What should a 16 year old boy wear for an interview...

[Gumbo]

...with Sainsbury's? It's for a checkout/general dogsbody type job, so I suspect a suit would look ridiculous - are smartish dark trousers or black jeans OK with a smart polo shirt, or is that too casual?

DS wore smart trousers and a shirt (actually it was his school shirt!) to an interview with Tesco. I think as long as he is clean and well presented it should be fine.

Yes my 16 yo interviewed for his job in a cafe in smart black jeans and reasonabley smart t-shirt but polo ideal. So long as its clean and he turns up on time I think will be fine

Thank you. I suggested his school shirt to DS but was told it would look like he was 'trying too hard'

Yep ds2 wore black chinos and polo shirt for job interview in bar. He had a sixth form suit but we decided it was a bit much.

Thanks, polo it is!

(Now just have to navigate through his general lack of eye contact (Aspergers) )

Does he actually want the job?

It's better to look as though he's trying too hard than coming across as though he thinks they should be grateful to have him.

Polo shirt is fine. Decent footwear if possible, not grubby runners.

If he has trousers (Chino type) I’d say to wear those with proper shoes. A shirt (could be short sleeved) looks smart without being overly formal, but a smart polo can give a similar impression.

It’s surprising though how many teens don’t seem to own a pair of trousers or a pair of shoes. In this case, smart and clean jeans and trainers do the job. To be honest, the kind of jobs teens tend to be getting aren’t so worried about their clothes being formal, as long as they look presentable and clean.

Loads of threads about this on StudentRoom which seems to be the go-to. For this age. Teens ask what to wear to interviews all the time and the replies seem to indicate being presentable and clean is key thing. Lots talk about being in group interviews for big chains and most being in either trousers and casual shirt plus shoes, or smart jeans and smart trainers.

Key is smiling, being confident and being willing to speak up. If he looks on student room, there are threads devoted to having a Sainsbury’s interview. Plus, for a parent it’s an interesting read…..takes you back to the phase of part time jobs and reminds you how green these teens are. They ask some wonderfully basic questions on there and describe some hilarious and also horrible work situations. It’s a milestone getting your first job.

All the best to him.

Student room suggests questions likely to be ‘scenario’ based - tell us about a time when you overcame a difficulty/had to deal with a tricky person etc. What do you think you’d do if……

Some supermarkets apparently put them on bag packing for 20 mins to see how they interact with customers.

Some have group exercises where they have to introduce themselves to others and then the other person to the group. Some ask them to talk about customer service and values.

Some supermarkets separate staff into till trained customer advisers and those who are more shelf stackers and less customer facing.

Eye contact shouldn't be a problem if he can discuss any reasonable adjustments he needs. Often no having to make eye contact is part of that. Best of luck to him!

My son wore smart trousers, shirt and tie. But tbh at 16 I think as long as they look smart and clean - chino trousers, collared tshirt smart shoes etc that's enough

@WombatChocolate thanks so much for that, I've never heard of that site before but it looks really informative!

@Carrieonmywaywardsun it's a real dilemma as to whether he should mention it or not...either way it could disadvantage him. He's pretty high functioning so it's not immediately obvious (aside from the eye contact) but I don't want him to look rude!

yeah, as others have said I think chinos or other 'smart casual' slacks, shoes, shirt or polo shirt. definitely no tie.

DS went to McDonald's in his suit for the interview.
When the interviewer asked him why he should employ him over everyone else, DS said "I bet I made the most effort with my outfit".
The interviewer did laugh, and he got the job so he can't have looked that ridiculous.
I will say though, I've seen a lot of people going for interviews in McDonald's as I drop him off/pick him sometimes, and they mostly wear suits.

My 16 year old DS had a supermarket interview yesterday and wore navy blue trousers, white shirt and a tie and was offered the job later on that day. He's also wearing the same to a McDonalds interview this afternoon.
Good luck to your DS

I remember going to my first ‘proper’ professional interview at age 23 and going out to buy a suit jacket, as until then I didn’t have one. Prior to that, I’d worked in Sainsbury’s, Boots, 2 other shops and in a library in student jobs on Saturdays/holidays between the ages of 15 and 22. I went to lots of interviews and think I’d have worn a smart skirt and blouse, with my high heels which I loved at the time. I think I might have even attended my first interview in my school uniform!

Many sixth forms have casual dress, so whilst kids probably have shoes and smart trousers/skirt until 16, in the years between 16 and 18, many will be living in jeans and hoodies and lots won’t have a smart pair of trousers or proper shoes. I think you can’t go wrong with being smart, but a tie for these kind of casual jobs is a bit OTT. Smart trousers and a polo shirt for anyone who really doesn’t have a shirt is probably fine and wouldn’t hold you back. I think that when they are mass interviewing teens every day for McD or supermarkets, they notice scruffy and dirty, but really aren’t bothered by whether you’re in a suit or smart jeans. The thing that comes out over and over again, is they want people are confident and will speak-up and smile - so good engagement, rather than what they wear being key.

Looking at the StudentRoom Asda thread, I saw it mentioned that Asda ‘recruits for attitude and trains for skill’. I really think it is very much attitude they look for in these places. Lots of 16 year olds can be so very timid and lacking in confidence, and in most roles they are fine with their lack of experience and skill but need them to be capable of engaging with the public and able to look someone in the eye and not collapse at the first situation they find themselves in when they don’t instantly know the answer.

Fantastic stuff with all the reports of jobs being gained. I agree that they get so much more than the £ by being out of their comfort zones and finding themselves in a. Position with people from different ages and backgrounds. The boost to their confidence from doing it, even if for very few hours or not that long is an education in itself.

Please tell him to mention it.

It’s only a checkout job! Not CEO. Look presentable. No tie. They like flexibility. They like quick learners and problem solvers. Group interviews would be ott for casual work. However holding a conversation with the interviewer is a useful skill. Give it a go and I hope he’s successful.

Shirt tie school trousers

Dark trousers with a shirt and shoes. I don't think a suit is needed but generally I don't think you can be overdressed for an interview.

I would go for smart casual trousers and a shirt. Obviously you don’t want to be overdressed but if he’s 16 they’ll assume he’s fairly new at interviews so looking bit keen and overdressed won’t be taken against him I’m sure! Quite the opposite. Definitely better to be a bit overdressed than too casual.