Job Interview.....tie or no tie?
 

Thought I'd ask the Pelican brain trust here: I've got a job interview and was wondering if I should wear a tie. Before you say yes, what a stupid question, the job in question is a manufacturing engineering position at a medium sized (30-40 employees) machine shop/manufacturing facility. FWIW, the dress standard for those in my field tends to be jeans/Dockers and a golf type or button down shirt, as we spend time on the shop floor and tend to get our hands dirty on occasion.

This is my first interview in about seven years and I'm a bit unfamiliar with the protocol.

Thanks,
Jim

Yes - though the daily wear is more casual, you are interviewing for a professional position and should dress accordingly.

Wear the tie!

This is the interview, you're not showing up to work...yet. This is the time you're selling yourself. Yep, wear the tie.

Randy

yes, tie.

Full suit on all first interviews. Do Dockers/Polo Shirt only if "business casual" is explicitly specified in the invitation for a second or later interview. Write down the names of each person you speak to during the interview, send each a "thank you" letter for the interview the next day.

The way I look at is: I would rather be overdressed than underdressed.

I'll offer an opinion, but it's probably unqualified as I work in Austin and at a software company.

Although this description is sure to roll eyes to you all, I find that confidence is what sells you. So wear whatever you will feel most confident in, because if you're not, if will most definitely show.

My # 1 advice is this: ask a freaking ton of questions. Probe deeply into what the work climate is like, who you'll be working with, and what the landscape of the owners is (if there's more than one). A smart interviewer will respect the hell out of you if you ask intelligent questions.

WHATEVER you do, don't fill in empty air with needless blabbering. Ask the person about him/herself--people love to talk about themselves and they'll leave with a positive impression of you.

Finally, ask what happens next. And remember that if you take the job, it will be a major part of your life for many years--go into the interview with this attitude and you'll get the truth, which may or may not be what you want to hear.

Btw, I am the owner of a 30-person firm and have been through the ropes with hiring people.

Good luck and please keep us informed. Jack

Seattle: Dirty Sonic Youth tee shirt and jeans.

The rest of the planet: Wear the tie.

Masterful response - correct too.

Not only do I wear a nice suit to the interview, I also wear one (and not the same one!) on the first day of work.

Yep.

Tho' note . . he is in Chico CA.

I say no tie.

I was thinking of wearing my Sonic Youth t-shirt, but I just pulled it out of the laundry, so that's a no-go. ;)

Tie it is. While I still think that a full suit might be overkill for this position and this area, I'm thinking of going with nice slacks and shirt, tie, and jacket. The research I've been doing seems to suggest that this will be appropriate.

Hope I'm not making a mistake here. :confused:

Thanks again,
Jim

Unless you are George Clooney, or look like him...you'd better put a tie on.

I think you have the right idea with the slacks, shirt, tie & jacket. A formal looking suit might be overkill & what you have planned might be a good compromise between formal & casual.

want the job? wear the tie. I like seeing my applicants in a suit. But if they are very well qualified, I'll let them slide with a tie and sport coat.

Wear the tie - go rep, tie a four-in-hand - provides a nice tight knot and if you have a good silk you can get a nice power dimple going. Stay away from dots and crazy designs. Navy suit, white shirt with a T under. Polished black shoes - wingtips for an engineer is a must.

Keep eye contact during questions, before answering look donw and pause then look at them in the eye. Don't forget to blink. Sometimes when people get eye contact they never blink and thats just plain freaky when a guy doesn't blink. Don't smile tto much but don't be sour either.

Get a good night sleep, wake up an extra hour early. Call your folks after the interview. No matter how old you are your folks love to hear about your new opportunities.

Make us proud!

You do not get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Tie. (that is, Tie period). Good luck!

Re: Job Interview.....tie or no tie?
 

So, the question is, does the "respect of the tie" trump the "look at the dweeb who thinks this is a good place to wear a tie."

You do not get a second chance to not look like a out of place dweeb. :cool:

One can certainly dress well w/o a tie. Mfg/egr environments generally aren't fashoin centers, if ya know what I mean.

In general, it's good if you can dress just a bit nicer than those you will be interviewing with. The goal is to make a comfortable (good fit) impression. YMMV

Never ever.

I've not worn one in years - including to my last several interviews. In the last six months I interviewed with eight firms, was made offers by six of them and ultimately settled on one. Ties are worthless IMHO.

The way I look at it - if you can help the prospective employer visualize you as part of their team, you're better off. Looking like a stuffy "wanna-be" is like (from their perspective) trying to cram a square peg into a round hole. If/when everyone in the office works casual most of the time and you show up dressed to the nines, it's a detriment more than an asset. IMO anyway.

Look at it this way (I do): If a place would expect you to wear a tie every day just to "fit in", is this REALLY the kind of place you want to be working for? A place that values stuffiness and poseur-dom over performance and getting the job done?

Sorry, but maybe I'm biased. I consider myself pretty down-to-earth but won't even wear such archaic pieces of clothing to weddings or funerals anymore. It's quite possible to be well-dressed and respectful without resorting to fashion cliches that have been dead for decades.

I've never had an interview, but occasionally I meet with a couple of different bankers to finance real estate projects. The first banker always wears a tie, and so do I when I see him. The other banker (the president, so he can wear what he wants) wears nice slacks and a nice shirt, but usually with an open collar. I've never seen him wear a tie, so when I meet with him I also wear a nice, open collar shirt.

Neither one of them has ever told me "no", so I must be doing something right.

We are not permitted to ask if they own their own car not even considering what they drive. I can only ask if the have adequate means of transportation. Some kind of legal issue with it I guess.

I really miss not having an interiew the last 20 years.
Don't give them either, one man shop.
Jim

I'd rather have the interviewer focus on my answers than try and figure out if I'm too clueless to put on a tie or why I didn't wear one. I guess your approach might all depend on who you're interviewing with.

For us, first stop is a recruiter/HR. They don't see you as a part of the "team". You need to make it through them to get to the next interview. Just gotta play ball.

Last summer we did a panel interview of a guy that was going to be a sub....he showed up with a casual shirt and sunglasses on his head. He was a total ass, but we still talk about the shirt and sunglasses. We were all in suits and it set a bad tone from the get go.

Just changed jobs myself here in November. Dress here is business casual (slacks and a a polo shirt).

I had three interviews. Wore the black suit on the first one, and the grey suit on the second. The fact that I "dressed" for the interview was noted and appreciated.

I was told at the end of the second interview to come back for the third and that I was welcome to dress down.

You can never go wrong with dressing up for a first interview.

AFJ

Suit. Sorry, I learned at an early age that your manner of dress can convey respect, and a suit is the ultimate sign of that. Your manner of dress won't ultimately determine the outcome, but a good first impression might put you over the top. Some may call a suit stuffy, but I disagree. You may be stuffy, but if that's the case, flip flops and a tank top aint gonna help.

By the way, I've never went to an interview and not gotten the job. Also, I work for two engineering companies, and don't own a pair of wingtips.:)

Someone told me once.... "When you go to the bank, look like you don't need the money..."

Wear the tie, it's always better to "overdress" than "underdress"... Good luck!

Wear a tie. A great big wide tie with bold colors. Maybe one with a silk-screened face on it or a baseball or football franchise logo.
You don't want them to forget you, have some balls and take a fashion risk, be bold!

J/k

Last two jobs I landed (two years and three weeks ago) I went without ties. Both upward moves. Interviews were during the day, explained that wearing ties was a sure sign at my old company that I was interviewing.

I'm in IT though. Your call.

If you're not gonna wear a fish tie, then skip it.

So did they want you enough to counteroffer?

Wear the tie. If this is really a problem/concern, you can always wear a dress shirt open collared and sleeves up at the job, throw on the tie and roll down the sleeves for the interview.

I'm in software biz in New England. I always wear a tie to an interview. (OK, a couple of contracts ago I showed up in shorts and a Hawian shirt, but I pretty much knew I had the job already.).
The last interview I wore jeans and sneakers (driving shoes) but a nice white shirt and tie with and a dark cashmere blazer. First thing they said was "You can take your tie off if you want."
I told them I usually wear a tie to a potential client's because it shows that I'm interested enough to undergo a certain amount of "ceremonial discomfort" on their behalf.
-Chris

Who? My old employer?

Yes in both cases. Last one offered a 15% bump.

The rule is to dress one level higher than the regular clothes you will be expected to wear at the job. In this case that means your idea of a tie and jacket but not full business suit is very much the way to go. If you showed up in a full business suit they would think you were too stuffy to get your hands dirty. If you don't dress up at all they'll wonder why you don't respect them enough to fress up for an interview with them.

Dress like an engineer. You know what I mean. Sport coat, blue button down shirt, red tie and loafers or similar shoes.

Suit with a tie, unless you are applying for a job as a lap dancer!

what is this "tie" you speak of?

For interviews I wear one of my nicer Hawaiian shirts...and the newer flip flops.

I work for one of the most casual companies in the world (Red Bull Energy Drink). I wore a full suit for both interviews!
Now I won't have to wear another one for as long as I work here!

Overdressed is always better then underdressed for an interview!

Ha! I thought I was the only one. Wearing a suit shows respect. It tells the potential employer that the interview is important to you.

I'll bet you got every job you interviewed for.

What is this thing you call an "interview"?

Quick update:

Wore the tie, no suit (jacket/slacks/nice shirt/shoes), and it was probably overkill, as the GM was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a polo shirt.

No matter. I had an offer within 20 minutes. Seems like a cool company and I'd get to play with toys I've never played with before (and I get to play with some pretty cool toys at my current job), the money is good, and there seems to be a lot of room to grow.

I'll get a formal offer on Monday, I'm told. :)

Jim
(tie wearer)