Tie or No-Tie

[pr1]

Absolutely not true. I know plenty of clients, including one of my current ones, where turning up in a suit would be an automatic (small) red flag. They regard it as 'legacy' dressing and, wrongly in my view, associate it with legacy software and legacy attitudes.

This makes it hard for the contractor. I suppose the best advice is the traditional one: dress as your client does.

how do you know how your client dresses before the interview?

[northernladuk]

how do you know how your client dresses before the interview?

That's what I thought. I get this 'being different' and 'challenging convention' and all that (well I don't really but anyway) but to penalise someone for apply fairly well established etiquette of smarting up for an interview seems a bit daft to me. Saying you want out of the box thinkers that don't follow convention doesn't really justify it in my mind... but hey ho. I'm old, what do I know.

[MattZani]

Wearing a formal suit with no tie just looks ridiculous. Only peasants do that.

I never wear tie at interviews. Just nice non-ripped dark jeans and a button down shirt.

I may put on a blazer or a sports jacket if I'm interviewing for a gig at a bank or if the weather is like too warm for a coat but too cold for nothing at all.

I work in Design though..

[Lance]

Absolutely not true. I know plenty of clients, including one of my current ones, where turning up in a suit would be an automatic (small) red flag. They regard it as 'legacy' dressing and, wrongly in my view, associate it with legacy software and legacy attitudes.

This makes it hard for the contractor. I suppose the best advice is the traditional one: dress as your client does.

I’m not sure I’d want to have idiots like this as my client. I’ll carry on with suit and tie for interviews.

[original PM]

In general yes.

Although we have some people who believe that people who wear a suit and tie are immediately given labels such as 'competent' , 'committed' , 'professional'

I then asked if they could buy the homeless guy who sits at the end of the road a suit and let him join their team.

So the clothes do not make the man but in an interview being overdressed is unlikely to count against you, being underdressed can.

[BR14]

In general yes.

Although we have some people who believe that people who wear a suit and tie are immediately given labels such as 'competent' , 'committed' , 'professional'

I then asked if they could buy the homeless guy who sits at the end of the road a suit and let him join their team.

So the clothes do not make the man but in an interview being overdressed is unlikely to count against you, being undressed can.

FTFY

[northernladyuk]

There is obviously no right answer. The old man always plays it on the safe side with bow tie and birthday suit.

[mattfx]

I recently interviewed for three gigs - all decent day rates. Two were in the city, one outside. I didn't wear a tie to any of them and I got offered all three.

Have any of you seen Ray Donovan? Guy wears a suit without a tie all the time - looks great IMO, so suit without a tie definitely isn't for peasants.

OP I would say go no tie, hold your head up and ensure your posture is good, firm handshake and all of that. They won't even remember you weren't wearing one. If a potential client had a hang up about me not wearing a tie to an interview, it probably isn't somewhere I want to work anyway.

[mattfx]

I remember the defining moment where I stopped wearing ties. One gig in a bank, everyone wore ties at this time. I used to like wearing a waistcoat at times or when it was cold. No one blinked.

I approve of your waistcoatage, NLUK. Classy.

[northernladyuk]

I approve of your waistcoatage, NLUK. Classy.

It's faux iguana skin.