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Comment by rquantz | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, it seems like a suit would make you stick out like a sore thumb at most startups (ie, not a "culture fit"). Unless it's a fashion startup, in which case go for the suit, as long as it's well tailored. And maybe also for a big company that's not tech-oriented.

For most startup interviews I'd think you should go with the startup uniform: slacks, button up shirt with no tie, and dress shoes.

Edit: my apologies for only answering for men. No idea what a woman should wear to a job interview.

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It's almost worth wearing a suit just as a sanity check; if that's the reason you get rejected, you didn't want to work there anyways.

Interesting. Is there a reason beyond the obvious (that it shouldn't matter what you wear, at least above a certain threshold)?

Good new for me. I love wearing a suit.

Yes, there is! The fallacious belief in a company "culture" that is signified by what candidates wear isn't benign, but it isn't the worst implication of "culture fit". Intolerance of normal work/life balance, of different mentalities about software development, of comfort levels with intoxication, of different management styles, or just of meaningful diversity --- those "culture fit" pathologies are much worse. And if the company you're thinking about working for filters based on candidates wearing suits, it's more likely than not that some of the more malignant pathologies are also there.

As a woman working in startups, this is another reason why I always wear a suit to job interviews. I don't care about having to dodge nerf footballs or beer funnel-whatsits or whatever while I'm coding, but if you're only looking for people who fit into your "culture," down to lifestyle, hobbies, and dress it's probably not going to work out.

shakes cane

I'm being a little glib, but I think it's always best to stick with your guns, especially in a job-seeker's market :)

Would you say there are any dimensions on which it's important to enforce uniformity through hiring? If so, which ones?

I took off my jacket but I was still in a tie at a job interview at a place that hit hot on all start-up stereotypes. (Simple example: someone blasted the theme to Indiana Jones over the speaker system during my code-pairing session.)

I 100% stuck out as a sore thumb, but that was okay. I considered the three cases:

1. I should dress up and they will ding me if I don't

2. they don't care

3. I should not dress up and they will ding me if I do

I'd be right in 2 out of 3 cases. And in the third: well, flushing people for doing what is expected of them by a large fraction of the community is crazy, so it's good to find out.

(No, I didn't get the position.)

You do realize that odds would be exactly the same if you do the opposite? :)

Only if you assume that that three point list is evenly weighted. In my experience in 2014 it isn't. The number of companies which expect men in particular to wear a suit and tie to a job interview far exceeds those that do not.

A lot of companies dress smart casual but most also won't think of someone negatively if they "over-dress" for an interview (since, frankly, we all know that's the game that is played).

I agree with the slacks + button up for men unless you're going for a senior management position, then go suit.

FWIW, when I interviewed at Intel and wore a suit, the security guard commented when I walked in that I was overdressed.

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