Need some interview advice

[russian rocket]

Hey guys I have an interview tomorrow, this is the second interview or can possibly be looked at as the third interview. It's for a chemical plant process operator position. The first two times I dressed nicely,(dress pants, dress shoes, dress shirt) for this interview the HR lady said to dress somewhat casual. This interview is going to be a group assessment. How do you guys recommend I dress?

[Furloaf]

Somewhat casual.

[TTQ B4U]

I would do dress casual. That is Casual Dress Pants like cotton pants, button down shirt and since it's summer, a nice linen jacket...again, something casual. Pull the jacket off once you meet the group. Mens Wearhouse is filled with this type of dress. I wear it all the time in summer.

[Exodus]

Jeans. Button down shirt. Semi nice shoes.

[Mojoe]

Post the best pic you can find on google, of how you saw other people dressed there, or how people dress when on site.

 

I found this reference page that may help you.

http://fashionnewtrends.com/mens-smart-casual-dress-code-2015/.html

[DKilbourne]

I would definitely still do a khaki pant with a button down shirt. No tie.

[Second Gen]

Everyone interprets "casual" differently and I would go with what you wore to the first two interviews. The HR teams do not always (Sometimes) have a good pulse on the hiring manager and his/her opinions. If you interview well I would not stress over it.. Focus on providing the best answers to the questions and showing how you can differentiate yourself from the other candidates (Positive/problem solver/critical thinker).

 

Not in HR, but have interviewed about 30 local and international people for some technical (windows infrastructure) positions.

 

Joe always has great ideas/comments, but would not go into an interview in a golf shirt like the dork in the pic.. Khakis and a reasonable dress shirt maybe..

 

Tim - Same, but depending on the environment the linen jacket maybe much (You should know this from the two interviews)..

[harmonda]

Hopefully you got a chance to look around when you were there before and can emulate how others were dressed. For a group interview you want to leave them with an impression that you are one of them and will fit in. So, mirroring their attire is the key. You definitely don't want to overdo it for this one or you risk being viewed as a threat by any of them with advancement aspirations.

[Patterson]

Just make sure your Belt and Shoes match.

[ShowHBK]

I have done a few "casual" interviews in the past and this is what I wore.

 

Button down dress shirt / Polo shirt

white shirt underneath (no graphics or design)

Jeans / khaki pants

Belt (Dress belt, nothing with a huge buckle or design on it)

Dress socks

Dress shoes

 

I also would go with that Harmonda said about "fitting in". Try and get a feel for who these people are, what they are looking for, and how they act. Going over the top sometimes can come off as a threat and they will instantly dislike you. At the same time, try and show confidence in yourself when answering any question even if you have to say "I don't know" because they will be able to smell a BS answer from a mile away.

 

Best of luck in your interview

[Geeto67]

Here is how I approach it:

 

Don't trust HR. It's easier to over dress and shed clothes to look casual than it is to dress casual and suddenly find yourself in a room full of suits and scrambling to class up your attire.

 

Wear a suit, tie, the whole 9 yards. Upon meeting the first person size up how they are dressed. If they meet you in jeans/kakis and a polo shirt, politely ask them if they mind if you remove your tie and see how he reacts. If you get the all clear then you can stuff your tie and jacket in your bag and still look "dress casual" in black shoes, dress slacks, and a button down shirt with an open collar.

 

to me "interview casual" never involves khakis and jeans. it's at the least a white button down (so white and crisp it blinds people when you walk in a room) and suit pants/dress slacks.

 

If you do still want to push for the khaki's you can take the preppie approach: make sure they are crisply pressed, wear a tie, brown shoes, button down collar shirt (white or blue), and a blue blazer or sport coat. This way if you wan to shed into casual you can but if it is a formal meeting you look stylish and not under-dressed.

[russian rocket]

thanks for the great suggestions guys. im thinking the khakis and button down shirt and dress shoes might be the winner.

as far as the hr lady goes, she has been apart of the first two interviews.

first interview was an assessment test

second interview was a three person panel who asked a bunch of questions

this interview is a group assessment, ill be paired with a few other candidates and we will be given a problem to solve as a group. they want to assess your team player skills.

 

i feel grateful just to get to this point, from what i have heard, 5000 people applied for the position, 500 were selected to take the test, 100 were interviewed and now i think its down to 40-50 people, there are 15-20 spots to fill. sooo fingers crossed that i do good enough on the next interview tomorrow

[l36tols1]

Dress pants/shirt nice shoes no tie. I wouldn't trust HR.

[Second Gen]

GL Borris (Silver Creek Reservoir - Battelle)

[Geeto67]

thanks for the great suggestions guys. im thinking the khakis and button down shirt and dress shoes might be the winner.

as far as the hr lady goes, she has been apart of the first two interviews.

first interview was an assessment test

second interview was a three person panel who asked a bunch of questions

this interview is a group assessment, ill be paired with a few other candidates and we will be given a problem to solve as a group. they want to assess your team player skills.

 

i feel grateful just to get to this point, from what i have heard, 5000 people applied for the position, 500 were selected to take the test, 100 were interviewed and now i think its down to 40-50 people, there are 15-20 spots to fill. sooo fingers crossed that i do good enough on the next interview tomorrow

 

If you are going to be in a group of people and evaluated that way, you should stand out with how nice you look without being overdressed. Everybody is going to be in khakis. I say go dress slacks or suit paints and a very nice dress shirt and shoes. make sure it is all wrinkle free and crisp.

[Forrest Gump 9]

Rent a helicopter and go to the interview in that helicopter. You'll get hire instantly.

[Dr. Pomade]

politely ask them if they mind if you remove your tie and see how he reacts.

 

I LIKE TO GET MY SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUITS OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE THE JOB OFFER

[smokin5s]

dress slacks, button down shirt, tucked in, dress shoes, black socks... no tuxedo t-shirts... it's still an interview... whoever said jeans is crazy... if you came to an interview that I was running and you were wearing jeans, you would not get the job, no matter how good you are... it's about professionalism and jeans are never acceptable for an interview, even if it was tacobell

[Dr. Pomade]

Pull the jacket off once you meet the group.

 

WANT MY REFERENCES? HERE'S TWO - GUNN AND GUNN INCORPORATED

[Mensan]

Chemical plant operators wear nomex uniforms provided by the company. Probably a dark blue pant with a light blue shirt or something similar. They may look like they are delivering something. It's just a working uniform.

 

If it were me, I'd mention to the interviewer ahead of time that I was coming from work, so I would be dressed the way I was for my current job. That way if you are under/over dressed, it won't sound like an excuse after the fact.

 

If you don't want to lie, actually come from work in dockers and a polo.

[Hwilli1647545487]

WANT MY REFERENCES? HERE'S TWO - GUNN AND GUNN INCORPORATED

 

Strong eye contact is a must.

[Dr. Pomade]

You definitely don't want to overdo it for this one or you risk being viewed as a threat by any of them with advancement aspirations.

 

NICE CUFF LINKS - I CAN SEE YOU'RE AIMING FOR THE CEO, MACHIAVELLI

[Dr. Pomade]

Strong eye contact is a must.

 

I like to wear a strong musty scent. That, coupled with a firm handshake and a hearty, somewhat condescending laugh, always announces my arrival as an alpha and someone who doesn't negotiate or like liberals.

[Dr. Pomade]

dress slacks, button down shirt, tucked in, dress shoes, black socks... no tuxedo t-shirts... it's still an interview... whoever said jeans is crazy... if you came to an interview that I was running and you were wearing jeans, you would not get the job, no matter how good you are... it's about professionalism and jeans are never acceptable for an interview, even if it was tacobell

 

You know what else isn't acceptable? Your negativity. Thanks for coming in, but I think the committee has all the information we need to make our decision.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Dr. Pomade

[87GT]

I like to wear a strong musty scent. That, coupled with a firm handshake and a hearty, somewhat condescending laugh, always announces my arrival as an alpha and someone who doesn't negotiate or like liberals.

 

Nothing says "firm handshake" like using both of your hands to shake. Make sure to squeeze in a vigorous and forceful manner. If your partner flinches you know you did it the right way.