What to wear?

Transform_IT · 11 Oct 2020 at 08:27

Hi guys,

Next week I have a second interview (first was a phone call) over video via Teams. What would/should I wear?

I agree I should wear something smart as its an interview. Normally I would wear a full suit - but for a teams call, would this be too much? Maybe just a shirt? Just a shirt and tie? Shirt and jacket? No pants? You get the idea...

Thoughts welcome.

T_IT

Lopéz · 11 Oct 2020 at 08:34

Unless you've been told otherwise, I'd wear whatever you would wear to a face to face interview - a suit.

I'm actually doing a Teams Assessment Centre next month, we'll be telling them to dress casually as we are not a suit kind of company. I would still expect a degree of smartness even then.

Transform_IT · 11 Oct 2020 at 08:43

Lopéz said:
Unless you've been told otherwise, I'd wear whatever you would wear to a face to face interview - a suit.

I'm actually doing a Teams Assessment Centre next month, we'll be telling them to dress casually as we are not a suit kind of company. I would still expect a degree of smartness even then.

I suppose the way to look at it would be:

If we weren't in a world where covid didn't exist, and the interview was face to face... what would you wear? In this instance, the answer would be - Full Suit, tie etc. I think I'll leave the shoes though lol.

Lopéz · 11 Oct 2020 at 09:10

Yeah that's what I did when I had a Zoom interview years ago with a company in another country.

Ryan-3 · 11 Oct 2020 at 09:21

For a suit interview, I'd go suit (even shorts on the bottom half...

)

For anything less, I'd just wear a smart shirt. Just make sure your background is suitable!

meths · 11 Oct 2020 at 09:51

Just make sure that desk is low enough or the chair high enough that they can see your Gucci belt and you'll be fine.

paradigm · 11 Oct 2020 at 10:20

For a video conference interview? Naked on the bottom, suit on the top.

Ree · 11 Oct 2020 at 10:28

smoking jacket.

crazy8s · 11 Oct 2020 at 10:28

Wear a face mask and sit 1m from your monitor and ask the interviewer to do the same

[FnG]magnolia · 11 Oct 2020 at 11:06

In before the normal IT clowns who proclaim that jorts, a metal band t-shirt, and clogs is the way to rock an interview :/

Wear a suit. Always. No, no exceptions. No, you're still wrong - no exceptions.

jpaul · 11 Oct 2020 at 21:17

First , make sure the audio and video quality you are getting off your hardware+internet link is good ?

vanpeebles · 11 Oct 2020 at 21:22

ALF face mask.

Hades · 12 Oct 2020 at 00:13

Suit. Shirt. Tie.

But for the added twist go naked below the (Gucci) belt and wear a metal band t-shirt under the shirt. Clogs natch.

dowie · 12 Oct 2020 at 01:34

I'd wear what you'd expect to wear for a normal interview at that firm - if that is a suit then just wear a suit... It's not really a new thing tbh... I remember having an early morning skype interview before work years ago with someone in North America, I got dressed up in a suit... the interviewer was in a dressing gown ready to go to bed mind, which gave it a very weird - almost cam girl -vibe... but meh...

[FnG]magnolia said:
Wear a suit. Always. No, no exceptions. No, you're still wrong - no exceptions.

Well that's not right and there are obvious exceptions - in some companies they will tell you what to expect, if you've specifically been told to dress casually and you turn up in a suit then you're going to look pretty silly.

paradigm · 12 Oct 2020 at 09:33

dowie said:
if you've specifically been told to dress casually and you turn up in a suit then you're going to look pretty silly.

Worse, you'll look like someone that can't follow simple instruction.

Lopéz · 12 Oct 2020 at 09:39

I was working on an international project a couple of years ago and bumped into the project stakeholders from Denmark a week before we were due to be there.
My colleague from the Netherlands who was with me at the time specifically asked them about dress code.

"Please please please don't wear a suit. The guys out on the floor will think you are ivory tower idiots from head office. Dress as casually as you feel comfortable with, but to give you an idea we would recommend a hoodie and jeans"

I normally wore a shirt, tie and trousers in the office in the UK, but was happy to conform with whatever their norms were.

Met my colleague at Billund airport 3 days later, I was dressed in.... a hoodie and jeans. He was wearing a business suit. I didn't really know what to say, but by week 2 he was in a jumper and chinos. Some sort of progress I guess.

ahar · 12 Oct 2020 at 10:11

I'd go shirt and tie, but without the suit jacket as it wouldn't be unusual to have your suit jacket off in an interview in person, even if they are wearing on. If they're sat in a Tshirt then you'll not feel as overdressed. Generally no one will criticise for wearing a shirt and tie (unless its a specific industry like creatives in advertising - then they will hate you. But if you're in that industry then you'll know that already).

hughtrimble · 12 Oct 2020 at 10:17

Interviewed a few people online recently, and the ones in full suits (jacket, tie, shirt) looked really rather false.

randomshenans · 12 Oct 2020 at 10:47

Business up top, party in your pants?

jpaul · 12 Oct 2020 at 11:01

Should probably frame video anyway so it makes it obvious you are not sitting there with notes, or other crutches,
so, an (arm?)chair at a distance ... and - full attire becomes relevant.