Ask HN: Proper attire for a startup interview? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Proper attire for a startup interview?

I have previously worked for an 8 person startup, and the general atmosphere was very casual. I am interviewing today for a 15 person startup and was wondering what the proper attire was when you don't know ahead of time the atmosphere of the company.

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My blanket policy for this flies in the face of perhaps all other conventional advice, but wherever I interview, I wear the most conservative bit of clothing I'm willing to wear every day for that job.

I used to wear suits every day (and still do on occasion), so I'd invariably wear a suit to an interview. Once I outgrew the notion of wearing suits, I quit wearing them.

It sets the tone for what they can expect of me in the future, and doesn't give any false impressions. I'd rather they hire 'me' than some notion of how appropriately I ticked their boxes.

I remember interviewing for a fairly conservative defense contractor, and the interviewer commented on it -- saying something like "So, I noticed you're not wearing a tie," to which my response was "Yeah -- I didn't want to give you the impression that I was willing to ever wear a tie."

I got that job, and never wore a tie when I worked there (though I did 'dress up' in a casual suit where appropriate.)

The point, in a roundabout sense, is that if you aren't comfortable wearing a tie to work every day, don't wear one for the interview.

I'm sure this changes if you really need this job, or are willing to do anything to work for this particular company or something, but it's a decent piece of general advice.

I bet we interviewed at the same "conservative defense contractor". I won't name names but there is one in particular that is known for requiring ties. I showed up for an interview in a suit sans tie and it was pointed out to me as well. The only interview I've ever had where I didn't get the job.

You could always ask?

"Hi. I understand you're a start-up. I'd wear a suit to a job interview with a big, conservative corporation, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable if that's not how you roll. Is office casual acceptable?"

This puts the ball in their court, and also tells them you're flexible and you prepare for interviews in advance rather than running on autopilot.

Uh, no. The one who's uncomfortable here is clearly you, if you have to ask. If you really don't know and it's important to you to 'blend in', then swing by the office in the morning or at night and see how people are dressed coming in or out. Or find the founders on LinkedIn or Facebook and see what they're wearing. Be a little bit less obvious about it.

If I got a note from a prospective candidate like this one, it would probably be a point against them because it broadcasts insecurity and helplessness neither of which is an attractive trait in a prospective employee. This is the part where resourcefulness and self-motivated behavior starts.

Maybe that's the case if you want to turn everything into a mind game. You're really taking points away from the company, not the candidate, when you judge them idiotically.

Wait, you suggest that they "swing by the office" instead of just sending an email? This is madness.

Exactly. That's why I'm saying just be yourself. It's the candidate asking the question who starts the mindgame. So long external validation matters more than inner confidence, I'll always look like a mindgame you can't win. And dropping by the office can seem like madness if you're going down the line of outside validation thinking too far. At the other end of the spectrum, it's recon.

Agreed. They're a 15-person team, contacting them beforehand is not out of the question (I did so when I first started interviewing at startups).

Honestly, I don't like the advice people are giving to just dress "how you would every day" because that's the real you,etc... The bottom line is, when you are programming all day and only meeting with maybe an internal manager / team leader, etc there is little reason to dress up. However, I would think if one day you have to sit in on a meeting with an important prospective client, you might dress a little differently than you do normally when you are just doing programming. Business people often dress up because they have meetings and it shows respect to those they meet with, I can often tell around my office when a "business person" has a day with no important meetings as they tend to dress down those days.

When you go to an interview, you want to show the person respect and it is a special situation, its not just another day at work. You aren't part of the company yet so I don't know why you should have to wear exactly what you would when you actually start the job.

I don't wear a tie, or a suit, but I do tend to dress up a bit. If you don't want to, thats fine, but there's no reason to deride someone for thinking they should treat an interview a little differently than they would just another day at work.

I think in this day and age business casual is appropriate anywhere you want to be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_casual

Shirt with a collar, slacks, belt, non-athletic shoes.

It depends on the industry that they're in. If its something like government contracting obviously it makes sense to dress conservatively. For me personally, I go dressed in slacks or jeans and dress/casual shirt. It's what I find comfortable and I think I look better in it.

I've found with smaller teams they'll do due-diligence and double check that you can do what you say you can do. If I know you're good, I don't care how you come in dressed for an interview, so long as you're dressed and take care of personal hygiene like a normal person.YMMV

I wore dark jeans, a button up shirt, and dark sneakers to my last startup interview and got an offer. But I also verified that was similar to their dress code by asking on the initial interview call, too.

If you want to err on the side of caution, step up to khakis and non-sneakers, but certainly no higher than that. I remember reading a general rule that you should dress one step up from the dress code where you're going to make a good first impression, but never more than that, otherwise you risk alienating your audience.

there's really just one simple rule for this: dress exactly the way you are willing to dress at work.

if you underdress, and they give you a hard time about it, you might not fit in well at that company and you dodged a bullet.

if you overdress, there is a chance you will make your interviewer uncomfortable and not get the job.

dress in what you like to wear. its as simple as that. let them hire the real you, and not a front you put on based on some perceived image you have of the company.

I tend to go for dark jeans or khakis and a tucked in button up shirt (long or short sleeves depending on the weather) but I tend to dress that way anyways. I don't think I'd be a good match for a company that required something more formal. I consider what everyone else wears to be part of my side of the interview with them since it reflects their culture.

Wear what helps you feel the most comfortable. This will ensure you do your best during rigorous interviews. Also keep in mind that startup employees respect skill and expertise. They know these usually vary inversely with an affinity for suits and other business casual costumes.

Startups are meant to be a place where you don't have to worry about such things. Wear what you want. :)

I agree. T-shirt, shorts, and sandals would seem to be what I would want to wear, especially if this startup is in the Bay Area. (IDK if it is, just a thought.)

If you don't get the job because of wearing something like that, to an interview with a startup, you don't want to be working there anyways.

I feel like shorts and sandals would be pushing it. How about a combination of jeans, a shirt, a sweater, and no-toe-revealing-shoes?

I usually ask reception, but a 15 person startup doesn't usually have reception.

I'd go with a dress shirt and tie, at the very least.

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