Reply to: Tie or No-Tie

[mattfx]

It's faux iguana skin.

Sure, but what about his waistcoat?

[northernladyuk]

I approve of your waistcoatage, NLUK. Classy.

It's faux iguana skin.

[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.

[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.

[northernladyuk]

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

[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

[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.

[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.

[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..

[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.

[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?

[Hapax]

.... Might be overdressed for work there but no client is going to be off if you wear a suit to interview.

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.

[pauldee]

If you get interviewed by the techy people who know what they're doing then they won't care what you're wearing as long as you can do the job.

Disclaimer: you won't always be interviewed by the techy people who know what they're doing.

[jmo21]

Always suit and tie to interview. You never know, you may get one stuffy git who doesn't like the cut of your jib etc.

Now you may say "well I don't want to work there then"..... maybe, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would be a bad gig.

Same for the first day, suit and tie, unless what the interviewer(s) (if male) could help guide the decision.

[pr1]

I wear jeans and a hoodie. Once showed up in shorts and t-shirt. It's never stopped me from getting the job. I gather it depends what you do though.

I've also never worn a tie to interview and never not been offered the job/contract - millennial generation innit