Interview Attire

[space navigator]

I have my first in person interview coming up and I have a question about what to wear. I am a male but don’t own a suit. I have a nice blue sport coat and professional tan slacks. Is the mismatched suit okay to wear or do I need to get a suit?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

I lean for the suit, and you don't have to break the bank; go to a good thrift shop

 

[RespectTheChemistry]

I lean for the suit, and you don't have to break the bank; go to a good thrift shop

I have had really good luck with Ebay. I think they have a better selection rather than taking a gamble on whether a thrift shop will have your size.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Get a suit for f's sake

 

[wook]

Professional attire. I would suggest a suit to demonstrate your interest and motivation. As others have suggested, consider a thrift store to save some money.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

A blog post I wrote on a different site for prehealth advisors: https://naahponline.org/2018/09/24/...-other-not-so-crazy-things-you-could-provide/ . Hopefully you should be able to access it.

EDIT: Blast, it does prompt you for an NAAHP login. Here are the short points:

1) Interview Attire and Accessories Borrowing/Discount Program
Most advisors have that “what not to wear” lecture they or career advisors give every year. A novel wrinkle to the usual presentation is to have a system where applicants can borrow interview attire and accessories. ... See if your career services office has set up a clothes-share program for students going to interviews. In addition, contact your University bookstore and alumni office for accessories that have the official school’s brand or logo, such as lapel pins, notepad portfolios, or business cards that you can provide at a discount.

(... Recently the New York Public Library began to allow its patrons to check out work attire for job interviews or accessories such as ties and handbags (Raphelson, 2018). )

2) Travel microloans [note: the original article was published in September 2018]
Students will likely spend hundreds to thousands of dollars in travel and housing costs to interviews. This presents a significant financial disincentive, and it would not surprise me if many of your own students have already engaged in personal online fundraising (gofundme) to help defray the costs. Perhaps one incentive is to give advisees a microloan credit system so they can borrow money to help with paying for exams, exam prep, applications, travel, clothes, or lodging during their application cycle. Talk to your administrators about having such emergency/discretionary funding available, and talk with someone at a business school about setting it up as a microloan project.

3) Professional-Style Headshot Sessions [following text below is not in the blog post]
I've started to see many career services office (like some of the UC schools) set up a digital photo booth specifically for professional headshots. If your campus has one, take advantage of this prior to applying so it can be shared with schools that decide to invite you to interview.

 

[DO2015CA]

You’ll have to get a suit from here on out. Med school is the beginning of a long line of interviews that will want a suit. Med school, residency, fellowship, jobs, etc. You’ll even likely wear the suit at conferences during poster presentations but the outfit in OP would work fine for those too. A cheap black one is fine. Pending your budget, I think the one I picked up from mens wearhouse for my medschool interview was $199. And you absolutely don’t need to even go that route or spend that much. A 2nd hand suit is fine, but you have to wear a suit.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

I second the thrift store. There are a lot of good looking suits there. I went to one the other day looking for a formal winter coat. Just look at it carefully for tears.

But if you are only going to use it once or twice for the next few years, I would not spend too much. A good suit at a thrift store may set you back $50 at the most. $55 if you add the shirt and $60 if you throw in the the tie

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I second the thrift store. There are a lot of good looking suits there. I went to one the other day looking for a formal winter coat. Just look at it carefully for tears.

But if you are only going to use it once or twice for the next few years, I would not spend too much. A good suit at a thrift store may set you back $50 at the most. $55 if you add the shirt and $60 if you throw in the the tie

Also check your local church, synagogue, mosque, or spiritual homes if they have a thrift store there.

 

[ortnakas]

Suit up.

 

[futurexray]

Whether they should or shouldn't the interviewers will notice what you are wearing. I remember a lovely young lady who wore a striking red suit and she was referenced positively at the end of the day as well as during the adcom decision meeting. You do not want to stick out for the wrong reason.