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thread: What to wear to an interview.

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Country Victoria
    1,991

    Question What to wear to an interview.

    Ok ladies I need some help!

    DH and I have an interview to go to. The job is at a caravan park in country Victoria.
    The interview is being held at a coffee shop about 1 and a half hours away.

    What do you think we should wear?
    It seems to be a casual interview (it is friends of friends) however we still want to be presentable as the job is managing their carvan park and therefore the front people for their buisness/investment.

    So... what do you think WE should wear?

    Me - Black pants and shirt with collar. Black pants and nice top. Jeans and shirt with collar. Jeans and nice top.

    DH - Slacks and shirt. Jeans with shirt. Jeans with polo top.

    Eeek! Help...

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    Hmm hard call as its casual I would think Jeans and a dressier top eg with a collar that way you are not really casual but not over the top IYKWIM.

    Good luck

  3. #3
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber & MPM

    Feb 2007
    Melbourne
    5,462

    Ooh, what an exciting opportunity!!

    Um, it's a tough one isn't it? If it were me I probably wouldn't wear denim. Maybe just a nice pair of pants or a skirt (for you, not your DH LOL) and a nice top, nothing too dressy.

    Denim may be OK, I am absolutely no expert!

    Best of luck!!!

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jul 2005
    Sydney
    7,896

    I'd go with the pants and shirt option, both times. Worst case you're wearing nicer clothes than the interviewer. When it's a 'job' interview that's not a bad thing! Other way, what if they are dressed quite nicely and you feel underdressed?

    JMO...

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jul 2008
    Melbourne
    3,244

    yeah, i'd be inclined to go for the dressier option. i'd rather feel slightly overdressed than underdressed - cos even if they're more casual, i think it demonstrates that you do care about the job & their business etc.

    good luck

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Country Victoria
    1,991

    Hmm thats what I think. I am happy to wear pants and a dressy top (I am not to keen on shirts). However, DH wants to wear jeans... he thinks it is a country caravan park and a casual coffee interview... argh help, I don't want to stuff up the opportunity just because of clothes .

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    SE suburbs, Vic
    1,377

    Maye wear what you would wear if you were going to a nice dinner, smart casual but not too dressy IYKWIM

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Country Victoria
    1,991

    What if DH wears nice jeans and a casual shirt, and I wear black pants and a dressy kind of top?

  9. #9
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Feb 2006
    South Eastern Suburbs, Vic
    6,054

    Do you have something like nice slacks that aren't black (lol, slacks, I think that's the word I mean)? You know, like tailored looking pants, but not as formal as black formal pants. I will see if I can find what I mean...

    ...okay don't Google Images 'slacks' just lots of daggy men and 90's office wear. I searched for women's tailored pants.
    These are sort of grey? Or maybe black.
    Sort of stone coloured. Obviously no thongs though!
    These blue ones are cute.

    So yeah, that sort of thing with a plain white or black tshirt, or an actual shirt.

    You probably could go jeans, but as Jen says, better safe than spending the interview wondering if the jeans were a bad idea.

    ETA: I reckon he could get away with jeans and a shirt, but with nice shoes. Sort of makes him look like someone who'd go fix the back fence.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Country Victoria
    1,991

    Nelle, I used to have a brown pair and a grey tweed type pair but I stretched them when I was pregnant with Matilda and so I threw them out, bugger! I might go and have a shop once the phone rings.

    What should DH wear.... .

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    5,951

    Well, first things first, I don't think you should take the job because you're supposed to be moving up here!

    Now, back to your question, I would think smart casual for both of you. Does dh even have a nice buttoned shirt and a pair of black or navy pants. I suppose they wouldn't need to be long pants either, maybe some nice 3/4 pants? I know dh has some nice dressy ones he got from Myer which he wore for an interview (and he got the job).

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    SE suburbs, Vic
    1,377

    They have some really nice mens dressy pin-stripe shorts in JayJays for $20 at the moment

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Country Victoria
    1,991

    Jodi, we are setting ourselves up you see, it enables to save alot of money and gives us experience in a field that would benefit us up there. Don't worry it is still our goal, we will get there... one day!

    Thankyou everyone for your help. I just got the Target catalogue from the mail and it has kind of given me some ideas too. I think I need to go shopping for both of us .

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    A Pirate Ship
    3,627

    I was always told to wear what you would wear to work to an interview. I grew up in country Victoria and I can't imagine anyone wearing nice pants and shirt in a caravan park. I'd say to dress neat casual. I guess it's hot down there at the moment too? I'd wear a nice summer skirt (long if you want to be conservative) and a nice top and for hubby shorts (dressy kinda ones) with a shirt but not a formal dress shirt, just a nice shirt with a collar like you'd wear out for dinner during the week. If it is cold I think pants would be fine but not necessarily jean or black pants. Do you have any full length pants made out of different material?

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Taking a ride on my grdonkey :D
    2,716

    My dad always says - 'Think of the work uniform for the specific job, then go 20% smarter'. From what you've described, I'd be inclined to go with very smart casual - nice pants and a dressy top for you (like something you'd wear to dinner at a nice restaurant, nothing *too* fancy but something a bit smarter than your everyday wear), and for DH, trousers and a button-down shirt, I don't think a tie or anything is necessary.
    Personally I'd rather go overdressed to an interview than underdressed, it just makes a better impact on the interviewer if it looks like you've made an effort to go above and beyond the expectations of the job Best of luck with it, I hope you land the job and that it all works out for you guys! Sounds like a great opportunity!

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Jan 2006
    8,369

    NO jeans - that implies that you're slackers. Can't be bothered to dress up for a job interview. Will just do minimum work and claim overtime for playing solitare on the computer.

    This is just me, but a job interview should be SMART skirt/trousers and a blouse/shirt. It's OK to wear a dressy top if it's under a suit to a more casual interview. As it's friends of friends and a chat over coffee, then at the VERY LEAST I'd say smart skirt/trousers with a smart top. That's not jeans, that's not slacks. That's suit bottoms. What you'd wear to an office. Smart top - can be a polo shirt, but ONLY if it's unbranded. Nothing too baggy.

    Are you going to be helping manage the park, or just cleaning caravans? Running or helping to run the park, you need officewear. Cleaning caravans for a few hours a week, maybe don't wear the suit LOL. (Just re-read the first post: running the park. You need to wear "office" clothes then, IMO.)

  17. #17
    Registered User
    Add fionas on Facebook

    Apr 2007
    Recently treechanged to Woodend, VIC
    3,473

    Yep, I'd go pants and shirt for both of you. I wouldn't do a dressy top - you're not going out for dinner. Absolutely nothing sparkly.

    I'd get DH some dark chino type pants that he'd wear out to dinner and a short sleeve shirt.

    Honestly, I don't think that would be overdressed. It's not like you're turning up in a suit.

    I wouldn't wear denim unless I was going for an interview in a jeans shop.

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Country Victoria
    1,991

    sparkly! Sorry Fiona, I would never wear sparkly... my idea of a dressy top is proberly not someone elses... (I do not mean it as laughing at you rather at it being so not me).

    I personally do not believe in denim to an interview, however DH is a labourer by trade and it is what he has always worn and always got the job so he doesn't understand my point of view.

    I think I have it in my head what I want us to wear now... it is just hard as I have always worked in a different field plus I am so nervous because I want this so bad!

    Thankyou everyone for your help.

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