How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
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How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
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Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#2An alternate title - "10 things that signal you should leave the interview and not even consider working for the company"
If any 2 of these had happened I wouldn't even consider working there. You can only image what the culture must be like there. There's something to be said for treating candidates like humans, even if you don't really want to be interviewing.
Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#3If I’d known about the anti-suit culture, I would have worn Dockers and a polo shirt. I just wanted to convey that I took the interview seriously. Apparently the feeling wasn’t reciprocal.
This isn't the first time I've heard of candidates being looked down upon for wearing suits to interviews, and I'm really curious what the thought process is behind this.
I've done interviews where the candidate wore a suit, and where they wore jeans and a button-down, and nobody felt offended. The only time someone's clothing made a truly negative impression was when it was clear their suit had most likely been crumpled up in a ball 30 minutes before the interview -- some of his answers to technical questions suggested he was generally sloppy, and his appearance was just one more data point to support that conclusion.
Is there some inherent distrust in someone who shows up in a suit?
Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#4If I’d known about the anti-suit culture, I would have worn Dockers and a polo shirt. I just wanted to convey that I took the interview seriously. Apparently the feeling wasn’t reciprocal. This isn't the first time I've heard of candidates being looked down upon for wearing suits to interviews, and I'm really curious what the thought process is behind this. I've done interviews where the candidate wore a suit, and wh…
The advice I've always heard is to wear the suit and adapt as the day goes on. If you are confronted with a room full of blinking shorts and sandals types then you gratefully pull off the tie, drop the coat, unbutton the collar, and roll up the sleeves while saying something about "glad you guys won't expect me to suit up".
Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#5If I’d known about the anti-suit culture, I would have worn Dockers and a polo shirt. I just wanted to convey that I took the interview seriously. Apparently the feeling wasn’t reciprocal. This isn't the first time I've heard of candidates being looked down upon for wearing suits to interviews, and I'm really curious what the thought process is behind this. I've done interviews where the candidate wore a suit, and wh…
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Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#6I would love to read stories of interviewees who've decided to call it quits on the interviewers. It must happen right?
Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#7sounds like they weren't that in to him more than anything else...
Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#8One of the last sentences: "This is not a true story but similar things have all happened to me or to my colleagues. "
Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#9If I’d known about the anti-suit culture, I would have worn Dockers and a polo shirt. I just wanted to convey that I took the interview seriously. Apparently the feeling wasn’t reciprocal. This isn't the first time I've heard of candidates being looked down upon for wearing suits to interviews, and I'm really curious what the thought process is behind this. I've done interviews where the candidate wore a suit, and wh…
I think it's mostly subconscious. I doubt anyone consciously thinks "That guy's wearing a suit. Don't hire him." However, people probably tend to take it as a sign that someone is dressing up to compensate for a lack of ability.
Re: How to Screw Up an On-Site Interview
#10If I’d known about the anti-suit culture, I would have worn Dockers and a polo shirt. I just wanted to convey that I took the interview seriously. Apparently the feeling wasn’t reciprocal. This isn't the first time I've heard of candidates being looked down upon for wearing suits to interviews, and I'm really curious what the thought process is behind this. I've done interviews where the candidate wore a suit, and wh…
I think it's mostly subconscious. I doubt anyone consciously thinks "That guy's wearing a suit. Don't hire him." However, people probably tend to take it as a sign that someone is dressing up to compensate for a lack of ability.
The article a few days ago about people not liking overly-enthusiastic, helpful team members comes to mind. It might be that some people just get an impression like "This guy thinks he's better than us", or the fear that the new guy will dress up, making them look bad if they continue to dress more casual.