The other day, a friend of mine had a job interview and he was worried about what he was going to wear. “Wear what you’re comfortable wearing,” was my word of advice.
Not sure if he took it or not.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never made a hiring decision based on what someone showed up to the interview wearing. Unless of course they walked in with a Def Leppard t-shirt, chains from their ears to their nipples and a dozen or so holes in their appendages filled with assorted metal objects.
Don’t call me a hypocrite for that one, but that is the only “attire” I consider inappropriate for a job interview.
Now there’s at least one of you out there saying, “OMG, you need to dress for success!”
My friend was contemplating wearing a suit. While I appreciate the look of a man in a well tailored suit, unless he’s interviewing for a job as an attorney or God-forbid, a banker, leave the suit on the rack at Joseph A. Bank.
“Wear what you’re comfortable wearing,” is the motto I live by.
I’m not comfortable in a suit.
I’m comfortable in short pants.
Would I wear them to a job interview?
Well, I did.
Shortly after selling my company a few years ago, I contemplated leaving the world wide web behind and taking a new career path – as a cruise director.
I applied for a job at one of the two largest cruise lines and got a call to come in for an interview.
I got up that morning, put on my best pair of khaki shorts, a polo and a matching pair of Chuck Taylor’s and took the hour drive south to Miami.
I walked into the company’s headquarters, told the receptionist I was there to see Mrs. HR and took a seat in the lobby. After a few moments I got called in and the interview process began.
First question was not about my choice of interview attire, but “why would you ever apply for this job?”
Mrs. HR admitted to me that the main reason I got called in for the interview was because I piqued her curiosity so much that she had to get to the bottom of the “why” in her first question.
Now, I never did get called back for a second interview. Probably because when I asked about salary it was a number I haven’t been paid since I was a freshman in high school, I would have to enter as an “assistant” first and spend 9 months in the Mediterranean upon after those 9 months my future employment could not be guaranteed, I said, “thanks but no thanks.”
Now there are plenty of businesses where a suit and tie are required, none of them would be a place I would take a paycheck from.
That’s just me.
So what exactly is proper attire for a job interview?
I don’t recommend pulling a Sanfilippo and walking in wearing short pants and sneakers, but I will stand by my “whatever makes you comfortable” mantra. If you’re comfortable wearing a suit, hey, go for it – you’re a better man than I. If you’re comfortable in a pair of khakis and a dress shirt, then put them on, strut your stuff and walk into that interview confidently.
At the end of the day, you’re being judged on your abilities to do the job you’re being interviewed to do, not on what you show up wearing.
Business owners and potential employees, share your thoughts with me on interview attire. I’d like your take on the subject!
I’m sure you’re all going to disagree!