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IT Guys - Dress for Interview at Business Casual Office (1 Viewer)

What would you wear?

  • Suit and tie, it's an interview!

    Votes: 51 49.5%

  • Sport coat, slacks and dress shirt

    Votes: 37 35.9%

  • Sport coat jeans and polo

    Votes: 10 9.7%

  • Collared shirt and khakis

    Votes: 16 15.5%

  • I'm so good I'll wear tshirt and jeans

    Votes: 9 8.7%
  • Total voters
    103
JaxBill

JaxBill

Footballguy
I have an interview coming up at an office with younger vibe and business casual environment. 

i had an interview there before and manager was in polo and jeans. Two of the three tech guys were in tshirts. i didn't get the job but it was more because my strengths didn't match up right, not because of my suit. i definitely felt overdressed though.

 
It's hard to have someone see you overdressed and that form a negative opinion of you.  Maybe they fleetingly think you're trying too hard, but that effort of presentation is likely appreciated in that you take the opportunity seriously, want to put the best foot forward, and show up with your best self presented.

I've interviewed folks in jeans and a button up who got the job over a person dressed in a suit, but it was due to the skills, personality, and fit of the person more so than the dress but the dress did leave an impression of professionalism and a desire to take the position seriously.

 
JaxBill said:
I have an interview coming up at an office with younger vibe and business casual environment. 

i had an interview there before and manager was in polo and jeans. Two of the three tech guys were in tshirts. i didn't get the job but it was more because my strengths didn't match up right, not because of my suit. i definitely felt overdressed though.
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I work at a smaller tech company (160 or so employees). Personally, I wouldn't do the suit (unless you wear one at your current job). I obviously wouldn't say no to a candidate that "overdressed", but it also sticks out as unusual for a place that's casual dress. From what you described of the people who interviewed you last time, I'd lean more toward pure casual, but honestly I'd just wear what you would normally wear to work. At my current gig I believe I interviewed in a hoodie, cap, and jeans.

 
adonis said:
It's hard to have someone see you overdressed and that form a negative opinion of you.  Maybe they fleetingly think you're trying too hard, but that effort of presentation is likely appreciated in that you take the opportunity seriously, want to put the best foot forward, and show up with your best self presented.

I've interviewed folks in jeans and a button up who got the job over a person dressed in a suit, but it was due to the skills, personality, and fit of the person more so than the dress but the dress did leave an impression of professionalism and a desire to take the position seriously.
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I mostly agree that it's always better to be overdressed than under. However, they could be looking for someone who they can envision in their office and fitting in with their culture. The suit might make them see you as old school, traditional, uptight or just not a real fit for their younger, "hipper" culture. 

 
I guess I should also ask, what's the job? There's probably some different expectations on presentability based on the job you're going for. Programmers like me get a ton more leeway, in my experience. Sales you'd probably be better showing up in the sport coat/jeans/polo category, for example.

 
Ilov80s said:
I mostly agree that it's always better to be overdressed than under. However, they could be looking for someone who they can envision in their office and fitting in with their culture. The suit might make them see you as old school, traditional, uptight or just not a real fit for their younger, "hipper" culture. 
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This.  

Definitely overdress, but not TOO much.

So the answer is slacks/dress shirt/sports coat.  For sure.

 
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I think nice jeans, polo/button up (no tie) and sports coat is the way I would go. It's dressy enough that it looks like you took time to be put together and care about making a good impression but it's not too far off from what someone might just wear out on a normal day so it doesn't give the impression of trying too hard or being old school. 

 
mcintyre1 said:
I guess I should also ask, what's the job? There's probably some different expectations on presentability based on the job you're going for. Programmers like me get a ton more leeway, in my experience. Sales you'd probably be better showing up in the sport coat/jeans/polo category, for example.
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Senior software engineer. No client interaction that i know of. But still would have to interact with higher ups and other departments from time to time.

 
JaxBill said:
Senior software engineer. No client interaction that i know of. But still would have to interact with higher ups and other departments from time to time.
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Nice, gotcha. I'm a Senior Full Stack Engineer myself.  I'd probably lean toward some of the other suggestions of polo/sport coat/jeans if you have them, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. They're going to care a lot more about your perceived technical skills and general personality than what you wore, in my experience. I'd still avoid a suit myself -- I wouldn't really care, but I've definitely worked with/sat through interviews with people who have a much stronger negative reaction to that in our field. I've never personally heard another engineer say something about someone underdressing, even if they showed up in a t shirt and jeans.

 
Put my vote down for suit.  I'm 46 though, so I've been around a lot longer than this new wave of dressing casual in the workplace.  I definitely would feel uncomfortable walking into an interview in jeans and/or without a jacket.

Now that I've said that, I'm thinking you go with whatever makes you most comfortable, so your attire is not a distraction from your interview performance.

 
I always wear a suit and tie.  As was said earlier, I can't imagine being dinged on an interview because you dressed up too much.  When I interviewed at my last long term job, I wore a suit.  The guy interviewing me was wearing jeans and a polo.  He even said something like, "You know we don't wear suits around here, right?'  And I told him I didn't plan to wear a suit if hired, but I've never not worn a suit for an interview.  He was like, "Yeah.  That makes sense."  I got hired and worked there the longest of any company I've ever worked for.  And I wore jeans and a polo every day of work from day 1 until the last day.

 
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I just did this a couple of months ago and went the suit and tie route.  That said I don't think it factors in much to their decision.  It may effect your mental position more than yours. 

 
The only great accomplishment of my life is that I've had 7 post-graduate job interviews (all software engineer related and most pretty casual dress around the office) and I've been offered the position at all 7 of them.  I've worn a suit and tie to every one of them.

I'm not saying the suit and tie made a difference, but it clearly didn't hurt.  Underdressing could.

 
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Ilov80s said:
I think nice jeans, polo/button up (no tie) and sports coat is the way I would go. It's dressy enough that it looks like you took time to be put together and care about making a good impression but it's not too far off from what someone might just wear out on a normal day so it doesn't give the impression of trying too hard or being old school. 
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:goodposting:

For the position/environment described, this would be my answer.

If I were looking for a job in my field, I would go suit and tie...unless I found out that they were a casual work environment from the top on down.  But, my work involves client interactions and presentations.  I've loosened up my presentation attire to nice pants and a sports coat with no tie.

ETA - I really hate wearing ties.

 
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I do remember back about 8 years ago a similar thread.  And there were people who were saying that if someone came into their office to interview with a suit and tie, they'd toss their resume in the trash as soon as they left.  I found that so odd.  I just couldn't imagine a company discounting a person because they decided to dress up for an interview.  Especially since that has always been the norm.  

For me, dressing up shows a sign of respect to the company and the person who is taking their time to interview you.  It's weird to think that someone would be so offended by someone wearing a suit to an interview that they would discount that person's application.  

 
Dress shirt and dress pants, I'm 52 years old, I interview guys for IT positions at my job (we're full dress casual - jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes) and the only people I ever see in suits are salespeople and attorneys.

 
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Without reading responses ... I voted "suit and tie". That was the only option that accounted for a tie. Around here, dress shirt and tie, without the jacket, would be fine for an IT interview -- New Orleans is not really a suit-wearing town even for white-collar men.

If I knew a good bit about the corporate culture and had some knowledge about who was interviewing me ... I might be able to get away with dressing it down. There's an IT firm on our floor that all work in T-shirts and shorts -- everyone is under 30, it looks like. If I interviewed there, dress shirt w/o tie + chinos would be more than dressy enough.

 
Tie for sure

Doug B said:
Without reading responses ... I voted "suit and tie". That was the only option that accounted for a tie. Around here, dress shirt and tie, without the jacket, would be fine for an IT interview -- New Orleans is not really a suit-wearing town even for white-collar men.

If I knew a good bit about the corporate culture and had some knowledge about who was interviewing me ... I might be able to get away with dressing it down. There's an IT firm on our floor that all work in T-shirts and shorts -- everyone is under 30, it looks like. If I interviewed there, dress shirt w/o tie + chinos would be more than dressy enough.
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i am with Doug B

always wear a tie to an interview

 
Anything other than the suit or the t shirt.  I’ve been the old guy in a lot of young offices and have actually heard people view the suit as indicating an inability to recognize and adjust to the culture.  

 
B-Deep said:
Tie for sure

i am with Doug B

always wear a tie to an interview
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I agree with this.  I voted suit and tie but that was only because slacks & tie weren't an option.  I would always wear a tie to an interview. 

zoobird said:
Anything other than the suit or the t shirt.  I’ve been the old guy in a lot of young offices and have actually heard people view the suit as indicating an inability to recognize and adjust to the culture.  
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This seems wrong to me.  If I didn't know the dress code for every day at the company I would still wear a tie and if everyone was in t-shirts and shorts I would use that as an ice breaker in some manner saying that if I would have known the dress code I wouldn't have worn a tie.  You can still show them that you can adjust to culture while still looking professional for a job interview.

I have conducted many interviews and even though my everyday work attire is jeans/polo I still expect the interviewee to be wearing a tie.  But I am 47 so that's probably a part of my generation shining through. 

Bottom line is I would be surprised if wearing a tie was a negative where not wearing a tie could be a negative......

 
I’m 49.  I always assumed the same until my last job.  I had several conversations where the 30 ish year old founders considered candidates wearing suits as an actual negative.  This obviously only applies to very casual startups.  At larger companies I’d probably wear the suit even if they dress casually. 

 
I think everybody saying suit and tie is showing their age and I think it can possibly be held against the interviewee.  I’d go slacks and sports coat.  Companies are looking for young talent and people that are not dinosaurs.  Wearing a suit and tie to this type of interview screams - I’m old school.  YMMV.

 
Osaurus said:
If it wasn’t in person and on Skype, I’d recommend something like this
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Yeah I've done Skype interviews in Suit, tie, and shorts while barefoot. Pro tip is you need shorts with a belt so you can tuck your dress shirt in.

 
AAABatteries said:
I think everybody saying suit and tie is showing their age and I think it can possibly be held against the interviewee.  I’d go slacks and sports coat.  Companies are looking for young talent and people that are not dinosaurs.  Wearing a suit and tie to this type of interview screams - I’m old school.  YMMV.
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Maybe this world needs some old school you anorexic malnutrition tapeworm-having overdose on **** Gregory Bohemian diet-drinking ### 

 
JaxBill said:
I have an interview coming up at an office with younger vibe and business casual environment. 

i had an interview there before and manager was in polo and jeans. Two of the three tech guys were in tshirts. i didn't get the job but it was more because my strengths didn't match up right, not because of my suit. i definitely felt overdressed though.
Click to expand...
I'm in IT in a similar office. When I changed jobs last - about 9 years ago - I went to every interview in khakis and a nice shirt (polo or button up). Never had any issues and had a couple different options to choose from. I was way more comfortable and enjoyed the process way more than ever before. 

 
I think the legit median answer is jeans or chinos with a sport coat and button down. No tie, no suit. That puts you best of both worlds without looking like you're too out of touch with a suit or too much of a slacker with flip-flops and a hoodie.

Or, if you really want to impress, wear a tux.  The same arguments stated above for a suit apply to a tux. It just shows respect, right? And you'll really stand out.

 
I can't answer the question because I don't know what fits you well. A well fit suit and tie is always a good default...but it is really about what gives you the best blend of comfort and confidence.  Dressing to impress is never a negative in my book, but don't do it in something that looks turrible on you.

That said....I love interviewing people/having them in on their first day when they are overdressed and busting their balls about it.  

 
I have hired over 100 people in the last 10 years. I wear jeans and polo shirts to work. But, I expect someone coming in for an interview to AT LEAST be in a button down and slacks. A suit and tie is better.

I just would not hire someone who came in wearing jeans. It shows a lack of respect for the interview, IMO.

I’m 54...

 
Ron Swanson said:
I think the legit median answer is jeans or chinos with a sport coat and button down. No tie, no suit. That puts you best of both worlds without looking like you're too out of touch with a suit or too much of a slacker with flip-flops and a hoodie.

Or, if you really want to impress, wear a tux.  The same arguments stated above for a suit apply to a tux. It just shows respect, right? And you'll really stand out.
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When I was doing interviews, if a guy showed up in a tux, I probably would’ve hired him no matter what his resume said. :lol:

 
I went with sport coat, slacks and dress shirt. I might hang  the sport coat over the back of my chair if no one else was wearing one

 
kutta said:
I have hired over 100 people in the last 10 years. I wear jeans and polo shirts to work. But, I expect someone coming in for an interview to AT LEAST be in a button down and slacks. A suit and tie is better.

I just would not hire someone who came in wearing jeans. It shows a lack of respect for the interview, IMO.

I’m 54...
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Bingo 

 
Wear the suit, leave the tie.  I consult with a lot of companies and I haven’t seen a tie worn in years. All of my ties stopped getting worn after I left the legislature. 

 
I selected "Sport coat, slacks and dress shirt".

Not knowing anything else, I think it shows that you care, but doesn't look too over the top.

Who scheduled the interview? HR? An agency? Don't be afraid to call and ask them. They may know what successful candidates have done and/or if the decision makers have tendencies.

Good luck

Added - as I get older, I find casual or dress slacks to be lighter, less restrictive and more comfortable than jeans anyway.

 
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brun said:
I selected "Sport coat, slacks and dress shirt".

Not knowing anything else, I think it shows that you care, but doesn't look too over the top.

Who scheduled the interview? HR? An agency? Don't be afraid to call and ask them. They may know what successful candidates have done and/or if the decision makers have tendencies.

Good luck
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Asking is definitely the way to go. I remember about a decade ago I had an interview during the day but was at my job that day. The interview was less than a mile away and I wore business casual to my job. I asked if that would be ok since I was coming from work and the recruiter told me if I didn’t wear a suit, don’t even bother going. It sucked because I had to drive to a park and get changed in my car. I was afraid I’d get busted for indecent exposure or something. Had to do the same thing after the interview. 

Also, didn’t get the job, but had a follow up interview in which I had to do the same routine. 

 
Tech is different than other businesses.  They don't want a stuffy "suit" .  They don't care that much how old you are as long as you dress and act like you're in your late 20s IMO.

 
msommer said:
I went with sport coat, slacks and dress shirt. I might hang  the sport coat over the back of my chair if no one else was wearing one
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I've seen this frequently as a specific recommendation if suspect that a suit-&-tie would be a detriment, but you don't know for sure.

 
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