next »

[scion]

I have been invited for a campus interview (my first) next month for a TT position at an R1 university in the northwestern corner of the US.  The search chair indicated more than once that the department is very casual and that most of them wear jeans. Have no fear, I am not planning to wear jeans when I visit.  However, I would value your feedback about what degree of formality is appropriate in light of the search chair's repeated comments on casual attire.  It is a fairly long visit. I do not have the finalized schedule yet, but the following activities should give you an idea of the attire needed for each day:

Day 1: arrive and dinner with the search committee
Day 2: lunch with faculty from other departments with similar research interests/potential collaborators; public lecture (job talk)
Day 3: research presentation to department faculty and PhD students; meeting with the Dean; potluck dinner with students
Day 4: teaching demo (consists of meeting with individual students and providing them with feedback on their works in progress, which is a common technique in our field)
Day 5: depart (no meetings)

My gut tells me to wear suit/tie and blazer/slacks/tie combinations, but I do not want to risk appearing overly formal (though I would rather err on that side than too casual). Any advice on how to strike a balance?

[polly_mer]

Overly formal would be wearing a tuxedo.  The candidate is supposed to be the best dressed person in the room for meetings with anyone below the level of dean.  Just wear your interview outfit (more casual for the barbecue, more formal for the presentation) and focus on something important like what you plan to say to these people for all that time.

[oldadjunct]

I have been invited for a campus interview (my first) next month for a TT position at an R1 university in the northwestern corner of the US.  The search chair indicated more than once that the department is very casual and that most of them wear jeans. Have no fear, I am not planning to wear jeans when I visit.  However, I would value your feedback about what degree of formality is appropriate in light of the search chair's repeated comments on casual attire.  It is a fairly long visit. I do not have the finalized schedule yet, but the following activities should give you an idea of the attire needed for each day:

Day 1: arrive and dinner with the search committee
Day 2: lunch with faculty from other departments with similar research interests/potential collaborators; public lecture (job talk)
Day 3: research presentation to department faculty and PhD students; meeting with the Dean; potluck dinner with students
Day 4: teaching demo (consists of meeting with individual students and providing them with feedback on their works in progress, which is a common technique in our field)
Day 5: depart (no meetings)

My gut tells me to wear suit/tie and blazer/slacks/tie combinations, but I do not want to risk appearing overly formal (though I would rather err on that side than too casual). Any advice on how to strike a balance?

Clearly the SCC's advice was a goof on you, they are flying you out to have a good laugh at you in jeans because that's how they roll.

Bear in mind that "jeans" doesn't necessarily mean "distressed or, I just finished cleaning the garage.

Personally, I don't do jeans.  Never have. But you have been told to tone it down, so tone it down. Suit and tie is not toning it down.

Go to button down, open collar shirts, Blazer, well pressed pants.

I strongly suspect the SCC is being supportive, telling you not to sweat the small stuff. 

Be comfotable, and best of luck to you, and chill.

[scion]

Thanks, oldadjunct, for your suggestion. I don't do jeans either. The SCC did sound supportive in his comments.

[sea_and_ski]

From my time at an R1 in the Pacific NW (STEM field), I would pretty much follow Oldadjunct's advice, except I would wear a tie on day #2.  (You could keep it in your pocket for meeting with the Dean on day #3 if you're more comfortable wearing it for that meeting, but I wouldn't wear it for the research presentation or student potluck.)  Definitely no suit.  Usually the only people wearing suits that we would see in my former position were salesmen and lawyers.  For pants either slacks or khaki's should be fine.  Your dinner on day #1 will give you a good chance to gauge day-to-day attire--if they all show up wearing ties you know to ramp it up a bit.

[egilson]

I'm glad I got something much like this on sale (except all wool and in camel instead of brown). It's attractive but soft enough to not look overly formal, can be worn with very nice jeans (though I wouldn't), and looks great with khakis or casual wool trousers. I've worn it with an open-collared shirt, with a crew-necked knit shirt, and with a spread-collared shirt with French cuffs and a tie. Nothing beats having a couple of nice sports coats.

[oldadjunct]

I'm glad I got something much like this on sale (except all wool and in camel instead of brown). It's attractive but soft enough to not look overly formal, can be worn with very nice jeans (though I wouldn't), and looks great with khakis or casual wool trousers. I've worn it with an open-collared shirt, with a crew-necked knit shirt, and with a spread-collared shirt with French cuffs and a tie. Nothing beats having a couple of nice sports coats.

Uhhhhh, me only here, but spread collar without a tie looks weird.  Given my neck, always a short wide spread collar with a tie, but really for any of us, button down w/o a tie is the right way to go.  No tie, button down.

Sadly, french cuffs are increasingly mocked as pretentious/fopish.  In my view, never to be worn absent a suit.  But even with a suit, french cuffs are falling out of favor, which is unfortunate since really nice cuff links are the only right jewelry for men (I have four pair).  Sorry guys, ditch the earrings, especially the gauges.  I really don't want to see a solar eclipse through your ear lobe.  Gross, totally gross.

Mind you I would never make a hiring decision based on this.  Well maybe excessive chest hair and gold chains would influence me.

[egilson]

Uhhhhh, me only here, but spread collar without a tie looks weird.

Which is why -

I've worn it with ... a spread-collared shirt with French cuffs and a tie.

Sorry, I should have specified that the first open-collar shirt was a button-down. I'd never wear a spread-collar shirt open and without a tie unless I was going to a costume party as an extra from Saturday Night Fever.

My preferred dress is jeans, hiking boots, and a ribbed henley, but if I have to dress up I like to do it as well as my budget and bargain-shopping abilities allow. Too bad it looks like I will not have any interviews at which to show that off.

[zyzzx]

I work in a super casual field (our conference "uniform" is fleece and hiking boots), and dress accordingly for interviews. I generally wear a fairly nice pair of pants with a polo shirt and thin sweater (I'm a woman), and I'm still the best dressed in the room, since everyone else is usually wearing jeans. A suit would make you look pretty out of place, and of all the candidates I remember coming through during grad school (an east coast R1), I can't recall anyone wearing a suit. Which makes me very happy - I've never owned a suit and never plan to.
If you're being repeatedly told they're casual, then tone it down.

[larryc]

From my time at an R1 in the Pacific NW (STEM field), I would pretty much follow Oldadjunct's advice, except I would wear a tie on day #2. 

That sounds about right to me. Also, waterproof your shoes and have one of those little folding umbrellas in your bag for the great Northwest. Good luck!

[proftowanda]

From my time at an R1 in the Pacific NW (STEM field), I would pretty much follow Oldadjunct's advice, except I would wear a tie on day #2. 

That sounds about right to me. Also, waterproof your shoes and have one of those little folding umbrellas in your bag for the great Northwest. Good luck!

From what I'm hearing from my family there now, forget the shoes and bumbershoot.  You need snowboots, a parka, perhaps a St. Bernard and a cask of brandy to make it through several feet of snow.

Watch the weather, with weird patterns there this winter, they tell me -- and if this continues, even your search committee will be wearing survival gear to get to campus and won't be worrying about your tie.

[scion]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I'm thinking that a combination of blazers, button down shirts, slacks, ties, and light cashmere sweaters should cover all the bases, and definitely no suit for the visit.

[capper]

From my time at an R1 in the Pacific NW (STEM field), I would pretty much follow Oldadjunct's advice, except I would wear a tie on day #2. 

That sounds about right to me. Also, waterproof your shoes and have one of those little folding umbrellas in your bag for the great Northwest. Good luck!

This, except lose the umbrella.  No one in the PacNW actually uses an umbrella.  Bring a good water resistant coat with a hood. 

[janewales]

This, except lose the umbrella.  No one in the PacNW actually uses an umbrella.  Bring a good water resistant coat with a hood. 

Sure they do. Women in particular, while they do own waterproof coats (black, three-quarter length, quilted lining, mid-weight; seriously, they're everywhere) with hoods, often also have umbrellas, because hoods play havoc with hair.

Jane, who owns both the we(s)t coast coat and, at last count, 5 umbrellas.

[sugaree]

I'm of the opinion that job interviewees should always dress professionally (duh!) and that means a suit, or at the very least well coordinated separates. I don't care how "casual" the department says they are, you aren't part of that department yet and should dress up. I also don't think the SCC is up to any hijinks in this particular case, trying to "trick" you into making a fool of yourself or anything, but I also don't buy this whole 'we're casual, don't sweat it' attitude that SCs try to sell sometimes.

It sounds like you've got a good plan, Scion (although I think it wouldn't be a mistake to rethink your "no suit" position, but that's just my opinion). Another thing to keep in mind; when I dress more professionally I tend to act the part better. Just like when I play tennis in a short skirt and polo, I play better than when dressed in a tank top and cut offs. Or, maybe this is just me? Something to think about.