Unconventional Interview Attire Question

[cchen]

I recently applied to a job overseas with a large finance firm. The hiring manager happens to be in NY and wants to meet with me at the W hotel bar at night.

I've never had an interview done this way before. What should I wear? Suit & tie? Suit and no tie? Jeans and blazer?

Should I even bring my resume?

 

[Slopho]

Originally Posted by cchen

I recently applied to a job overseas with a large finance firm. The hiring manager happens to be in NY and wants to meet with me at the W hotel bar at night.

I've never had an interview done this way before. What should I wear? Suit & tie? Suit and no tie? Jeans and blazer?

Should I even bring my resume?

First interview?

 

[cchen]

yeah first interview

 

[gdl203]

Is it on a week night? If so, I'd do suit and tie. Zero downside: if he jokes about you not having to wear a tie for this, you can simply say that you know but you came straight from the office/another meeting. Too much downside in wearing jeans or something too casual.

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Is it on a week night? If so, I'd do suit and tie. Zero downside: if he jokes about you not having to wear a tie for this, you can simply say that you know but you came straight from the office/another meeting. Too much downside in wearing jeans or something too casual.

That^^. Also, if you have a briefcase/bag/etc, def bring a resume. No downside. If he asks, you have it. If he asks and you don't, you look like a moron. After all, it is an interview.

 

[cchen]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Is it on a week night? If so, I'd do suit and tie. Zero downside: if he jokes about you not having to wear a tie for this, you can simply say that you know but you came straight from the office/another meeting. Too much downside in wearing jeans or something too casual.

Yes, it's actually tonight. They only gave me a few hours notice

 

[odoreater]

Definitely suit and tie.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by cchen

Yes, it's actually tonight. They only gave me a few hours notice

Then do that. You can easily take your tie off there if you sense that you're perceived as overdressed .

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by cchen

Yes, it's actually tonight. They only gave me a few hours notice

Do you have on a suit?

 

[odoreater]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Then do that. You can easily take your tie off there if you sense that you're perceived as overdressed .

I honestly can't see how wearing a suit and tie to a nice hotel bar during a work night in NYC can ever be perceived as overdressed.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by odoreater

I honestly can't see how wearing a suit and tie to a nice hotel bar during a work night in NYC can ever be perceived as overdressed.
It all depends on the guy he's meeting with - if the guy is wearing jeans and cracks a joke about him showing up in a suit & tie, then he's better off (commercially speaking) taking the tie off and making his interviewer feel a little mroe comfortable. It doesn't matter why he would perceive him as overdressed.

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by gdl203

It all depends on the guy he's meeting with - if the guy is wearing jeans and cracks a joke about him showing up in a suit & tie, then he's better off (commercially speaking) taking the tie off and making his interviewer feel a little mroe comfortable. It doesn't matter why he would perceive him as overdressed.

Agree^^. But the OP should DEF wear a suit and tie. It is an interview. The person doing the interview can be in shorts! OP should still be in a suit.

 

[odoreater]

Originally Posted by gdl203

It all depends on the guy he's meeting with - if the guy is wearing jeans and cracks a joke about him showing up in a suit & tie, then he's better off (commercially speaking) taking the tie off and making his interviewer feel a little mroe comfortable. It doesn't matter why he would perceive him as overdressed.

I get what you're saying, but I just don't see why anyone would be surprised or uncomfortable to see someone show up at a classy place in NYC at night wearing a suit.

And I don't know about anyone else, but if I showed up to an interview wearing a suit and tie and the interviewer was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, I still would not take my tie off.

 

[ter1413]

Originally Posted by odoreater

I get what you're saying, but I just don't see why anyone would be surprised or uncomfortable to see someone show up at a classy place in NYC at night wearing a suit.

And I don't know about anyone else, but if I showed up to an interview wearing a suit and tie and the interviewer was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, I still would not take my tie off.

100%. Unless the interviewer was my boy/good friend and we were just going through the motions.

 

[odoreater]

Originally Posted by bkstone

May be the interviewer could be a petty and jealous man/woman?
Then that's probably not the type of person you want to work for anyway.