What to wear for new job AIBU

[WellAlwaysHaveParis]

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I’ll be starting a new entry-level office job soon with the Civil Service.

This is the first time I’ll have worked with the Civil Service before, and I just wanted to ask if anyone could give me any advice about the dress code for employees please.

Is it a very corporate dress code (ie. are women expected to wear suits?), or is it a bit more relaxed (ie. would a smart dress and a jacket be acceptable?)

When I was interviewed for the role, I wore a dress and blazer.

I’d be really grateful if anyone could give me any tips about what might be appropriate to wear please :) I’m around 5 foot tall and a petite build, with blonde hair and quite fair skin.

Thanks very much :)

Bump :)

If I were you I would quickly call the office. You don't have you bother the hiring manager just askthe person who answers the phone what the people in your department usually wear.

I'd wear what you wore for the interview or variants around that theme. It got you the job! Good luck.

Thanks, everyone - these are all good ideas. If anyone has any other ideas or any advice, please do post it on here :)

As Harry says, wear what you wore the first day.

Then on your first day check what people are wearing and copy them.

Congrats btw

I work in the civil service and everyone is in jeans, t-shirts and hoodies but it's maybe not a typical CS environment. I'd say smart casual was the norm, you'd be fine in most departments with black jeans and a shirt or a jersey dress.

When I started my job I stuck to black trousers and a nice blouse plus cardigan for the first few days while I gauged what others my grade and above wore and once my boss turned up in black jeans and smart trainers I relaxed my dress a bit. She’d been in smarting dresses for the first couple of day which I later realised was because she had been interviewing. Now I usually wear black or dark jeans with a shirt or fitted jumper and jeans and boots or a casual dress with ankle boots. Even though lots of people wear blue jeans and trainers I don’t feel work ready like that so go for smart casual.

I've got a friend who works at the Treasury and is fairly senior, he wears a polo shirt and jeans or chino type trousers to work. Another friend works in the Civil Service in a very "public" role so she dresses fashionably and quite smartly, although on the rare days she knows she'll be desk bound and out of sight she is a bit more casual (no jeans, though). I don't know any other civil servants so I have no idea whether these two are typical.

Go roughly dressed as you did for the interview for the first day. But in general I find local government really casual, although some very senior men, wear (fairly scruffy) suits.

I’d go smart black trousers and a smart jumper; then if you get there and people are in jeans you won’t be too smart and if they’re in similar then you’re fine