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Casual dress...traveling to interview

captainmo

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I had an on-campus interview the other week and got called back for an onsite interview with ~20 other potentials.

Monday and Tuesday are business (suit), and there is a dinner/cocktail even Monday which we were told is business casual. There is also a dinner tonight with just the potential employees and a handful of people currently in the program (rather than all the managers and HR people too) I'm trying to get in to. I asked if this was business casual also, and in her next email to the whole group said that casual dress is fine for Sunday's hotel check in and dinner. There will also be two ladies from HR at the hotel to great us.

I think casual means nice, non-faded jeans and a polo or sweater. My gf said khakis and a polo, which, I think is still business casual.

Any tips?
 

xchen

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Khakis and a polo might be best. Even with khakis you won't be overdressed as there are tons of people who wear khakis as casual wear.
 

MrG

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^^ I agree. You won't stick out if everyone else is wearing jeans and you're wearing khakis, mostly because many people consider khakis as casual as jeans, but if everyone wears khakis and you wear jeans you'll be very obviously dressed down.
 

Huntsman

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Originally Posted by captainmo
I had an on-campus interview the other week and got called back for an onsite interview with ~20 other potentials. Monday and Tuesday are business (suit), and there is a dinner/cocktail even Monday which we were told is business casual. There is also a dinner tonight with just the potential employees and a handful of people currently in the program (rather than all the managers and HR people too) I'm trying to get in to. I asked if this was business casual also, and in her next email to the whole group said that casual dress is fine for Sunday's hotel check in and dinner. There will also be two ladies from HR at the hotel to great us. I think casual means nice, non-faded jeans and a polo or sweater. My gf said khakis and a polo, which, I think is still business casual. Any tips?
Yes. This is business. Casual in a business sense is business casual. Don't ever go below business casual unless it is some sort of 'fun' event. And forget the polos, wear nicely pressed button downs. For the dinner/cocktail event I wouldn't be caught dead without a jacket, and I would be glad of it even if everyone else showed up in a polo. I'm on the fence about a tie a that event, it depends on factors I have no knowledge of. What is your industry? ~ H
 

captainmo

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Khakis and polo it is....tucked in I assume? I always tuck for business casual, but not if I'm actually wearing khakis and polo casually.
Originally Posted by Huntsman
Yes. This is business. Casual in a business sense is business casual. Don't ever go below business casual unless it is some sort of 'fun' event. And forget the polos, wear nicely pressed button downs. For the dinner/cocktail event I wouldn't be caught dead without a jacket, and I would be glad of it even if everyone else showed up in a polo. I'm on the fence about a tie a that event, it depends on factors I have no knowledge of. What is your industry? ~ H
Engineering...heavy on the manufacturing side. I won't be surprised if there are managers wearing khakis, polos, and boots or engineering personnel in jeans and polos. She specified business casual for monday night, and casual for tonight at check in....as in not business casual.
 

MrG

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Originally Posted by captainmo
Khakis and polo it is....tucked in I assume? I always tuck for business casual, but not if I'm actually wearing khakis and polo casually.

Definitely.
 

Jekyll

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Originally Posted by captainmo
Khakis and polo it is....tucked in I assume? I always tuck for business casual, but not if I'm actually wearing khakis and polo casually.
If you're gonna tuck, wear a buttondown. Polo tucks are
uhoh.gif
 

captainmo

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Originally Posted by Jekyll
If you're gonna tuck, wear a buttondown. Polo tucks are
uhoh.gif


Polo tucks may not be top notch SF recommended, but are standard issue in engineering offices.
 

Huntsman

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Originally Posted by captainmo
Khakis and polo it is....tucked in I assume? I always tuck for business casual, but not if I'm actually wearing khakis and polo casually. Engineering...heavy on the manufacturing side. I won't be surprised if there are managers wearing khakis, polos, and boots or engineering personnel in jeans and polos. She specified business casual for monday night, and casual for tonight at check in....as in not business casual.
Ah! This is my field, and is similar to how I was hired -- OCI, then on-site interviews, then phone interview, then in-person interview. Don't want to post publicly too much, but will shoot you a PM. ~ H
 

captainmo

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Originally Posted by Huntsman
Ah! This is my field, and is similar to how I was hired -- OCI, then on-site interviews, then phone interview, then in-person interview. Don't want to post publicly too much, but will shoot you a PM.

~ H


Cool. This on-site stuff will be the last round. I'll know by wednesday or thursday if I have the job.
 

SkinnyGoomba

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Having worked in a similar field while in college I can speak from experience.

My managers used to wear jeans/polo to work, and keep a navy blazer with gold buttons around for outside lunch meetings.

An interview is typically formal, So i think you're going to look best in a navy blazer and nicely pressed khakis (maybe light gray) to the dinners. I'd wear that with a button down collar shirt with no tie.

If you see most are wearing ties to the dinner then put on a tie (I assume you'll all be in close prox. before the dinner).

I think you're GF is right and a polo with khakis will be great for the 'casual' setting.

If you want to outshine your competition then get the fit right, not too slim or full, light break on the pants and good shoes, ect.
 

HRoi

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business casual = dress pants or khakis, dress shirt, and jacket
 

Huntsman

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Originally Posted by HRoi
business casual = dress pants or khakis, dress shirt, and jacket
^ +1
 

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