OT: Dressing for a final interview at a start up

[ScarletStateofNJ]

So I'm interviewing at a mid-sized start up (50 people) for a senior role. I've already had two rounds of interviews. 2 one hour phone screens and a 4 hour in-person interview with 7 people. They are bringing me back for a one hour case study presentation to a group of 5 people.

In my in person interview, I wore a suit and a tie. The people I interviewed with were all super casual in dress: sweats, jeans and one dude was wearing a white T-shirt. Most of the people are in their twenties and early thirties. The oldest guy is the CEO and I'd guess he's in his mid thirties. I'm in my late 30's.

Here's my business etiquette question: How do I dress for this final presentation? I don't want to be "outside of their culture" but I want to be appropriate? Do I go back in a suit & tie or do I bring it down? Suit, no tie? Business casual, jeans?

 

[Knight Shift]

Cargo shorts and a wb tee-shirt.
Or sweats and your favorite concert t.

 

[ClassOf02v.2]

It's a tough call, but based on what you've said I think I'd tone it down, but just on notch. Maybe a suit, no tie. It could demonstrate that you observed their culture in your first in-person interviews and made a subtle adjustment accordingly.

 

[Upstream]

If they're wearing sweats, jeans, and t-shirts, and you show up in a suit and tie (after meeting with them in person twice to see what they wear), you run the risk that they may feel you aren't a good cultural fit.

But at the same time, you don't want to show up in sweats and a t-shirt, because you run the risk that they may feel you aren't taking the interview process seriously.

I would recommend something in the middle ... business casual. You can wear khakis or similar and a dress shirt (not white) without a tie and maybe a sports jacket that you can take off.

 

[rurichdog]

Tux, tails, and tophat.

 

[Knight Shift]

Tux, tails, and tophat.

 

[yesrutgers01]

My rule has always been to wear the suit and tie until they tell you not to. In a case like this, I would still go with a suit and tie but maybe start your presentation with a slight joke about it. Maybe something like "Let's hope this is the last time you have to see me in a suit"

Or, if you have had this many conversations and feel fairly comfortable, just call someone you are meeting with and ask them.

 

[Beancounter88]

Cool button down long-sleeve shirt, dark jeans and sports jacket.

 

[MrsScrew_rivals32693]

always put your best foot forward.

I agree with @yesrutgers01 wear the suit and tie until they tell you not to. (maybe a jacket, tie and pants....no suit)

 

[RUskoolie]

Better to be over dressed then under dressed. I wouldn't change. You can always lose the tie if they mention it.

 

[koolraddad]

Sport coat and tie. It's toned down and if you feel overdressed take off the jacket, losses the tie and roll up the sleeves. Most of all, good luck.

 

[Caliknight]

Suit no tie. Fit properly.

 

[RUschool]

You made it thru the initial interview wearing a suit and tie. You can now wear a sports jacket and tie to be casual.

 

[RU85inFla]

i'm 54 so I will put that caveat out there. I wear shorts & tee shirts to work and when I dress up I wear sneakers instead of flip flops. When I hire people I throw on a golf shirt but expect the candidates to show respect for the job and company. They come in casual its a huge red flag. In my mind does the candidate respect the job to see that the relaxed atmosphere does not indicate relaxed expectations.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

If they are having you present a business case - it would seem that they are interested in seeing you authentically 'in action' - essentially you will be doing a bit of role-playing.
So one question is - how would you typically dress when performing in this role? Will this position have you serving as the 'face of the company' - interacting with key clients? If the idea is that you would be entrusted with closing and managing critical deals and working with key clients - you probably want to dress in a way that inspires confidence in that regard.
If you are looking to be a vital part of the internal 'operational' team and the bulk of your interactions will be with the group that will be receiving your case study - dress in a way that conveys that you have an understanding of what meshes well in their environment ( but not too casual -still keep some respect for the 'interview process') leave them thinking - "this seems like a good match"

 

[RBNY87]

Suit and tie. It is interview etiquette. It has also worked so far.

 

[ScarletNYC]

If they're wearing sweats, jeans, and t-shirts, and you show up in a suit and tie (after meeting with them in person twice to see what they wear), you run the risk that they may feel you aren't a good cultural fit.

But at the same time, you don't want to show up in sweats and a t-shirt, because you run the risk that they may feel you aren't taking the interview process seriously.

I would recommend something in the middle ... business casual. You can wear khakis or similar and a dress shirt (not white) without a tie and maybe a sports jacket that you can take off.

I'll second this, especially of it's in the tech sector. No sports jacket, button down, slacks and a tie.

 

[knightfan7]

Cool button down long-sleeve shirt, dark jeans and sports jacket.

I may go with khaki pants but I think you are on the right track.

 

[rurichdog]

always put your best foot forward.

I agree with @yesrutgers01 wear the suit and tie until they tell you not to. (maybe a jacket, tie and pants....no suit)

Superhero shirt underneath. This way if they start in on "Why are you wearing that suit again?" you can open the middle button & do your Clark Kent Into Superman pose.

 

[Bagarocks]

What ever you do, just go commando! The rest is all salad dressing

 

[FrankZ_RU93]

Always wear a suit and tie, unless specifically told not to.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Go in dress like this guy:

 

[SC1221]

It depends on the role (mostly how client facing it is) but to me, I think a suit is overkill for a 50 person startup. I've worked and interviewed at startups in the tech space and always felt way overdressed every time I wore a suit (wearing a suit to interview used to be a rule for me). I've gradually toned it down and not wearing a suit has had zero effect on my prospects but made me feel better while interviewing. I would say you could still wear a sport jacket or blazer and dress nicely but I personally have stopped wearing suits for interviews with smaller companies.

But honestly, I don't think it matters much either way, how you do in your presentation will matter 100x more. The reason why most startup employees dress casually is that most higher ups at startups don't really care about how you dress either way so do what feels comfortable to you.

 

[DJ Spanky]

My rule has always been to wear the suit and tie until they tell you not to. In a case like this, I would still go with a suit and tie but maybe start your presentation with a slight joke about it. Maybe something like "Let's hope this is the last time you have to see me in a suit"

I'm in complete agreement with this. Especially the part about making light of it.

i'm 54 so I will put that caveat out there. I wear shorts & tee shirts to work and when I dress up I wear sneakers instead of flip flops. When I hire people I throw on a golf shirt but expect the candidates to show respect for the job and company. They come in casual its a huge red flag. In my mind does the candidate respect the job to see that the relaxed atmosphere does not indicate relaxed expectations.

That's pretty much how I feel. Now there have been instances where a candidate is coming in before, during or after their current job and they're wearing business casual which I completely understand as long as they let us know beforehand. Particularly if it's an initial "getting to know you" type interview.

 

[BHSPCRU]

This is really a tough one. Maybe one of the factors he has made it this far in the process is that the applicant appears structured and organized and his choice of attire reflects this. Perhaps that is a character trait needed in their organization. Here is my official stance. Don’t ditch the suit and tie but totally nail the business case today. Make a joke after the presentation about your wardrobe selection. If you can’t communicate with the people in the organization it may not be the best fit for you. If there is a next time with another company try and gauge what is appropriate ahead of time. Lack of communication and understanding expectations are the major reasons for failure within organizations.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

I'd ask the advice of that Eagles fan with expertise on proper attire to bring good fortune.


Seriously though, I'm with Upstream's suggestion above.

 

[Tango Two]

 

[BigLou]

My rule has always been to wear the suit and tie until they tell you not to. In a case like this, I would still go with a suit and tie but maybe start your presentation with a slight joke about it. Maybe something like "Let's hope this is the last time you have to see me in a suit"

Or, if you have had this many conversations and feel fairly comfortable, just call someone you are meeting with and ask them.

In today's environment, saying the above may get you accused of sexual harassment before you even start the job.

 

[SHUSource]

Suit no tie. Fit properly.

This, but he's right: if these things aren't tailored/fitted properly, forget it.

 

[OTBOTOR]

I wouldn't go too casual just yet.

Presuming you wore a traditional navy, black, or charcoal suit already, maybe mix it up with a slightly more casual look. Do you have maybe a brown or navy blazer to wear with dark pants, shirt, and tie?

I go for that look for more casual client meetings, where it looks less like a uniform and more like "I pieced this together but still command the room"

 

[rurichdog]

I wouldn't go too casual just yet.

Presuming you wore a traditional navy, black, or charcoal suit already, maybe mix it up with a slightly more casual look. Do you have maybe a brown or navy blazer to wear with dark pants, shirt, and tie?

I go for that look for more casual client meetings, where it looks less like a uniform and more like "I pieced this together but still command the room"

The Rutgers Business School minions would have a fit

 

[mildone_rivals]

I recommend showing up unshaven, unwashed and generally disheveled, wearing nothing but a smile and a great attitude. This approach has never failed me.

 

[Knight Shift]

We don't play guessing games with candidates. On a first interview, we tell them to dress like they are going to visit a client. On the second interview, we tell them to wear something comfortable and casual in line with the way people were dressed during the first interview.

 

[FanuSanu52]

Cool button down long-sleeve shirt, dark jeans and sports jacket.

Why do people think jeans are dressy just cause you threw a sports jacket on? They're still jeans.

 

[FanuSanu52]

I wouldn't go too casual just yet.

Presuming you wore a traditional navy, black, or charcoal suit already, maybe mix it up with a slightly more casual look. Do you have maybe a brown or navy blazer to wear with dark pants, shirt, and tie?

I go for that look for more casual client meetings, where it looks less like a uniform and more like "I pieced this together but still command the room"

Outfit looks good but maybe a better backdrop next time, GQ :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 

[yesrutgers01]

I'm in complete agreement with this. Especially the part about making light of it.


That's pretty much how I feel. Now there have been instances where a candidate is coming in before, during or after their current job and they're wearing business casual which I completely understand as long as they let us know beforehand. Particularly if it's an initial "getting to know you" type interview.

I'm glad that you picked up on this part...It is the key to the interview. They are having you do a presentation, the best way to make any presentation good is to lighten up the mood just a little bit. Starting with a comment such as hoping this is the last time you see me in a suit show confidence but not cockiness and some humor while not standing there making jokes. It also shows that you are both respecting the job, company and interview process while also recognizing their environment and that you want to be a part of it.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

I have not read all the responses. Based on what you said, I would wear a blue suit with a blue shirt, and no tie. Its still a suit, but it feels business casual.

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

pick any one of below:

.............. on a more serious note:
you can never go wrong with a well-made, well tailored suit and tie............. at worst-- it shows you have respect for them (even if they don't respect you)....

and it proves you can show up in a suit-and-tie someday in the future in case they ever want to actually sell their crap to someone else who cares.......

p.s.---- please be sure to livestream your presentation and post several Instagram while it's going on........ I promise to [thumb2][thumb2][thumb2]:smiley:

 

[mildone_rivals]

That raises a good point (no pun intended). You should probably print out this thread and bring it to the presentation. If they don't laugh, seek work elsewhere.

 

[koleszar]

So I'm interviewing at a mid-sized start up (50 people) for a senior role. I've already had two rounds of interviews. 2 one hour phone screens and a 4 hour in-person interview with 7 people. They are bringing me back for a one hour case study presentation to a group of 5 people.

In my in person interview, I wore a suit and a tie. The people I interviewed with were all super casual in dress: sweats, jeans and one dude was wearing a white T-shirt. Most of the people are in their twenties and early thirties. The oldest guy is the CEO and I'd guess he's in his mid thirties. I'm in my late 30's.

Here's my business etiquette question: How do I dress for this final presentation? I don't want to be "outside of their culture" but I want to be appropriate? Do I go back in a suit & tie or do I bring it down? Suit, no tie? Business casual, jeans?

My brother a few years ago lost his job here at the Hess corporate office(they stopped all refinery operations). So he goes on a job interview at Crocs corporate headquarters in Colorado. He walks into the interview full suit and tie. All the head guys are there wearing Crocs, sweatpants and T-shirts. My brother felt so over dressed. But he kept wearing it to each successive interview(and as @yesrutgers01 said he made a little pleasant joke about it on the 3rd interview).

He got the job and they said they really appreciated him wearing the suit and tie. It showed them he really cared enough to take the time to look his best. They said you can't believe how some of these younger kids come dressed. But from now on it's not necessary. So I would say maybe tone it down a little but not much. You dressing up shows them you really care. It's not the end all be all, but every little bit helps to shape the perception that you want to project.