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Comment by orf | Hacker News Reader

> We like to think that we’re different from all those industries that judge people based on appearance, but we do the same thing, only instead of saying that people are a bad fit because they don’t wear ties, we say they’re a bad fit because they do, and instead of saying people aren’t smart enough because they don’t have the right pedigree… wait, that’s exactly the same.

This is a great quote and an interesting point. I don't know what it's like in the US but in the UK it's not unexpected to wear quite formal clothes to an interview, even if the position is at a very relaxed company.

I don't think I would judge someone for what they wore in an interview, but I fear I might if they continued to wear something overly formal at work.

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Also in the UK, and I would definitely not be surprised to see candidates show up with suits at places where that’s obviously not required. No one cares. “Pedigree” that’s another question.

I did show up in a tailored three-piece suit with a tie and pocket for my interview at Deliveroo (a notorious streetwear influencer now). There was an eyebrow justifiably raised (by a guy in a t-shirt who, I learned afterwards, was the CEO) and I felt the need to explain that I had another interview for a very different company just after. That other interview went horribly and I got the job at Deliveroo! I’d still recommend showing up wearing biking gear.

I did exactly the same thing for Thread (a fashion/tech startup) - wore the cheapest most unfashionable suit possible, because I was a poor student and needed to wear something that would work for multiple interviews in one trip to London.

No one at Thread cared, no one at most of the other places cared, but I got the impression one more corporate place cared. I ended up taking the Thread offer, and despite working with people who's job it is to be good at fashion, I've not once felt out of place even though I have no real idea what I'm doing.

Impostor syndrome is one thing — but you might want to know a bit of how fashion is structured if you work at Thread!

I got a ton of points during an interview at a similar company by mentioning my uncle’s fashion brand as something “they might not have heard about”. Instant braggadocious “try me” from the interviewer. Turns out, my uncle’s sneakers are genuinely cool.

Oh completely, I believe I showed significant (genuine) interest in the product, and I've learned a lot about the industry from working here.

Depends, I've worked (as a consultant / developer) at a number of widely different companies, and knowledge or interest beforehand of the domain wasn't necessary. (investment banking, trains, shipping, e-commerce, etc)

We had an interviewee showing up in shorts and t-shirt. Turns out he wanted to combine the interview with a tee off time in the afternoon. While not customary (even though we don't wear suits/business attire at our company) he totally got away with it and it didn't affect the interview.

I’ve only interviewed in jeans and a tshirt, never had issue, but was thanked by one company for not showing up in a suit.

I did interviews in suit before, but if I ever have to do interviews again I'm not going to do that anymore. I hate suits, they don't fit me well and I don't feel comfortable in them. I think it is silly that it is 'expected' to wear a suit for a job interview where none of the employees wear suits. For finance/legal it's different matter, obviously.

When I interviewed for my new job (at a tech company), I knew it was fine to wear casual clothes, but only because I have a friend who works there. I probably would have worn a suit otherwise.

I gave feedback that they should just tell candidates to wear casual clothes when they invite them to interview. It's such a simple thing to do and really helps put candidates at ease.

I don't think I'd want to hire somebody who couldn't see the obvious solution: bring golf clothes and change after the interview.

Normally that would be a better solution, but like I said, he totally got away with it. It was a nice way of breaking the ice. I wouldn't recommend it to just anybody, though.

I doubt the candidate’s problem-solving skills don’t extend to the concept of changing clothes.

Dude, were your interviewing as a software developer or as a delivery man? For the former, I'd rock up in a suit and a bike helmet, but only if I really did ride my bike to the interview.

As it was, I interviewed for Google in a suit (no helmet, I took a bus), even though the instructions recommended against it. This was in Switzerland; and as far as I can tell, nobody even noticed, let alone cared, what I was wearing.

Data scientist, but Deliveroo is big on empathy and you are meant to ride (handle deliveries, but also understand the issues with riding a bicycle or a moped in a big city: rain, parking, etc.)

I’d say half the candidates I interviewed (I was far down the pipeline) had done deliveries and all had learnt something important doing it. The key one was: it’s a physically challenging job.

> was an eyebrow justifiably raised (by a guy in a t-shirt who, I learned afterwards, was the CEO)

Sounds like they really do care what you wear. If they did not care, they would be happy for you to turn up White tie.

Here is an app idea:

http://WhatToWearAtMyInterview.com/Deliveroo

http://WhatToWearAtMyInterview.com/Google

http://WhatToWearAtMyInterview.com/Google/Software

http://WhatToWearAtMyInterview.com/Google/Marketing

http://WhatToWearAtMyInterview.com/Google/HR

A few years ago I went to AKQA suited and booted - I think I realised that I might be over dressed when on the way a passer by asked me if I knew where the Ivy was :-)

The interview was a total bust the guy that interviewed me was wearing a t shirt so scruffy I would only wear it to do the gardening.

I’ve seen a lot of those t-shirts and generally what is printed on them is the important part: a memorable hackathon, a cool product, etc. For an outsider, it’s often tricky to tell.

My favourite: the “I’ve done 100 interviews and the only thing I got was this t-shirt.” t-shirt at Facebook, with the 100 stroke-through to read 200. If looking really tattered, you know you are talking to someone who’s probably done a lot more interviews since the 200 mark. Expressly worn to show the candidate you know what you are talking about.

It was plain one and looked like he had spilled a burrito down it - he was also totally clueless about the role he was nominally recruiting for and seemed not to know any of the cool stuff AKQA had done

I did a lot of interviewing at my last job and I used to ask agencies to tell people they could come along to interviews dressed casually - which seemed fair as I'd be dressed fairly casually. To my surprise a number of recruiters insisted that the people they send along came in suits and ties.

"I fear I might if they continued to wear something overly formal at work"

Why would you be bothered about what someone wears at work - formal or informal?

Can be important for anyone with client contact. Even if you don't care what people wear, external clients will react differently depending on what you wear. It could be that you specifically don't want to wear suit to give the impression that you're a dynamic start-up but in the end clothing always matters.

Depending on your position it might also be different for different clients. My friend kept a suit at work in case they had to meet with the feds or a bank.

If I ever wore a suit to work, my coworkers would be wondering what was wrong or who was visiting.

Exactly, being overdressed can be as bad as underdressed. If everyone expects you to wear jeans and t-shirt, a suit can be as damaging as not wearing one when you're expected to.

I worked with a guy who had been at this place forever. He would show up in a suit and take long lunches whenever he wanted a raise. And it worked.

Programmer is rarely a client-facing role and I think the odds that someone overdressed can successfully dress down, if requested, are a little bit better than the opposite.

I would be bothered that someone dressing excessively formal might act excessively formally - after all, dressing formally is normally a deliberate display of conformity.

How can be it be an act of conformity to dress formally in an environment where it isn't the done thing?

It's not an act of conformity in that context, but it's usually an act of conformity. The most likely explanation I can see for someone dressing formally in an informal environment is a habit of conformity coupled with an insensitivity to change in social environment, neither of which seems like a desirable quality.

How is it any more a habit of conformity than wearing jeans and t-shirts, especially when the set of workplaces where wearing suits is the norm is smaller?

True, but only if they repeat it more than a couple of times, after they have had time to take on their environment and adapt! (or if a new graduate, afford clothes that fit the 'new conformity' of the particular office casualness...)

>It's not an act of conformity in that context, but it's usually an act of conformity

Or, you know, some of us just don't like looking like schlubs all of the time. What's wrong with that?

Suits often all look very similar for one.

As opposed to jeans and t-shirts?

but then so do geek tees and khaki shorts - the obvious type of uniform isn't the only type.

You don't know anything about tailoring / fashion then :-) the I am an 80's boy so crocket and tubs where my sartorial role models

I dressed up nicely because I wanted to pay respect to my interviewer, they made an effort to be there, I wanted to show that I cared to make an effort too.

And what's the problem?

as long as its not brown shoes in town :-)

You haven't met Raymond Chen.

https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Defrag-Tools/Defrag-Tools-14...

Additionally: I find it hard to judge a place's definition of "casual" if they aren't fairly explicit. I've worked at places where "casual" meant "hooray, you don't have to wear a tie!" and other places where casual meant "it's a good day if you can't see your co-workers underwear".

Not only in UK, in Portuguese and German company culture that is also expected.

At very least some kind of business causal should be weared.

> and instead of saying people aren’t smart enough because they don’t have the right pedigree… wait, that’s exactly the same.

Does this still happen?

Of course, I still see job postings requiring a "CS degree from a top school."

I think it's great they come right out and admit that they're a bunch of elitist douche-bags so I don't even bother applying. Could you imagine working at such a place with a degree from a :shudder: public university?

My first job was on campus at Cranfield University which regarded those top schools as "alright" (ad Stanford wasn't on the list btw) for your first degree but you had better got a first had the right supervisors.

Half of the top CS programs are public. Well, 40% -- four of the top ten CS programs in the US are state schools.

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