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[Pete]

Well, I've got an interveiw at a very small and kind of informal state school next week... whew! Now what to wear?!
     I am a man... so skirts are out, but my question is should I wear my dark blue suit or a pair of tan pants, tie, light colored shirt and a navy jacket? I know this seems dumb but they have been very informal in their dealings with me (in a very good way) so I don't want to appear up-tight in the suit....

I know... stupid... but want those voices of experiance!!!

[%sig%]

[anon in social sciences]

I interviewed at a similar institution and was incredibly over-dressed.  However, on the campus tour, I noticed there were some other single people in suits accompanied by people dressed much more casually.  My tour guide confided in me that he loved job market time because he thought it was amusing to see us young eager folks dressed all dressed up.  He said you could really tell who was a job market candidate and who wasn't.

The point of my story is:  in a suit you'll be over-dressed compared to your interviewers, but that may still be somewhat expected.  I'm guessing you'd be ok with either outfit.

[MP]

Slacks & jacket.  Since you already know they're pretty informal, dressing 5 levels above your future colleagues sends the message that you're not adept at reading social situations.  And make sure your shoes are in good shape too.  First impressions are crucial.

[sideroad bob]

It's an interview!  Show some respect and wear a suit and tie.

[Hmmmm]

I would urge you to wear a suit.  Even for places where the norm is "business casual" you still want to show them that you are interested in impressing them positively.  I think that if I was on an interview committee, I would interpret your "over-dressing" in a positive way as a sign that you wish to make a good impression.  

If you convey an affable and friendly persona, that will communicate volumes-- you don't want to be perceived as pretentious.

[Tate]

It's not a stupid question at all! I just went through the same thing myself. I couldn't decide whether I should go with black dress pants and a nicely pressed button-up, or my lucky, executive-style "interview suit" complete with skirt just below the knees. I asked my comp. director who advised that it's easier to forgive someone for "overdressing" than it is for "underdressing" (I know...these are not words...). I ended up in the suit and felt appropriately professional. Of course, the interview didn't really go as I would have liked, but at least I LOOKED competent!

[Aristotelian]

Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and/or what makes you feel like you look the best.  I don't think anyone will hold your clothes against you, so the most important thing is to project confidence.

[Claudia]

Even though female, I would like to throw in a remark as well: I think it helps if you feel comfortable in what you are wearing. If you feel dressed up and awkward, it might make you behave less naturally.

So therefore, at my second interview (of two), I decided not to wear the skirt and jacket and high heels that I had bought specifically for the interviews, and changed into slacks and jacket in the last second. I felt "safe" and "myself" the whole day, and I got the job!

[Anon]

It is better to be over-dressed than under-dressed, although both options you presented sound formal enough. If you are very dressed up and others aren't it just shows them that you take this very seriously. We just had a candidate interview in slacks and a sweater. This wouldn't make or break his chances of getting the job and nobody has mentioned it, but it did strike me as odd and unprofessional. I'm sure he was very comfortable, but is an interview.

[2 More Cents]

I agree that being comfortable is important.  But what that really means is that you need to get comfortable wearing a suit (if you're not already).  My feeling is that you must wear a suit.  It doesn't matter what they wear, nor does it matter how you would dress if you worked there.  You must wear a suit.

Similarly, you should address them as Dr. or Mr. or Ms. so-and-so, not by first name unless invitied to do so.  If someone says "call me Bob," then call him Bob but still address everyone else formally.  As pointed out above, it is simply a matter of showing respect.   Once you have the job, address them by their first names and dress in accordance with the the others and your own persanl tastes.  

But, at the interview -- did I say this yet? -- you must wear a suit.

[sideroad bob]

2 More Cents wrote:


> But, at the interview -- did I say this yet? -- you must wear
> a suit.

Indeed.  It is a formal occasion after all.  In fact, I've never seen a fellow interviewee _not_ wear a suit, and I've had a few now.

[OTM]

I recently went through a similar situation, although at a somewhat larger state institution.  I think of my field as informal and all of my contacts with the hiring department had been informal.  At the last minute, I changed my mind and decided to wear a suit on the advice of my advisor, whom I have never even seen in a jacket and tie.  When I got to campus, I learned that two meetings had been added to my itinerary- one with a dean and one with an associate provost.  The associate provost ended up introducing me to the provost and we talked for a bit.  Considering these added meetings, I was thankful that I had decided to dress more formally.  

Do I think that wearing the suit will help me get the job?   Only if I was more at ease because I felt appropriately dressed so I could focus on my work, the questions I was being asked, etc.  I would be surprised if anyone on campus remembers my attire.

As long as it is comfortable (physically and psychologically) I would suggest wearing the suit.  In the unlikely event that you are far overdressed, you can always take the coat off.

Best of luck.

[NewDoctoralStudent]

It is ALWAYS better to be overdressed than underdressed.  it is a sign of respect.

Let me tell a little story from my professional career - I was managing an IT team in a very casual environment; the dress code was "no beach-wear".  One of the interviewees that came in had read up on the company and showed up in birkenstocks, shorts and a polo shirt.  I had to work REALLY REALLY hard to overlook that and listen to him because it was such a strong and, to me, negative first impression.  (I'm only 38 so it's not like I'm ancient...)

[NewDoctoralStudent]

PS, you can always take the suit jacket off if it feels appropriate to do so.  you can't turn your tan slacks into a suit magically....

[small town prof]

WEAR A SUIT!  I teach at small state college in a mountain town, and we all dress informally.  However, at a recent presentation, one of the job applicants wore slacks and a sweater.  We were all horrified.  The other applicant wore a suit and got the job.  During the interview process, it doesn't matter if you stand out from everyone else.  You're not everyone else.  They have a job there already.