Have an interview Monday-dress question?

[psugrad98]

I have an interview on Monday. I was discussing with my wife what to wear. I want to wear this.

My wife suggested I wear the same outfit, sans bow tie but with a traditional similarly colored long tie.

Any thoughts. It's for a position in organizational development and instruction at a Hospital.

And those of you who know me on Facebook, keep it hush hush.

 

[Shangas]

I think you should replace the bowtie with just a regular necktie. Either blue or red, in my opinion.

 

[BoDiddly]

Interesting question - do you go with an appearance that will make you stand out, or do you go with an appearance that will make you fit in.


In general, when interviewing, you want to appear like you already have the job. But, in my experience, having something small, subtle, that differentiates you from the rest of the interviewees is an advantage to being recognized and remembered.


Different parts of the country in the U.S. have different expectations of dress. Not being familiar with Melbourne you might just fit in, and the bow tie to work to your advantage. In the New England area of the U.S., even the pinstripes would be considered outrageous for an interview (better to go with a charcoal grey or navy solid).


What does everyone else wear there? Have you been on the inside yet?


Lastly, bow ties can either be considered 'cool' or 'dweeby'. While no one would call these guys dweeby:

not too many would call this guy cool:

(The latter image tends to be what people mentally think of with bow ties.)

 

[ortega76]

Go with a four-in-hand tie. The outfit looks smart and the pocketsquare is a nice touch. The bowtie looks great but it may be a bit too unusual for a first interview.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

When they come to committee to review the interviewees, all they will think of is "That's the guy with the bowtie". Who knows if they'll be able to get past that and remember how you performed, why you were better than the others.

People in the same room will have wildly differing reactions to something so innocuous but inherently "different" as a bowtie. I personally wouldn't put my career possibilities in the hands of someone's potentially negative reactions to neckwear. And since you're going into a hospital environment be warned they are VERY cliquey. If you look like you're not going to fit into the clique, you won't get hired.

Now, i'm firmly of the opinion that anyone who would decide on anything important based on dress is a total cretin, basically unworthy of the skin they inhabit. But one must realise that other people do seem to care about small matters of dress (though I would argue this is simply because they're following the mental path of least resistance - to be knee-jerk, or fundamently "against" some aspect of dress is simply to avoid the thought required to have a rational opinion.)

bk

 

[brspiritus]

Lastly, bow ties can either be considered 'cool' or 'dweeby'. While no one would call these guys dweeby:

Nation of Islam, their HQ was in Baltimore so I saw these guys all over the place at street corners selling bean pies and their newspaper. Call them dweeby at your own peril.

not too many would call this guy cool:

(The latter image tends to be what people mentally think of with bow ties.)

For that guy it's not the bowtie that does it, it's the suspenders throwing the whole look out of whack. if he wasn't wearing Mr Rogers suspenders I think he'd look like any college professor I knew.

 

[Feraud]

I don't recall Mr. Rodgers ever wearing suspenders.

 

[John in Covina]

This is an interesting question, do you want to stand out from the crowd or be in the not making waves section.

The first thing is in this economy to get the job and anything that will get you past a first interview and into the next stage is something to be considered. You can always wear a bow tie to work after you got the job (if the position calls for it) but if the bow tie blows the interview for you then you don't get to go to the job.

In the days where they would get 20 resumes and interview 10 people some personal quirks were more acceptable but these days they may have sorted through 100 to 1000 resumes and are going to be super selective. Whether a bow tie is going to skew the results is going to be based on a few things, type of corporate structure, regional preferences and the personable foibles of the interviewers.


What might win at one place may not fly at another. Unfortunately, I'd say these days it has to be a lowest common denominator -broadest appeal <a lot like Bud Light.

Good luck!

 

[BoDiddly]

For that guy it's not the bowtie that does it, it's the suspenders throwing the whole look out of whack. if he wasn't wearing Mr Rogers suspenders I think he'd look like any college professor I knew.

I was trying to avoid using this image:

one must realise that other people do seem to care about small matters of dress

People have a set expectation in their mind, and will determine who and what you are based on your appearance in the first 20 seconds of seeing you. (I can't find my copy of Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser, but in it he goes into the details of how this works.)

 

[John in Covina]

People have a set expectation in their mind, and will determine who and what you are based on your appearance in the first 20 seconds of seeing you.

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

 

[Johnnysan]

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

I agree...regular necktie for the interview. Bow tie on the day after you complete your probationary period! Good luck.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Simple question. Simple answers. Don't over think this, boys. Blue pinstripe suit is too formal (but wear it if it's your only blue suit). White shirt works, but make sure it's not button down (again, if possible, don't go buy one). Conservative long tie. No bow ties or pocket squares. Make sure your shoes are shined with the edges dressed. Facial hair must be IMMACULATELY trimmed. Haircut if necessary. Good luck.

 

[Betz]

I have an interview on Monday. I was discussing with my wife what to wear. I want to wear this.
(picture omitted)

My wife suggested I wear the same outfit, sans bow tie but with a traditional similarly colored long tie.

Any thoughts. It's for a position in organizational development and instruction at a Hospital.

And those of you who know me on Facebook, keep it hush hush.

I would follow your wife's advice. I think a traditional long necktie will look sharp and is more professional in this day and age. Once you get the job and you need to wear suits, then go ahead and wear the necktie if you wish. You look sharp though buddy.

Edit: And as an afterthought, if I may suggest, you might want to wear a red tie. Red is a more aggressive color and shows that you want something. Food for thought.

 

[dhermann1]

Personally, I think you look just fine. Question is, what type of job and what type of organization?

 

[Torpedo]

Wear a tie for the interview, and once you are hired and stablished, wear the bow tie too.

I wear bow ties regularly; should I have to go to an interview in my current organization, I could go it a bow tie, because I am already well known, and the bow tie quirk is not only already associated with my person (and accepted, be it as an oddity or whatever), it would be amply offset by many other factors. But, if for some reason, I had to go to an interview in a different place, where I am not previously known, I would not wear bow tie.

As mentioned, a bow tie may influence your prospective employer negatively.

(BTW, I disagree with the bold red tie suggestion. I think a red tie is too flashy, not only for an interview, but for a professional environment in general).

The same for the pocket square. Wear a conservative one, with a simple TV fold.

This said, the question depends on a lot of things, as DHermann has mentioned.

 

[Cobden]

I think the trick is to stand out in such a way that the interviewer doesn't notice it. Rather tricky to articulate, but for an example, in the UK the normal interview gear (bear in mind things are different this side of the Atlantic) would be a blue pinstripe suit, white shirt, and sober solid coloured tie (the last more due to current fashion). I tend to wear a (sober) patterned tie, and a grey suit for this very reason. Completely acceptable, won't make you stand out, but different enough from the others in an un-noticable way that is within the parametres expected of interview dress.

The other to bear in mind is the current fashion, and how to avoid it. Again, this is Anglocentric, but if I were to go to an interview tomorrow in a setting wear the other candidates would likely be of a similar age to myself (mid 20's), I would put money on nearly all of them wearing a suit that has narrow lapels, angled pockets, double vents, pleatless skinny hip hugger trousers and shoes that are half cornish pasty, half winkle pickers. Probably a narrow tie, too. Hence, I tend to wear a suit that is less fashionable (many of mine I bought in the US in the early 2000's), with moderate lapels, single vent, pleated trousers with oxfords. Not the sort of differences a normal person would be conscious of, but it could make you stand out without it being obvious

 

[avedwards]

I have an interview with a recruitment company on Monday. I'm planning on wearing this combination:

Would brown shoes be acceptable or should I stick to black?

The role is as a German speaking recruiter and I was given the interview even though I lack a university degree (which the company would have preferred) on the premise that I am genuinely fluent in German. As such I'm on thin ice already so I don't want to do anything which may ruin my chances of getting the job. I won't be wearing my hat (I hope it won't complain about being folded in my briefcase during the interview). I simply wondered about the brown shoes because I wouldn't want to appear too formal as I wouldn't be surprised if it's the sort of company where everyone wears a suit but no tie.

Also, please feel free to criticise any other element of my outfit.

 

[Shangas]

I see no reason why you shouldn't wear a hat. But I think black shoes to go with a combination like that.

 

[adouglasmhor]

Depends on the brown, dark brown or reddish brown is fine, light tan not so much (looks a bit to casual), brown shoes go fine with a grey suit IMO.

 

[frank nitte]

to the main topic a tie would be better just make sure. It's not to bright and it will fit with the colors your suit has already because we would not want the boss to think of the tie and not you. We want it the other way around so a tie would be a wise discision.