Interview clothing

[scoob101]

I am taking my 17 year old son to an interview tomorrow for an apprenticeship with british gas, now I want him to wear a tie with his suit but he says that is old fashioned and he wants to go open collared, what do you guys think, have things changed, as when I was going to interviews ( a long time ago) you allways wore a tie, is it acceptable these days not to wear a tie.
I know its not an office job but I allways thought if you were going to an interview first impressions go a long way, even if it is for a manual / technical job.
Thanks.

[Vagrant]

Wearing a tie will not do any harm.
Not wearing one might.
However, bear in mind that 17 year olds know far better than their parents ...

[jno]

yes, same as Vagrant says. You never have anything to lose by looking smart.

[lslowry]

I agree with you scoob, a collar and tie goes a long way in a lot of peoples eyes. I don't think anything has changed in that time. Some of the applicants that came to my workplace for an engineering apprenticeship looked a right sight.

[237SJ]

Absolutely wear a tie. He wouldn`t be disadvantaged by being dressed smartly, but he might be if he`s under-dressed

[R1Geezer]

put it this way, they'll have a lot to choose from so no point in giving them a reason for not taking him on. Suit and tie is a must.

[CuteToni]

Open collared is an acceptable standard now, so you shouldn't worry. Your son may fidget with the tie if he's not used to wearing one which could make him lose concentration.

[scoob101]

Thanks guys, you confirmed what I think, I will try my best to get him to see it my way.

[brenda]

I think he should wear his tie, for 2 reasons, one it shows he is able to see an interview as a formal thing , and secondly that he knows how to present himself at such an event.Good luck to him.

[factor-fiction]

He should take a tie- he can always take it off if he finds all the other candidates and interviewers are not wearing ties

[Vagrant]

"Open collared is an acceptable standard now"
Not when I'm interviewing it's not.

[woofgang]

Ha me too vagrant...clean fingernails are a must too.

[CuteToni]

scoob101, appearance is important however it's more about how he deals with the interview.I worked with a company who interviewed for large corporations and believe me, whilst a tie is deemed 'smart dress' the candidate is assessed on their skills, ability and performance at interview. Not many 17year olds feel comfortable in a tie, it really isn't that important. Good luck to your son, tell him to relax and he will be fine.

[lardhelmet]

With a hairdo that doesn't look, well - lardhelmety!

[sara3]

factor30 called it right.

[Vagrant]

"a tie is deemed smart dress"
No - a tie is deemed formal dress. Whether it is smart or not depends on the tie and how it's worn.
What's required at an interview is to look both smart and formal - not smart and casual (e.g. no tie), not scruffy and formal (creased suit, dirty shoes, loose tie, stinking of BO) and definitely not scruffy and casual.

[R1Geezer]

I can't agree with cutetoni. At this stage there will be a lot of candidates and interviewers will be looking for ways of whittling down the list. Whatever anyone's view is, if the person doing the interview thinks a tie is important then those without are struggling. No point in disadvantageing the lad from the start. Also things like tatoos face jewelry, hair by crazy meg are all the sorts of things that will bar the way. Doesn't matter how good they are if they alienate the interviewer by disrespecting the process by turning up looking like a sack of sh1te then it's curtains.

[4getmenot]

wouldnt even wear a suit. Shirt and smart trousers will do

[CuteToni]

Well vagrant, my advice still stands as it is "acceptable these days not to wear a tie". Her son may feel uncomfortable which may affect his interview. It really isn't crucial to wear a tie nowadays.

[Vagrant]

I interview for about 50-60 jobs a year.
People who wear suits and ties and look smart get them.
I have no shortage of raw material - for each position, there are typically 200 applicants - I do 10 interviews - it's painfully difficult to choose between the final 10 - if there are 2 equal candidates, one smart one scruffy, the smart one gets the job.

[4getmenot]

but surely a person can be smart without a suit and tie, thats hardly fair on the people that cant afford a suit