Has Proper Interview Attire Changed?

My mother use to tell me to always wear a suit on interviews for any type of job, even for a plumber position. And until recently I would always advise job seekers to dress for the position that they want to obtain, not the position that they already have. This means that once you have found a job you should still be mindful of your appearance. So don’t wear raggedy looking jeans to work just because you work in a call center and you think no one is paying attention. While I still agree with the underlying principle of this advice I must admit that times have changed. You should always present yourself in a slightly more professional and polished manner as others around you at work; however your goal is also to make sure you fit into the organizational culture.

Some IT departments have a very relaxed dress code. Therefore a candidate who shows up wearing a three piece suit for a job interview may lead the manager and future/potential coworkers to believe that he will not fit in with their team. Now, this does not mean that a candidate for this type of department should wear jeans to the interview, but perhaps some khaki pants with a collared shirt and tie. Even on dress-down Fridays I always try to wear a nice looking shirt or blouse instead of an old t-shirt with nice yet comfortable shoes instead of tennis shoes, because I want my internal customers and organizational leaders to continue to see me as polished and well-kept, even on Friday. As a Talent Acquisition expert I have seen candidates’ interview attire change from dark blue suits to nice dress pants with a nice blouse and a button down sweater, which in many cases is perfectly acceptable. Of course this is all relative to the type of position for which you are interviewing. I would not expect someone interviewing for a Vice President position to wear khaki pants and a shirt and tie. My advice is to dress appropriate for the person you will be meeting. And it is ok to ask, ahead of time, what the appropriate attire is for your upcoming interview.