Going on an interview, asking for an extra flight?

[skunkworks]

Is it ever a mistake to overdress? I don't ever see wearing a suit to be a negative, so why take any risks.

[Badger]

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Is it ever a mistake to overdress? I don't ever see wearing a suit to be a negative, so why take any risks.

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Although it's possibly a mistake to overdress it's less likely to be a mistake than under dressing. I think that's a pretty clear consensus at this point.
The geekier the position/interviewer/company, the less you need to dress up.

[tuq]

Well of course it's good to err on the side of caution and dress conservatively. That doesn't mean it's always the BEST thing to do.

solids, it's for IT. Almost all IT departments are business casual, some of them "very" business casual. Obviously if this was a position for some sort of "business" type of position a suit is the obvious play.

Badger, it could be that people want to be in Phoenix, thus employers are less inclined to accommodate potential candidates with things like paid flights, hotels, etc. Basic supply and demand. Perhaps for a place like Chicago or Minneapolis demand for talent is such that they will go the extra mile for potential hires. So to take what I wrote and apply it to every market is unqualified, I guess.

[skunkworks]

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The geekier the position/interviewer/company, the less you need to dress up.

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Precisely. Since I'm in the tech industry, I like to dress down my suit by wearing my favorite Mickey Mouse necktie. It has rhinestones on it, which says to the interviewer, "Hey, this guy -- he knows how to cut loose."

[Badger]

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Badger, it could be that people want to be in Phoenix, thus employers are less inclined to accommodate potential candidates with things like paid flights, hotels, etc. Basic supply and demand. Perhaps for a place like Chicago or Minneapolis demand for talent is such that they will go the extra mile for potential hires. So to take what I wrote and apply it to every market is unqualified, I guess.

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Was the Minneapolis/Chicago thing a joke? Comparatively to a lot of other places Minneapolis and Chicago look pretty damn good. FWIW I'm in Austin, which I think is on the same playing field as Phoenix.

jba, how geeky is your job?

[tuq]

Badger,

I was generally referring to places where it sucks in the winter. Phoenix & Las Vegas are the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country, thus an influx of candidates. Chicago may have been a bad example because of its general allure, in which case replace it with Cleveland.

[jjshabado]

Its normal for companies to do things like this (reimbursing for so flight) when they're at the offer stage, not the interview stage.

Somebody else gave the best advice earlier. Don't ask about the so now (asking probably won't hurt, but I doubt they'll do it and it could be a negative impression). If they like you they'll have no problem flying both of you out for a suck-up day.

Recruiting people is expensive, but I doubt they're going to spend the money before they're confident they have a good person. Once they know they want you, an extra flight or two is nothing.

Oh, and not wearing a suit is retarded. I interview people in jeans and a t-shirt and wouldn't hold it against someone if they didn't suit up, but its a plus if they do. It just shows good judgment.

[jaydub]

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There is some super retarded advice in this thread.

A suit is not a "must" all the time. The last ten interviews I've put people on, maybe two wore a suit. A couple more wore a tie, but most just wore a nice button-down dress shirt and slacks. That was plenty.

I recently had a guy who felt like he HAD to wear a suit even though it was for a super relaxed company. I was fine, I mean that can't hurt him, but the hiring manager came out (he was wearing shorts, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt and it was a Monday) and immediately gave me crap for how dressed up the candidate was. Joking of course, but it was obvious the guy was overdressed.

It's situational. I definitely agree that erring on the side of caution (suit) is smart, but it's not always the best play.

Please note that I place IT candidates and in IT the rules and standards are vastly different from what is generally accepted elsewhere so this advice may not apply.


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That would have been a useful addition. I agree with your general sentiment minus the insulting comments. If one is applying for a non management IT position, the answer is often to dress down. If a trusted recruiter tells you to put on jeans, put the [censored] jeans on. However, unless one has such input, a suit is the way to go.

Oh and I hope the mickey mouse tie dude was a level.

J