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Interview Attire

drizzt3117

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globetrotter,

I could definitely see that, I meant the company caring as much about the fit for someone whose responsibilities would be primarily international.

Interestingly enough, I grew up in a reasonably small city in the Midwest with perhaps a slightly higher degree of ethnic diversity but it was still primarily white protestants of german and scandanavian descent. I guess it gives me a substantially different perspective than other Asians in SoCal.
 

globetrotter

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I could definitely see that, I meant the company caring as much about the fit for someone whose responsibilities would be primarily international.
actually, I thought that that was hard to understand - the position was meant to bring a global perspective to the team and help them understand the international market. I would have thought if there was one position in the company that might be expected to be a little "oddball" it would be that.
 

drizzt3117

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Yeah, that was my general question as well, corn-fed midwestern boys aren't usually the most effective international businessmen
smile.gif
 

globetrotter

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this is my favorite story (sorry off topic) - I ran into a guy at a trade show last year who told me he had "taken care of his international markets" so that he didn't have to deal with them himself any more. he had given an exclusive 1 year distribution contract for ROW to a distributor from Kazakastan, who he had met for one evening and had dinner with. and he was very proud of himself.
 

drizzt3117

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nice... they have distributors in Kazakhstan though? What do they distribute, black market Russian contraband?
smile.gif
You'd think for your first deal, you'd stay a bit closer to home than Kazakhstan.
 

Bradford

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Globetrotter - I understand what you are saying, I just dont agree with it.  If there is honestly anyone who has either a conscious or subconsious reaction to someone wearing a white shirt at an interview I would be willing to bet its miniscule.  Its such an antiquated notion that I am surprised anyone even mentions it.  To me, this kind of discussion falls into the same catagory as people who disdain:

1. people who wear brown shoes after six
2. people who wear brown shoes in "the city"
3. people who think suspenders cant be seen by the fairer sex
4. people who think its a mortal sin to wear a tuxedo instead of a morning coat in the daytime.

These were relevant in 1930-1950.  After that anyone who holds on to them is just being pretentious and downright silly.  Same goes for having a reaction to someone wearing something other than a white shirt at an interview.  And in the big scheme of things, as I have repeatedly said, you can teach someone to dress the part in about 2 seconds, its not brain surgery.  Perhaps since I was born in queens, and worked in NYC my whole adult life I have just become adjusted to the "melting pot mentality, but I just have a really difficult time relating to anyone that would hold anything, subconsiously, or consciously, against someone because of the way they were dressed.
Phil -

I agree with your point, however I did some research and found that it was only in 1995 that IBM dropped its white shirt, black tie rule.

"February 3, 1995
IBM Corp. loosens its tie in 1995. Newly installed Chairman Lou Gerstner, the former chief at R.J.R. Nabisco, undoes decades of IBM policy by announcing that workers no longer have to wear the long-standing company uniform (white shirt, black tie) to work."

So as much as we may wish these dress codes disappeared in the 50's, it may be that they are much more ingrained in our culture than we realize.

That being said, a white shirt for an interview is probably still the safest choice - that is assuming you have the funding or ability to make that choice.

Bradford
 

General Koskov

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When being interviewed for the Canadian Forces, I wore some grey-brown nasty polyester/rayon shirt with a black suit & tie. All from Jack Fraiser, all ill-fitting (in both size and colour).

I didn't get the career.

Next year I applied again, I wore a light blue New&Lingwood shirt with a black tie and my father's old navy blue pinstripe suit.

I got the career (though my forum name belies my actual rank--or name, for that matter).

But the interesting thing about CF interviews, what differs them from the job interviews people usually talk about (aside from the bit about asking whether you are prepared to kill or maim people), is that the interviewer is wearing Canadian Disruptive Pattern combats (tunic, tshirt, & trousers) whereas they ask you to wear a coat & tie.

Mind you, I regularly wear a coat & tie so I wasn't offended by this but honestly, they do have service dress which is intended to mirror the civilian suit, yet they don't wear it. (Though, having now worn various categories of uniform, I assume it's a confort issue--and Her Majesty won't pay for bespoke for all of us.)
 

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