What should I wear to an interview?

[IheartDescartes]

So I was lucky enough to get a couple APA interviews. I've never done an APA interview, and I'm wondering what I should wear. Hopefully those of you with some experience here will help me out.

Is a suit pretty much the norm?

I'm a poor grad student. I can't afford a well-tailored suit. So the suits I have make me look like a high schooler at the homecoming dance. I think that's awful.

Any suggestions? Maybe I should just make a t-shirt that says:
"Psst: I'll take this job for less money than the other candidates. Wink!"

[humean]

From my experience, a suit is the norm. Some people say you should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, but frankly a lot of stuff makes me comfortable that would just flat out disgust search committees.

[desperatephilo]

From my experience you just need to wear something baggy enough to conceal the flask of bourbon.



Seriously though, bring a flask.

[neo]

i think a blazer and jeans is good enough. though the jeans should be nice. and prob some nice shoes.

[rigiddesignator]

Suck it up. Wear a suit. It doesn't have to be expensive. Just nice, clean, and ironed. And keep in mind that almost all philosophers feel weird in a suit. Most of us feel weird, period, suit or no. Might as well feel weird while looking sharp.

[ifartdescartes]

rigiddesignator, I think IheartDescartes's point was that he doesn't look sharp as you say he would in a suit. Instead, he looks like a gangly-high schooler. So, in a situation where the suit he owns isn't flattering, what ought he do?

I say, go crazy old professor style: wear the suit pants, a pale blue polo shirt and a loud tweed jacket.

More helpfully: Which fits better, the jacket or the pants? Pick the one that does fit better and match the best you can with your wardrobe/your favorite thrift shop. And by "match the best you can" I mean "don't dare walk out the door unless you're confident the committee won't be able to tell the difference".

[rigiddesignator]

ifartdescartes, fair enough. But even gangly teenagers look respectable in a full suit, even if it doesn't fit quite right. It's more about attempting to dress well to impress your prom date, or your date's parents, or the search committee. But I guess it doesn't really matter, and your advice sounds good as well.

Ideally, of course, we want the search committees to be so blown away by our philosophical bad-ass-ness, that they can't even remember what we were wearing, much less whether what we were wearing fit well or not.

Meh. We can dream.

[IheartDescartes]

So I just spoke with another faculty member here, who advised me that suits are a bit overdressed, and that a sportcoat with some nice khakis is a better bet.

Is that right? My interviews aren't until later in the conference, so maybe I'll just have a look at what you other job candidates are wearing, and make the call then.

[squid]

I would say that you ought to dress like the best dressed member of the philosophy faculty at your school. Unless it's an all-dirty-jeans-and-Timberland-boots kinda department. I NEVER saw a male prof wear an actual suit -- a sportcoat or blazer and trousers, yes. The older ones wore ties. I take that back -- the ancient prof, who was himself rather ancient, would wear a suit, but he was a courtly, old-fashioned gentleman, and the exception rather than the rule. For female candidates, it's trickier, I would say, but again, a suit is not the norm. I can't wear a matching suit without looking like I'm in pajamas. So IF I get an interview, it will probably be trousers and a nice sweater. Make sure your shoes are clean. Seriously. I would look at your shoes if I was on a SC.

[OMG]

So, I'm a female, with a few interviews, and I plan on wearing a suit. It's not expensive, and I feel awkward as hell in it, but I figure I might as well go all out. If I were a tenured prof, then I'd skip the suit. But my last real job was being a barista in some hippy coffee shop, and I dressed up for that interview, too (not a suit, but I didn't want the job nearly as bad as I want one now). And, really, I doubt that anyone will complain that I am overdressed, unless I were to parade around in an evening gown or a tux something similarly (awesomely) inappropriate. But I think a nice suit shows a respect for the profession, and for this whole crappy job market process.

Oh, and my shoes are clean. But seriously. If someone notices my shoes, then my interviews must be going pretty d**n terribly.