There's nothing wrong with that attire. In fact, it's not worth commenting on further. The interviewers have a poor understanding of the state of the industry, if that was the actual reasoning (which is doubtful).
Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
41–48 of 48 posts
Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
#42To boil down why her clothing was considered "unprofessional", it should be safe to say that clothing that reveals the pectoralis major muscle is not considered professional.
Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the other programmers indeed do wear tshirts and jeans, as she reported, then I don't think it's accurate to say that the company has a dress code. Her attire is appropriate for a tshirt and jeans culture.
Casual wear is a dress code. It is common practice to ask the HR people scheduling the interview what kind of dress code is applied at the company. Companies will pass on someone for wearing a suit if their are expected to be dressed casually. It happens all the time at startups. Being overdressed is a non starter sometimes.
I think that passing on someone for being overdressed is equally silly. This post and thread cover the points I would make: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7930430
Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
Casual wear is a dress code. It is common practice to ask the HR people scheduling the interview what kind of dress code is applied at the company. Companies will pass on someone for wearing a suit if their are expected to be dressed casually. It happens all the time at startups. Being overdressed is a non starter sometimes.
I think that passing on someone for being overdressed is equally silly. This post and thread cover the points I would make: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7930430
As I said: "One may think it's stupid but this company has a dress code and wants its employees to look put together period."
I don't disagree that it's idiotic, but this seems to be the company's policy, they have the right to be idiotic.
Many comments pointed out that it is customary for an applicant to ask if there is a dress code prior to showing up for the interview. This person didn't know that, that's ok, she's inexperienced, still going to school. Maybe it was her first interview, I don't know.
The thing is, a grown-up would learn from this experience and say "next time I'll ask my HR contact if there is a strong policy regarding clothing", but no, not this very special snowflake. The world has to bend over to accomodate her uniqueness.
Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think that passing on someone for being overdressed is equally silly. This post and thread cover the points I would make: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7930430
As I said: "One may think it's stupid but this company has a dress code and wants its employees to look put together period." I don't disagree that it's idiotic, but this seems to be the company's policy, they have the right to be idiotic. Many comments pointed out that it is customary for an applicant to ask if there is a dress code prior to showing up for the interview. This person didn't know that, that's ok, she'…
And as I said in my reply, the way she dressed seems to match the way people were dressed at the company - as reported by her.
Companies do not have the right to be idiotic in all ways. As touched in the thread I posted, I think that we're flirting with those ways. Tshirt and skirt are usually appropriate for women where tshirt and jeans are appropriate for men, in American culture. If a company says that is not so, then I think there is potential for a gender discrimination claim. We have laws which say companies are not allowed to be arbitrarily idiotic.
Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
> gameshow presenter outfit You mean a suit? Cause the photo definitely has him in a suit jacket.
A black suit jacket and black T-shirt. Not exactly standard male business attire.
Regarding the downvote: I'm not saying I don't think his attire is unprofessional. I'm simply saying it isn't the "standard" male business attire of shirt and tie with a suit. The point I'm making is that this woman's attire is no less professional than the CEO.
Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
#47I'm sorry, but what does her being female have to do with this? The company clearly has a dress code, she did not meet it during the interview.
Business casual is defined constructively for males and existentially for females. Examples of how to dress business casual for men and women clearly show this.[1] Scrolling through the results of an image search for "women's business casual" vs "men's business casual" also highlight a stark difference. This leads to unconscious bias against women. It isn't that we don't want to hire you, it's that we felt like you m…
The first image for Business Casual for women is not that far from what the subject of this article wore: http://pad2.whstatic.com/images/thumb/4/40/Dress-Business-Ca...
What she wore: http://cdn0.dailydot.com/uploaded/images/original/2015/4/15/...
Replace the sweater with a blazer, and it's a match.
Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire
#48What's the female equivalent to "always suit up"?