Is there such a thing as being overdressed for an interview?

I believe it is possible to be over dressed for a job interview--but it depends. Can you imagine a plumber going to an interview dressed in a black suit and power tie? It would be almost comical in my book.

In my opinion, the best way to dress is to first picture the way you would dress while on the job, and then take it up a notch. For example, I am a technical writer. At work I wear casual or dress pants with a nice shirt practically everyday. I may wear dress shoes or casual shoes. At a job interview, however, it's always dress shoes, pants, and shirt with a tie. I may wear a sport coat, but never a suit. I just don't see a need for it.

My profession and yours are not so formal, so the above rule-of-thumb should work for us.

On the other hand, we are both professionals, so wearing a nice suit etc. probably won't hurt either unless the interviewer has some weird prejudice against it.

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RE:

Is there such a thing as being overdressed for an interview?

Hello all,

I've been interviewing for full-time research jobs lately, and I've noticed something that makes me a bit nervous--I often pass other candidates going into or out of interviews who are dressed more casually than I am.

I've been going with the usual protocol for business...

You need to dress appropriate to the job you are applying for. Turn up in joggers for a receptionist's job and they will think you too scruffy to present a good public face, but converseley turn up in a smart business suit to be a cleaner and they will think you too qualified for the job, so yes you can overdress. Wear what you think you would wear on a day to day basis if you got the job, unless there is a uniform involved, in which case dress smartly and neatly.

You should just dress for the interview according to the business that is conducting the interview. If it is a smaller independent business, then you may be "over dressed". If the business is a larger corporate type business, then your attire sounds fine. You can kind of check out a business environment before your interview to get an idea of their dress codes. A mistake in either direction could be a detriment to being hired. But normally, extra effort is more appreciated than being under dressed for a job interview. Good luck!

it depends on what kind of job your applying for. I've gone into interviews wearing dress pants and shirt, and passing people who were wearing baggy sweaters and shorts. it's better to be over dressed then under dressed. it just shows you care about how you look and that you took the time to prepare before hand. you come off more put together and determined. if its a business type job which you say it is, then don't bother worrying about how others are dressed. if they want to be more casual, that's their choice, you should stick to what you've been wearing. it's definitely more impressive!

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after 6mos of testing ^ background checks for LAPD people ordered to show for the 1st day of the Academy those showing up in less than a suit & tie were sent home as they "obviously did take this opportunity very serious.... find something else"