armani would make the correct impression at a job interview for McDonald's, but never having worked there, I really can't say.

I would imagine that a decent suit could be purchased at Macy's; that is, one that would be considered of bourgeois tastes. However, the way a person is dressed should only be a part of the impression made in an interview, and I would bet that you make a very good personal impression, so, though I hate to say it, probably you are just encountering a tough job market. Jack would hate to think how he would fare if he was kicked out into the cold, cruel world to fend for himself.

Jack may, however, soon have to find out.

Answer 4

Yes, the clothes you wear can intimidate even the most senior HR guy. Too bad you couldn't interview with a woman. But, you will need to get some nice trousers, a dark shirt, and a nice tie - nothing cute, just stylish. But the suit is the standard business dress for men. Study the company first. How are your interview skills? Your first impression is the key to get them to listen to you, but what comes out of your mouth, as well as your body language, is more important to the interviewer. I took a business communications course - I even have a textbook on it! It might be a good idea to go to the library and see if you can find one.

Answer 5

Instead of dressing down, why don't you start applying for jobs where the interviewer would also be wearing Armani? Sure, you might not have the qualifications to work in such a place, but those sorts of jobs don't usually require you to do real work anyway - they just want someone tall, with good hair, that can wear a suit to make the company look good.
Good luck, my friend.

Answer 6

Sounds like you're dressing for some picnic or BBQ. You want to dress professional...Ugg boots and leggings are by no means professional...thats what 14 yr old wear. You can still dress bright and professional. Try a skirt and a nice dress shirt/blouse or pant/skirt suit. Accessories and be fun and colorful too.

Answer 7

I don't think its the Suit. It's sort of a pre-requisite to dress in a proffesional manner when attending an interview... but it's like this. I think that if you wear anything less than a suit or shirt and tie that the interviewer almost overlooks you... they do not think you are professional looking or that you do not present yourself well... but when you ARE in the proper attire it's almost as though it didn't matter anyway as they are not sitting there saying to themselves "Damn, his Armani suit cost as much as my prius... "

Does this make sense? It's all about confidence and having the answers to what they are looking for...

Answer 8

8 Track, dress as though you were going to work that very day at the company that you're applying to. If you're applying to be a mechanic, go dressed in jeans and a T-shrit, clean but stilll dressed as though you were ready to start work right after the interview. In other words, LOOK the part and arrive in clean clothes but appropriate for the position that you wish to obtain. Don't worry about the car that you're driving, HR rarely looks out into the parking lot to see what you drove up in.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 9

Look at how the people you dress at the company you want. Then dress this way for the interview.

When I worked for IBM years ago, you wore a white shirt and blue or gray suit. If you showed up for the interview dressed any other way, NO JOB

Mirror the people you are interviewing with.

Answer 10

Dress for the job. The standard rule is wear a suite to an interview. However, dress according to the company’s environment. Don't wear a suit to a company that wears jeans and t-shirts or vice versa. If you don't know what the standard is, wear a casual business suit.