interview dress code--how formal?

[vinganca]

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I did a search and found some discussion of dress code on the pre-med and dental forums...but as I'm not going for med or dental school and things might be slightly different, I wanted to ask here. 🙂

How formal did you/would you go for the interview? A suit? Or just a nice pair of black trousers and an oxford? Or something else that I haven't thought of?

I'm female, but most 'business' dresses and skirts look utterly ridiculous on me. From what I've been reading on the pre-med forums, women wearing trousers for interviews is frowned upon. Is the same true for DPT interviews? I suppose it won't be the end of the world if I have to wear a formal skirt, but it would be right annoying to have to sit there with itching stockings worrying about whether my skirt is riding up and all that.

Is it better to err on the side of being over-dressed? I'm thinking if I did wear a suit, and got there and found myself overdressed, I could always just take the jacket off. I've found a grey pinstripe pantsuit that I'm thinking of buying for my interviews; think that will be acceptable?

 

[MIDPT2012]

I think a nice pantsuit is more than acceptable for interviews. Remember, as PTs we are moving and assisting our patients much more than an MD or Dentist is.

Even in business, the idea that woman needs to wear a skirt suit for an interview is a thing of the past. The pant suit is very acceptable.

 

[mac_kin]

I was always told that you should be better dressed than your interviewers.

Dress your best. Show that you care. Even if at your job you will be wearing scrubs all day. It may seem stupid if you will never dress like that again at your job, but the way you look is a very big deal. Dressing well goes to show that you are serious, mature, and know how to carry yourself and can roll with the bosses, especially in a hospital setting, where the management often feel like 'gods'.

I've even heard that the way you present yourself will give you the upper hand over someone who may be more qualified but did not present themselves 'professionally'.

Business professional is what I've always done for every interview, from grad school, to research aid, to personal trainer. Noone has ever said I was overdressed.

Out of curiosity, I don't understand why wearing dress pants is frowned upon for a lady though?
Business suits (dress suits or pants) both seem equally appropriate to me.

 

[vinganca]

Out of curiosity, I don't understand why wearing dress pants is frowned upon for a lady though?
Business suits (dress suits or pants) both seem equally appropriate to me.

I don't get it either. But if you read some of the dress-code threads on the pre-med forum, a lot of them say that ladies shouldn't "chance it" by wearing pants, and that med school adcoms supposedly look down on it. 😕

I actually might like to try wearing a dress suit, if I could find one that fits. 😡 But I'm 4'10"/85 lbs, so most formal mid-calf skirts come nearly to my ankles, leaving me with a bizarre "business gown" of sorts that looks like it was fashioned out of a garbage bag. 😛 Somehow trouser suits seem easier to alter, but it's still hard to avoid looking baggy and frumpy in business clothing. 🙁

 

[callmecrazy]

Whether it is a dress, skirt, or pants, definitely wear a suit when interviewing. The idea that professional women don't wear pants is long outdated though, and quite honestly, PTs really wear nothing but pants.

If you are having trouble finding professional attire that fits a smaller frame, try to hit the department stores that have a larger petites section. Or try stores like Anne Taylor Loft.

 

[vinganca]

Whether it is a dress, skirt, or pants, definitely wear a suit when interviewing. The idea that professional women don't wear pants is long outdated though, and quite honestly, PTs really wear nothing but pants.

Thanks. 🙂 Pantsuit it is then.

 

[truthseeker]

You aren't going to work. You are going to an interview. Which means that the first impression you make will color the entire interview.

You should wear the outfit that makes you feel the most confident. Err on the side of overdressed like you said, but even if it is a new skirt and you don't feel comfortable in it, your interviewers will notice your unease and it will translate to poorer reviews afterward.

 

[DancerFutureDPT]

Here's a question...I'm going to an interview at Mayo in December, and the very first thing we're doing is sitting in on a gross anatomy lab course....think it'd be okay to wear less than great clothes to that and then change before the more formal stuff? I'm hoping they'll give a clue about that in the information they send out prior to the interview....I just don't want to buy a nice pantsuit and then get it all smelly and gross in my first interview and have to possibly wear it to others. haha.

 

[Lizarde]

Prior to an interview I attended we were told in an email that a suit was not required. Every single person wore a pant suit anyway.