Turning up to interview in jeans and trainers

[Cuffi]

Awaiting for interview/assessment day. Out of the ten waiting. Three are wearing pale jeans, trainers, Adidas tracksuit bottoms.

All the rest including me wearing smart trousers, tops and shoes.

From what few workers I have seen, some are wearing dark jeans.

I think everyone needs to wear smart clothes for interviews. Doesn’t matter if the prospective employer has a casual dress code

He could have gone to a charity shop but whose to say they would have had his size?

He may have even gone to the charity shop and had no joy, you can't exactly order the size in.

I interview programmers for a leading tech company. It's a personal prejudice I know but anyone who turns up in a suit and, even worse, a tie, immediately sets alarm bells ringing. Especially if the interview is via video conference.

I agree OP. I don’t think you need a full on suit for that sort of interview but definitely not jeans or trackie bottoms! Just plain trousers and a smart casual top would be am improvement.

ps hope you get it!

This is quite an outdated mindset and if you are a more “modern” company, you might be put off by someone so smartly dressed. Personally, I would pay attention to how well put together someone is, which could be in jeans or it could be in a suit. But overall, how they dress doesn’t really mean anything.

No way. You should dress smart but casual. It's rude to wear jeans for an interview, it shows disrespect for someone who could be your boss

Id expect a smart ish look for interview. It's a serious situation where you're describing why you're a good candidate and considering if the role is right for you. Generally speaking I think because people get dressed up for these things id think if they were sloppy at that stage what will they be like on s daily basis.
Of course jeans etc are not necessarily sloppy but how you present at interview overall sets out your level of effort I think.

I often interview and it depends on what the role is as to what I expect of the interviewee.

Call centres/office works, definitely clean smart office wear, you don't have to come suited and booted, just clean, smart and obviously made an effort with your appearance, it tells me you are interested in making a good impression.

For some more hands on roles, like labouring, production line etc, smart casual as a minimum, no jeans, cheeky logo t-shirts or trainers. Clean smart etc.

Having said that, my brother in law once went out for a high flying job in a short sleeved shirt and chinos that looked like they had been slept in. I asked him if he wanted me to iron his clothes and he said no, they want him for his brain and not his appearance. He did get the job.

I think if you are borderline, your appearance can swing it either way for you.

My husband is an engineer and he goes suited and booted to job interviews and more often than not the interview panel are in jeans and t-shirts because its a practical role.

Someone I know in IT, once had an interviewee turn up as a Trekkie, in a full lycra Star Trek outfit and he never batted an eyelid about it. But the guy didn't get the job and not just because he didn't have the skillset, but because it was a client facing role and they had concerns ab out what he would wear to see clients.

The people meant to help unemployed people increase their chances to find work... Helped an unemployed person increase their chances to find work...

And that annoyed your DF. Wow. I'd have wished the guy luck.

Trousers, no matter what they are made of are definitely better than jeans for an interview.

I have refused to interview people that have turned up in jeans by going into the waiting room and selecting the well turned out attendees and dismissing the others.

It is a basic common courtesy no matter the role.

Even a job of pig man would warrant clean bale bashers over jeans.

I completely agree

Most people ( obviously not all) look better in their smarter casual wear than they will in badly fitting cheap , polyester formalwear from Primark or Asda that they only own in case they need to attend a job interview or a funeral.

Good luck in your interview OP. I totally agree with you and as a recruiter I would look poorly upon any lack of effort. Dressing smartly shows recruiters you are taking the interview seriously and want the job, not just turning up so you can get your UC paid.

When I hired for retail we dismissed anyone dressed inappropriately without even interviewing them.

If they couldn't dress smartly then they weren't speaking to our clients.

Interviewing for a labouring type role then I'd forgive them.

Dress for the job you want , always

I'm in the team of go clean and dress respectfully.

I dress smartly when interviewing and I expect those I am interviewing to also dress smartly. It tells me they want the job, they are respectful of this formal situation.

It's not about designer labels/ expensive outfits (I am sure their trainers cost much more than my shoes). It's about being appropriate.

We also as a company support a local charity who style and provide several outfits for those whom buying clothing is a struggle (for whatever reason).

In fairness some people are cfs . Most of us would never expect to have a suit paid for. You would borrow from someone or get one in a charity shop like pp said. Some people would be using the suit for a Wedding, Communion etc !!

Just seems you're setting yourself up to fail by going to an interview in jeans, or tracksuit bottoms. If you've got two candidates who are close, you're giving an easy differentiator to the employer.

I work in tech so people do tend to be more casual, I still think a shirt and chinos / trousers should be worn for an interview. During covid did no end of video interviews where people turned up in a hoodie with an unmade bed behind them. It's hard not to be prejudice from the start when people put in such little effort.

It must vary then because I have a close relative who is a software engineer and he wears a suit every time he goes to the office

My job is casual jeans and trainers, I think I wore black skinny jeans and a long shirt to the interview. I would usually aim for slightly smarter than what would actually be worn day to day

Times have changed, remember ppl getting rejected by nightclubs for not wearing trousers and shoes? My idea of smart casual and a twenty something will be completely different.
I started teaching in my 40,s my kids commented I looked too smart to be a high school teacher told me the teacher uniform was black old fashioned nylon trousers, greying white blouse and washed out bobbled black cardigan.🤣🤣.
I like what I like and others can wear what they like. I used to interview pre teaching and everyone was suited and booted it was expected, so out of touch now I would not know what was good advice.

You and your DF both need to get over yourselves and mind your own business.

Personally, I wouldn't turn up for an interview in jeans and trainers, but I also wouldn't be crowing about how superior I am to the other candidates at an assessment day. It's none of your concern what other people are wearing.

If I was interviewing you, your outfit might give a good impression. Your attitude wouldn't.

we have a completely casual work dress code (IT), most people just wear regular street clothes (jeans and a tee or skirt/trousers and casual top). Regardless of that, I would personally always turn up to interview suited and booted and I would expect my interview candidates to at least be business casual (chino and shirt for example). It wouldn't actually put me off a candidate if they were too casual, a lot has happened in the almost 30 years I've been working - I'm looking for good engineers above all.

Better to be overdressed than underdressed. Better to look like you've made an effort than to look like you haven't.

Call centre environment, probably doesn't matter too much, but what people wear to interview indicates what they think is appropriate to wear to a professional appointment.

Getting it very wrong can show poor judgement, although I tend to allow more leeway to school leavers looking for their first job, if they otherwise do well.