Is this how interviews/uni is?

[Amioutoftouch]

Ok, so I'm probably going to be told I'm unreasonable and that's fine. I probably am!

2 weeks ago I went for an interview at a university. I already have 2 degrees but have always wanted to train as a therapist and applied to a university course to study Counselling (to get onto further study).

I'm in my thirties, so it's been a while since I was in uni. I think the issue may be me here...I dressed smart (not ott but smart as I wanted to look professional). I suppose I see this as me progressing my career as someone who is already a health professional (although in reality, the qualification level is lower but a different subject to what my Masters is in).

I turned up for the interview and half the group were in trainers, some in jeans. There was a man in a dress and another man in a crop vest top, mini skirt and a load of bright make up. Now I don't care if men wear skirts and dresses if that what they want to wear. I think my issue was just that nobody seemed to make an effort. As a woman I wouldn't have worn a crop top, mini skirt and bright make up...
I felt out of place and before having my individual interview, I just felt a bit put off.
I can't really explain why but this career path is a dream and I need to do this course or equivalent to do further study but it just didn't feel right. Everyone was lovely but I wondered what I walked into.

Is this how it is these days? I know it's a uni interview but it's for a professional course. Am I just out of touch and a bit snobby?

Sorry OP but just so I understand - you went for an interview and it was a group interview, or you could see who else was waiting for the exact same interview as you? So there was no chance they were for another course?

Students do tend to wear more casual clothes than business dress, but what you describe sounds a bit extreme.

I wonder if it’s the sort of city where that’s more common? An alternative type of place! I’m thinking Bristol or Brighton or something.

@TheArtfulWriter no I understand this mad expect once in the role workplaces are often more casual these days. I just thought interviews were when people make an effort. I may have been the odd one out here 🤣

If you’re a mature student and treating the course professionally you’ll definitely have a different approach from the 18 year olds.

But I work in a university and the mature students always raise the bar of any group so much.

Don’t be put off by strange clothes if you’re sure the course/uni/staff are right for what you want!

You're going by your definition of making an effort.

Maybe so, but regardless I don't consider a mini skirt (not a smart one) and a cropped vest top with glittery make up to be appropriate for an interview. It's just my opinion though and obviously others disagree.

I'd agree.

Uni interview clothes can be far more casual than job clothes -jeans and hoody type of thing - but that sort of skimpiness doesn't seem appropriate (whether on a woman or a man).

YANBU. The way you dress for an interview is vital for first impressions. I'd feel quite uncomfortable and confused, and probably would have walked out. To me, what you've described isn't smart casual or sharp.

Bedside the point but my friend has just finished a 3 year college course in counselling and has got a job as a counsellor at a local college starting in sept. (She already has a degree and masters). So there may be simpler ways for you to get into counselling than this course that you then say leads on to even more studying?

Regardless of what they wear, I wouldn’t fancy being counselled by someone early 20s/fresh out of their first uni course. Need some life experience behind them.

OK, but you've just tried to justify your judgement.

I would say that judging people who come dresssed very unsiutably for the occasion is perfectly reasonable.
There is a spectrum of what people find suitable but I would say that a mini skirt, crop top and sparkly eye shadow is not appropriate for an interview of any kind other than a shots girl in Ibiza

You're going by your definition of making an effort.

Effort appropriate to the occasion maybe?
A little effort to consider what is and isn't appropriate for an occasion may be what was missing here rather than effort spent on their appearance.

The others in your group were all adults who wished to study counselling.
You don't have to like their clothes, makeup, 'gender' identity etc.
You also want to study counselling, it's not like you're expected to dress in a suit and tie for this type of work? Even if you did why dress formal for college? Not that you shouldn't dress how you like. If you seem as judgemental of your clients as you do of your colleagues then I'd say you've a lot of work to do to become a therapist.

I work in a university, I'd say it's normal to dress up a bit for an interview. Men generally wear a shirt or polo shirt, women a blouse or smartish top, non denim trousers and shoes.

Exposing your midriff would not be normal for an interview either staff or student.

Having said that, interviews are scored and appearance isn't part of that score so technically it should make no difference

It must be dependent on field. In my subject men would not wear a sparkly crop top. Plenty of crazy coloured hair and piercings and tattoos but clothing itself is normally pretty modest (jeans hoodies etc)

My advice to interviewees is usually to dress the part you're aiming to play - wear a clean tidy version of what you'd wear doing the job or at roughly that level of formality. Jeans and trainers - fine if you're going to be a gardener, less fine if you're going for a job as say, a teacher.

What a counsellor wears should be something that doesn't make their clients uncomfortable. I'd feel uncomfortable personally as the client of a counsellor whose make up and clothes were either ultra flamboyant and revealing (Look at ME!!) or shabby and untidy (I don't give a shit). Doesn't sound like those other candidates had really got the message that counselling is not all about them.