Do I wear a suit to an interview if I was told by the hiring manager to dress "casual"?
I have an interview scheduled next week and was told by the hiring manager to dress "casual". I have never gone to an interview without a suit, even when I interviewed to be a waiter but I was also never specifically told otherwise by the person conducting the interview.
Would wearing a suit seem as if I can't follow directions?
Thank you.
my experience
I had the exact experience a couple weeks ago. The recruiter told me to dress casual at a place who's culture is notoriously relaxed. I fretted about it, talked to people who worked there, and ended up going against my better judgement and wore jeans and an un-tucked button down shirt. This is at a place where board shorts and flip flops are common.
The good news - it sent a message to the people I met with that I "get the culture." I'm sure I would have been disqualified had I worn a suit.
I'd try to dress a half a step more formal than the average employee. Listen to the hiring manager!
BTW - I'm in final rounds and expecting to discuss details of the offer next week.
I seem to recall the guys
I seem to recall the guys talking about this on the interview series and the message was always, always wear a suit.
Good luck.
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Ultimately, it's up to you..
I don't want to overplay this, but the hiring manager did give you instructions to "dress casual."
And while I can't get into his head, I also can't imagine that he gave you those instructions to hurt your chances...
So it seems to me that wearing a suit - something that is definitely not "casual" - would be the wrong choice in this instance.
The tricky part is that "Casual" is a very vague term covering a wide range of dress. If you can do a little research about the actual dress of actual employees at the company: Dress like a manager at that company.
In the absence of any other information about the hiring company's culture (like the board shorts and sandals example provided above), dressing "casual" for an interview means:
I personally would feel better in an oxford style shirt, and not a polo shirt. And I'd stay away from any logos (no polo ponies, no club names, no "2009 Worldwide Developer Conference").
Finally - and this is just me - if I were told to dress casual, and I knew very little about the company, I'd go to Brooks Brothers and Lands End online, and look at their "business casual" selections.
Good luck at the interview!
Thank you.
Thank you all for your comments.
I stuck to the Horstman wager protocol and wore a suit. It's what I felt comfortable doing.
Received the internship offer today.
M Nikolic