Dressing for an Interview

Ok, I have one in the morning.

I was going to wear a just-above-calf length brown plaid skirt  and a solid brown turtle-neck sweater, neutral tights, and  black flats (because I have to walk some distance to get to it, otherwise I would have worn some slightly higher heels). 

The last job interview I went to had several people waiting in the waiting room for their shot at the interviewers. The women were in very informal slacks, short-sleeved shirts, and one was in jeans. This was for an administrative position with a government agency (the Home Office, actually) back when I applied with them.  There was one gent also wearing a proper suit. He and I both kind of made some small talk, about feeling overdressed, when we met in the hallway elevator on the way out.

Is it me, or is it an age thing, or is it not done here that you dress to look professional when going for office jobs?

You should look professional for an interview in an office setting.  Simple as.

And best of luck!!

Definitely dress professional for a job interview. Even if others aren’t dressed professionally, you can only give a good impression if you are.

When I worked for Boots, my manager was interviewing for Operations Assistant jobs. All the interviewees showed up in suits, except for one: an American girl who showed up in jeans and a casual top... after her interview, my manager turned to me and said ‘who on Earth turns up to a job interview in jeans?’. Needless to say, she didn’t get the job!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When in doubt, overdress...! If you want, you could bring heels in a tote and change into them before entering the building. Good luck!!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

I have one Wednesday and I’m wearing a black dress with tights and low boots. I feel like it’s better to overdress than not. I wouldn’t take someone seriously in jeans.  I think your outfit sounds fine.

Good luck!

When in doubt, overdress...! If you want, you could bring heels in a tote and change into them before entering the building. Good luck!!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

I wish I had done!  I now have blisters. 

They say they are making the decision today or tomorrow. Fingers are crossed. It looks like a good fit, from my end. Ticks all the boxes.

Unfortunately I was seven minutes late, because their directions to get there didn't include what to do about the construction blocking the front entrance! It took a little bit of scrambling and the help of a janitor, but I got in and to the room ok. Just late. (Which, in my eyes, is a cardinal sin during an interview. But there was nothing else I could do - I spent 15 minutes wandering around outside trying to figure out how to get in there!)

I have one Wednesday and I’m wearing a black dress with tights and low boots. I feel like it’s better to overdress than not. I wouldn’t take someone seriously in jeans.  I think your outfit sounds fine.

Good luck!

Sounds good, and yeah, I would really wonder about someone who showed up for anything, other than a menial or construction/farm job, in jeans. Good luck on your interview!

I hosed off ok, the Daughter said. Skirt, tights, nice shoes, sweater, with a color-coordinated blazer over. Hair swept back and pinned up. Sadly, I bore a striking resemblance to my great-grandmother. (With the gray hair and all the wrinkles.)

But an aside:  You know, it's really funny...  I've noticed this happening more than just today. When I'm dressed like this people I meet at the shops or on the street treat me very differently than when I'm in jeans and a sweatshirt. I took the Daughter for lunch after my interview and the waiter was doing an "at my beck and call" thing. We eat there every week, so this was pretty weird. Same waiter, for crissakes! I was in the grocery store later, picking up a few things for supper. And even though I go in there every week I was getting a lot more "is there anything I can help you withs" than usual.  The Daughter says it's a "class" thing - that people of a certain class will dress more nicely than you'd expect to find someone, say, in a grocery store. Persons of a "lower" class will never dress that way - they may dress "up" but it tends to be kinda trashy. Or that's what the Daughter says. How true it is, I don't know, but it certainly does change the way staff interact with you here as compared to the States!

I had old gents holding doors for me and, no joke, a couple of tipped hats! 

That was sooooo weird!

Sounds good, and yeah, I would really wonder about someone who showed up for anything, other than a menial or construction/farm job, in jeans. Good luck on your interview!

I hosed off ok, the Daughter said. Skirt, tights, nice shoes, sweater, with a color-coordinated blazer over. Hair swept back and pinned up. Sadly, I bore a striking resemblance to my great-grandmother. (With the gray hair and all the wrinkles.)

But an aside:  You know, it's really funny...  I've noticed this happening more than just today. When I'm dressed like this people I meet at the shops or on the street treat me very differently than when I'm in jeans and a sweatshirt. I took the Daughter for lunch after my interview and the waiter was doing an "at my beck and call" thing. We eat there every week, so this was pretty weird. Same waiter, for crissakes! I was in the grocery store later, picking up a few things for supper. And even though I go in there every week I was getting a lot more "is there anything I can help you withs" than usual.  The Daughter says it's a "class" thing - that people of a certain class will dress more nicely than you'd expect to find someone, say, in a grocery store. Persons of a "lower" class will never dress that way - they may dress "up" but it tends to be kinda trashy. Or that's what the Daughter says. How true it is, I don't know, but it certainly does change the way staff interact with you here as compared to the States!

I had old gents holding doors for me and, no joke, a couple of tipped hats! 

That was sooooo weird!

Thanks! Hope you hear something soon! It's funny how people treat you differently when your dressed "up". Tipped hats especially would make me giggle.

Hope you get the job!

Fingers crossed you get it! 

Well, at least the pain will be over quickly. They were making their decision this afternoon and recommending to HR tomorrow. I strongly suspect I was a "filler" candidate - that they had to interview a certain number but had someone in mind already. But maybe not. 

I wish I had done!  I now have blisters. 

They say they are making the decision today or tomorrow. Fingers are crossed. It looks like a good fit, from my end. Ticks all the boxes.

Unfortunately I was seven minutes late, because their directions to get there didn't include what to do about the construction blocking the front entrance! It took a little bit of scrambling and the help of a janitor, but I got in and to the room ok. Just late. (Which, in my eyes, is a cardinal sin during an interview. But there was nothing else I could do - I spent 15 minutes wandering around outside trying to figure out how to get in there!)

In interviews that I have run, 7 minutes late would have been two strikes.  If the person called to say they were having trouble because of the construction, then zero strikes. 

You've said before that neither you or your daughter have a smart phone.  Is that still true?  Have you ever thought that the benefits might outweigh the downsides as society increasingly expects everyone to have one? 

What does your daughter think?  I don't think I can conceive of someone in college without a smartphone. 

No, we don't have a smartphone, nor do we normally need one. There was no contact phone to call - I have a "dumb" phone and had it with me. I was told only to be at a certain room at a certain building at a certain time (not even who I was meeting). The Daughter doesn't want one and considers them pretty much the next thing to Satan, as people tend to spend entirely too much time glued to them.

And yes, I would consider that two strikes.  I'm out anyway, as I've been notified I didn't get the job.

Sorry Nan, but at least they didn't leave you hanging.

Yeah, it could well be that I wasn't what they were looking for, as well. I would have enjoyed the job, but not to be.