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Interview shirt
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Wear whatever you are comfortable with. If you don't typically wear a suit, then don't wear one to the interview. Your skills and qualifications should stand alone to any reasonable interviewer regardless of what you wear (unless you are interviewing for a fashion-related position).
If a company chooses to not hire you in 2015 simply because of how you look then it's their loss, and you don't really want to work for them anyway!!!!!
If a company chooses to not hire you in 2015 simply because of how you look then it's their loss, and you don't really want to work for them anyway!!!!!
I never wear a white suit to an interview. I always wear a 1 tone shirt with a matching tie.
My favorite suit is one with dark gray and a light lavender pin stripe.
Then a lavender shirt and purple gray silver lavender tie.
A guy at men's wear house threw the combo together.
Not a fan of plaid.
GE I would wear a suit.
If you rarely wear a suit, throw one on and stroll around a mall for an hour, get the feel of how it feels to move in a suit.
My favorite suit is one with dark gray and a light lavender pin stripe.
Then a lavender shirt and purple gray silver lavender tie.
A guy at men's wear house threw the combo together.
Not a fan of plaid.
GE I would wear a suit.
If you rarely wear a suit, throw one on and stroll around a mall for an hour, get the feel of how it feels to move in a suit.
The world does not revolve around you, and how YOU want it to look.
Some companies are conservative, and prefer a certain style / look.
Get with it, or don't.
But it's certainly not their "loss", unless you are the next Einstein or Bill Gates.
There are tons of qualified candidates, and tons that don't get their panties in a bunch if they have to wear something at work that they wouldn't necessarily wear at home on the weekend.
-t
First of all, suit and tie is a must. I grew up in Connecticut, not too far from GE's world headquarters in Fairfield. I know a bunch of people who work for GE, and they are very much a typical suit and tie kind of company. They will appreciate you wearing conventional business attire to the interview. They are not a "new age" company like Google, Apple, or even ESPN etc where you might get away being able to wear a pair of expensive jeans and a trendy shirt. They're an old school, East Coast company.
I'm not sure where you're interviewing as GE is a massive company, but know that at least at their headquarters they expect their people to appear in the typical business dress.
I'd have to see the shirt to see if the plaid was ok. Be careful in general matching the shirt if it has a pattern to the tie and suit (if the suit has a pattern like pinstripe or subtle plaid). Plaid shirts can be tricky to match to ties, especially if there's too much going on. I might recommend something less busy like a gingham plaid (one color checkboxes over white- google it if you don't know what it is). As for the suit, I really dislike "reflective" looking suits, stick to more of a matte color.
I too am a fan of the grey suit with lavender/light purple color scheme. These colors are very "in" right now, as is gingham plaid. Light brown belts and matching shoes pull it all together nicely.
My girlfriend likes to say that wearing light colors like pink, salmon, lavender, light sea foam green, etc, show your confidence.
I consider myself someone who can dress well (my coworkers point this out often
). How you dress unfortunately is one of the first things people look at in assessing you. It may be rude, but drawing conclusions from visual judgement is a fundamental instinct we have.
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Check out what others are wearing there (if you can) and wear what would seem to make you fit in….. A white shirt is always a safe choice if you are not sure.
Let your skills stand out, not your fashion sense.
White is safe, but I personally like to be a little more edgy.
Grey Suit, Lavender Shirt (Go for the brown leather belt and shoes too)
Gingham Shirt
Grey Suit, Lavender Shirt (Go for the brown leather belt and shoes too)
Gingham Shirt
For an interview I would recommend a plain shirt, - not necessarily white - but perhaps blue with a navy suit, or the sort of lilac and grey combination (which is an excellent summer choice) which others have recommended already here.
A checked pattern shirt can look terrific with a navy suit or blazer, but I wouldn't recommend that to an interview, but for wearing after you have been appointed to the position.
Those who argue that 'in 2015' one shouldn't be judged solely on appearance are perhaps missing the point somewhat in an interview setting, although, as a female in a world where women are constantly judged (invariably negatively) on appearance, I have some sympathy for your position.
However, in the context of an interview, that may be missing the point. An interview is where both you and the company are on their very best behaviour - it is almost like a date, in that one is putting forward an idealised version of yourself in the hope that you will be hired.
If someone turns up casually dressed, - oozing a 'take me or leave me' attitude, in that sort of setting, at the time of the interview, where some minimal degree of mutual respect exists (i.e. you give the impression that you are making an effort) one assumes that this attitude will be carried forward into employment.
Find out the corporate culture of the company and region where you are interviewing, and broadly (not necessarily absolutely) try to conform to that.
Good luck.
A checked pattern shirt can look terrific with a navy suit or blazer, but I wouldn't recommend that to an interview, but for wearing after you have been appointed to the position.
Those who argue that 'in 2015' one shouldn't be judged solely on appearance are perhaps missing the point somewhat in an interview setting, although, as a female in a world where women are constantly judged (invariably negatively) on appearance, I have some sympathy for your position.
However, in the context of an interview, that may be missing the point. An interview is where both you and the company are on their very best behaviour - it is almost like a date, in that one is putting forward an idealised version of yourself in the hope that you will be hired.
If someone turns up casually dressed, - oozing a 'take me or leave me' attitude, in that sort of setting, at the time of the interview, where some minimal degree of mutual respect exists (i.e. you give the impression that you are making an effort) one assumes that this attitude will be carried forward into employment.
Find out the corporate culture of the company and region where you are interviewing, and broadly (not necessarily absolutely) try to conform to that.
Good luck.
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This. Plus take the time to cut and clean your fingernails and polish your shoes.
I'm sure that there are companies where following this advice wouldn't harm your chances of landing a position, but I strongly doubt that GE is one of them. Being well-dressed and well-groomed shows that you care enough about the job to have made the effort. Fair or not, how you look affects how people perceive you. That's why defendants in murder trials are usually dressed nicely.
That doesn't mean that you have to wear a very expensive suit and accessories - it is possible to over-dress for an interview. For a company like GE, being fairly conservative in your clothing is probably the right approach, however.
Always wear a suit for a job interview. Even if the position is a low paid one. I interview people for generally lower paid positions within our company, but when you turn up in a football shirt, it says 'I'm not really bothered about getting the job'.
As long as your suit, shirt, tie and shoes match and are clean and ironed, it's down to personal choice, but always go a tad more conservative than you might dress by choice.
As long as your suit, shirt, tie and shoes match and are clean and ironed, it's down to personal choice, but always go a tad more conservative than you might dress by choice.
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I find the first image to flamboyant. The second one looks decent.
Shoes are very important. Make sure they are shiny, flawless and polished.
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If your goal is flipping burgers at McD, you should just make sure you are not naked and moderately sober.
Is anybodies 'goal' flipping burgers? I'm not sure too many people choose to do that because of the many other opportunities out there for them.
Even then I'd say dress to impress. And always be sober and smell nice at an interview.
I think it depends on the position. If you're going to be working an office job, suit and tie should be the standard. If you're interviewing for a manufacturing job I think you can get by with business casual (khakis, oxford shirt and maybe a tie).
What location, business? I know people at several of the US locations.
What location, business? I know people at several of the US locations.
Those are terrific looks, though you don't want your interviewer to get distracted so definitely take a less-is-more approach. So right (in a previous post) about aligning your dress to the expectations of the company.
For example, when I used to interview people, the _less_ clothes the better ...
YES.
Goddam, hahahaha ...
Agreed, which is why I am thinking plaid might be too much. As for the gingham or check, I'd go with a lighter color with a thinner line. The one I posted may be on the boarder of being too bold, but it's the only gingham shirt I could find with a suit quickly.
My advice extends to keeping the patterns to a minimum (which makes matching easier too). White shirts are fine but to me they're too plain and makes it seem like you rarely get dressed up. A light colored solid shirt is a great choice. I'm not a fan of very dark or shiney looking shirts, as they look tacky and cheap.
There is nothing worse than someone with long, uneven, dirty fingernails. If you have a nice looking watch in good condition, wear it. If it's a sports watch or informal, don't wear it. If it's a leather band, make sure it matches your belt and shoes. Do not wear cologne, period. Good posture and firm handshake are a must.
The OP should post the shirt he has in mind. Do you have a tie?
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It's funny, I'd consider myself to have a reasonable understanding of dress code/expectations for various occupations and their related interviews, ... but I've personally never done one that required any kind of dress of the type being discussed
Byproduct of "rolling my own" so to speak.
We recently met with a major player in the tech/entertainment space - jeans and Adidas
Byproduct of "rolling my own" so to speak.
We recently met with a major player in the tech/entertainment space - jeans and Adidas
Excellent post, and I would add my voice to the two posters who have commented on suggesting that the OP ensure that his nails are trimmed and - above all - clean.
Personally I love white shirts, but do not recommend them to an interview simply because it is almost an invitation to disaster; the stress of an interview, along with the challenge of trying to ensure that the pristine white shirt remains exactly that way, may be tempting fate just a bit much .sod's law, and all of that.
While I really like dark shorts, as long as they match the rest of the ensemble, an interview is not where I would experiment with such a look.
It's funny, I'd consider myself to have a reasonable understanding of dress code/expectations for various occupations and their related interviews, ... but I've personally never done one that required any kind of dress of the type being discussed
Byproduct of "rolling my own" so to speak.
We recently met with a major player in the tech/entertainment space - jeans and Adidas
Tech & entertainment do indeed pride themselves on their apparently artless informality, but, in truth, jeans and Adidas can be every bit as constricting and limiting a uniform as any other contrived corporate look.
My girlfriend likes to say that wearing light colors like pink, salmon, lavender, light sea foam green, etc, show your confidence.
This might be too "New England-like", especially the pastel colors, like salmon/sea foam green/lavender, etc. I think those colors work up here, but not if you go to NYC.
My girlfriend lives in NYC. She looked at me like I was crazy, when I was wearing sea foam green shorts last weekend. Guess they don't like colors down there in NYC
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Not really, no. It's very "in" right now, especially in the area where me and A. Goldberg live. Even going back, the pastel colors have always been popular in New England.
This might be too "New England-like", especially the pastel colors, like salmon/sea foam green/lavender, etc. I think those colors work up here, but not if you go to NYC.
My girlfriend lives in NYC. She looked at me like I was crazy, when I was wearing sea foam green shorts last weekend. Guess they don't like colors down there in NYC
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Not really, no. It's very "in" right now, especially in the area where me and A. Goldberg live. Even going back, the pastel colors have always been popular in New England.
We can agree NYC is a very diverse place... sometimes overly diverse (I have some subway images in my head). I grew up in Fairfield County, Connecticut which is considered a "suburb" or NYC. I still spend time down in CT and in NYC. These styles are common in NYC, though there are quite a variety of looks in NYC. New England culture most definitely finds its way into NY.
I'm not suggesting walking out of Vineyard Vines magazine wearing a seersucker suit and multi color-paneled dress shirt ready to go to a yacht club. Light pastel colors are in right now, especially now that it is spring/summer. Actually that brings me to the point that Dark, Bold, Solid colors never look great.
Picture 1: Yes
Picture 2: Vineyard Vines
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I'm surprised the OP didn't ask about pants ("trousers" for UK readers).
I recommend wearing them to any job interview.
Unless it's for a porno movie or an underwear commercial. Then they're optional.
I recommend wearing them to any job interview.
Unless it's for a porno movie or an underwear commercial. Then they're optional.
Gingham always looks too casual and too "country" to me...... I would not recommend wearing a gingham shirt to a serious interview. I also would be pretty conservative in shirt and suit colors, too.
I'd stay away from plaid. No matter how muted
Tattersal, on the other hand,
can look alright.
But if you must go with a pattern, I'd stick with either windowpane
or the ever-reliable simple stripe
True plaid, while it can look great in a casual setting is very, very hard to bring off in a professional, traditional setting.
A job interview with an industrial company is not the place to push your fashion boundaries.
Tattersal, on the other hand,
can look alright.
But if you must go with a pattern, I'd stick with either windowpane
or the ever-reliable simple stripe
True plaid, while it can look great in a casual setting is very, very hard to bring off in a professional, traditional setting.
A job interview with an industrial company is not the place to push your fashion boundaries.
I haven't worn a suit to an interview in more than a decade. Times have changed.
Whenever I have a candidate come in for an interview wearing a suit, they look like they're trying way, way too hard - and then the way they conduct themselves in the interview comes across the same way.
If you're not interviewing for an upper management position, I would skip the suit. Nothing wrong with the plaid shirt, even with a tie.
Whenever I have a candidate come in for an interview wearing a suit, they look like they're trying way, way too hard - and then the way they conduct themselves in the interview comes across the same way.
If you're not interviewing for an upper management position, I would skip the suit. Nothing wrong with the plaid shirt, even with a tie.