What to wear for a charity Head of Finance interview?

[MogsKittens]

I’m feeling a bit lost with what to wear - it’s for Head of Finance so position below the Director of Finance, at a large local charity. I’ve already been in for a meeting with the DoF (for which I wore my one smart pair of trousers, navy wide leg, with a striped knitted cardigan/jacket) and this would be a ‘proper’ interview with her and other board members - I need to find out who and how many!

I’ve worked in the Big 4 for the past 9 years but in a non client facing role, and as the office has got more and more casual I only really wear jeans and trainers to work now. I have had 2 children while in my current job and as a result donated all my old suits and smart things to Smart Works as they didn’t really fit any more and also I didn’t see myself needing that kind of thing again.

The DoF wore a high neck shortish printed dress with tights and boots when I met her, which I guess gives an idea of the level of smartness for everyday, but would a suit still be expected for interview? I’d need to buy something whatever, but it would be nice if it was something I could wear again. Thinking about another pair of smart trousers and like a tweedy type jacket or a contrasting jacket?

Any advice would be gratefully received as I feel I have totally lost touch with what people wear for interviews now.

I would absolutely go as smart as you can. Don't need to spend the earth, buy a navy tweed jacket that you can then pair with jeans etc, and wear with your navy wide leg trousers and a plain top.

You need to look dependable and serious if you are in charge of their money.

Good luck 😘

Retired now, but previously a Charity FD.

Smart trousers and jacket of your choice would be perfect. Suits no longer necessary.

In the charity I worked with that role would have been interacting with a wide range of both internal and external stakeholders and the interviewers would have been considering both your technical ability and you as a representative of the charity.

Having a nice jacket in your wardrobe will also mean a ‘win, win’ for future stakeholder meetings.

Good luck, I hope the interview goes well and that you love the role !!

I think smart trousers and a jacket would be perfect. Suit would look far too corporate.

I work in finance at a local charity. Everyone if very casual, however for an interview I’d go as smart as possible appropriate to the role. I don’t think you can be overdressed for interviews in a professional role.

good luck!

I'm retired and I know it's easy to lose touch, but I've worked both for and with charities and I always found that, no matter how casually the rest of the staff (and often that included senior management) dressed, Finance and HR still tended towards conventional smartish office wear, although not generally in suits. This includes after Covid.

Given that people generally dress a notch smarter than usual for interviews (and assuming that's still the case!), I don't think a suit would look out of place and, if you can find something where jacket and trousers would work separately as well as together, then you'd hopefully get plenty of wear out of both pieces. But I think a tweedy or contrasty jacket with smart trousers also sounds like a good plan.

Thanks for all the quick (and supportive!) responses; I feel lot more confident choosing something now.

I do have a couple of long Me and Em dresses that might do with a jacket over, but I think they might be a bit too wafty so I will stick with the jacket plus trousers but not a suit - I’d feel most comfortable in something like that too so pleased everyone thinks it would be suitable!

I would definitely go for smart trousers and a tweedy jacket. You won't need to be that smart on a day-to-day basis, but it will be handy to have that sort of outfit for board meetings, the AGM and your first meeting with the auditor. For those types of events I'd often wear my trainers with my smart trousers, but for an interview I'd got for a pair of loafers.