Do I need to wear a suit to this job interview?

yes. Especially for an entry level position. Even if nobody who works there wears a suit, which has been the case for a bunch of candidates I've evaluated, it shows you're taking it seriously.

Ryan Braun's Addiction wrote:

I don't want to be overdressed and feel like an idiot, shaking my confidence in the process.

Judging by this statement, you don't have any confidence to shake.

What state?

Do you have any idea who you will be meeting?

For example, if you are only meeting HR, a suit couldn't hurt.

Ryan Braun's Addiction wrote:

Is a formal suit still necessary for a job interview these days. I got an interview for a entry-level position in State Government and am wondering if I should go suit or just a nice shirt and tie. I don't want to be overdressed and feel like an idiot, shaking my confidence in the process.

always always always wear the suit. you can't harm your chances by wearing it. but if you don't wear it, you could hurt your chances. always wear the suit.

totally depends on where you live

http://theoatmeal.com/pl/minor_differences5/suit

Wear two suits. Then you'll definitely be overdressed, but it won't worry you cause you know it. Three pairs of underwear also works. And don't forget to drink a gallon of coffee before the interview.

Do yourself a favor, act like a grown up and put the suit on.

If you were interviewing at a fast food place or were specifically told casual, I'd say leave the tie off, but you never can go wrong by showing you are taking the interview seriously.

Once you know what the office culture is you can adjust. You only get one chance to make a first impression, don't be a frat boy.

you know what the cool guys say...

wear a suit, be a suit

You very much can go wrong by wearing a suit, but you would know if that were the case (creative fields, some tech companies, etc.).

I assume by 'suit' you mean 'Space Suit.' And yes, you do.

A zillion years ago I wore a suit when applying for a job. The interview mocked me "You don't wear a suit to a waiters job interview". I replied that I did not see anything wrong with a suit since I wore a tuxedo at my last waiters job and figured I was dressing down to interview at his company. He hired me anyway.

That actually was the last time I interviewed for a job ever since then I have been recruited for my positions.

9 months later I was his boss wrote:

A zillion years ago I wore a suit when applying for a job. The interview mocked me "You don't wear a suit to a waiters job interview". I replied that I did not see anything wrong with a suit since I wore a tuxedo at my last waiters job and figured I was dressing down to interview at his company. He hired me anyway.

That actually was the last time I interviewed for a job ever since then I have been recruited for my positions.

Cool story bro.

Yes - wear the suit. It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed - you would rather wear a tux to the beach than wear a speedo to a wedding.

The key is to dress like the person who is interviewing. I'd guess that a nice shirt and tie will be nicer than what your interviewer will be wearing.

xczxz wrote:

Cool story bro.

thanks

The resume says you are proud of your skills and the suit says you are proud of who you are as a person.

No typos on the resume and no mustard on the tie.

Dude your best bet to ensure that you're dressed appropriately - but not overdressed - is to wear a nice suit and tie but leave the pants at home.

How can any HR people be impressed by suits when everyone wears them? Do they really think, wow, this person is wearing a suit, they must be very professional? Do they not know as soon as the interview is over the candidate will ditch the fancy threads and go back to real life?

Assuming they do know, it is a terrible way to interview someone. A good interviewer wants to see people as they are, so encouraging them to dress up like someone else gets things wrong right off the bat. If they're not interviewing for a suit-wearing position, they won't see the candidates as they'd be at work, but as they'd be at a formal occasion: nervous, uncomfortable and self-conscious. A person in that mood is very difficult to get meaningful, in-depth information from. You don't want to put your subjects on the spot, you want them to talk freely and honestly. Some people in hiring seem to believe this sort of pressure is a valuable test for candidates, but it's really just an arbitrary way of narrowing the field by reducing the amount of information available. It's lazy.

If the interviewer has any skill at all, whether the candidate takes the job seriously will be revealed by their responses. Relying on a costume to reveal that instead is a sign of incompetence. An interviewer is like a buyer for a company, evaluating products under consideration, and should be expected to be savvy enough to ignore cheap advertising gimmicks.

Bad Wigins wrote:

If the interviewer has any skill at all, whether the candidate takes the job seriously will be revealed by their responses. Relying on a costume to reveal that instead is a sign of incompetence. An interviewer is like a buyer for a company, evaluating products under consideration, and should be expected to be savvy enough to ignore cheap advertising gimmicks.

As someone whose main job is to perform initial screening interviews with people who apply for positions within my company, this is the worst job-related advice I have ever read on these boards. A suit is not a "costume" or a "marketing gimmick." A man who wears a suit to an interview shows that he takes the entire process seriously enough to put his best foot forward and to make a good impression. Having said that, relying upon a suit with nothing to back it up won't get you far. However the job market is very competitive and you want to give yourself every advantage. I am savvy enough to evaluate a candidate's qualifications. I am also looking for intangibles that shows me the person will be an asset to the company. Punctuality, courtesy, and proper dress (Yes, A Suit!) are positive signs. Wear a suit.

The Love Guru wrote:

As someone whose main job is to perform initial screening interviews

Well, aren't you special. I have years of experience cold-interviewing people, which is much more difficult. You've got nothing on me when it comes to getting information from strangers.

I reiterate that by relying on social "intangibles," you're only reducing the amount of information the next interviewer will have to evaluate, even though that information is more important by far because it will show how well they can do the job, not how skilled they are at landing it.

It astonishes me how many people in hiring actually believe any of that crap remotely affects job performance. Do you seriously expect the suit-wearing self-promoter to retain that enthusiasm after being hired? Don't mistake their self-interest for your company's interest. They'll be after promotions and raises, but that doesn't mean they're interested in doing quality work to get it. And if they don't advance, off they go to some other company.

Job applicants are there to sell themselves. Maybe you've never worked in sales, but it means they're out to deceive you. That includes the courtesy, the punctuality, and especially the suit. It's nice of you to give them an A for effort, but if you actually screen them on the basis of what you know are deceptions, you're a sucker. Your company likely is okay with that because you are there to reduce their hiring workload and they figure enough quality candidates get past you in any case. But they'd get more if they put a skilled interviewer in your position.