Propper Attire for Research Interview

[ufdoc11]

I'm meeting with a lab director tomorrow in hopes of getting my first research position. What should I wear? It's definitely better to be overdressed than underdressed, but I really don't know to much about what is typical attire for interviewing in a lab.

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[Decicco]

You must wear a tie with the solar system on it.

(Sorry, I don't have any advice).

 

[pincheeric]

"Business casual." Wear slacks, a collared shirt, and if it's east coast a tie. Either that or just a long white lab coat with nothing else. Your pick.

 

[blankette]

I just wore slacks and a collared shirt. Good luck!

 

[Law2Doc]

"Business casual." Wear slacks, a collared shirt, and if it's east coast a tie.

Agree with this if you are a dude. No jeans, shorts, sneakers, T-shirts. Wear a button down long sleeve shirt with a collar, slacks, dark socks, and shoes, and throw on a tie. No loud colors and if the shirt has vertical stripes the tie should not have horizontal stripes. The tie might end up being overkill but no one ever got looked down upon for being overdressed (the converse does happen quite frequently though).

Once you have the job, you get to dress however your immediate supervisor does (which might end up being the jeans, shorts, sneakers and T shirts).

 

[metalgearHMN]

I'm meeting with a lab director tomorrow in hopes of getting my first research position. What should I wear? It's definitely better to be overdressed than underdressed, but I really don't know to much about what is typical attire for interviewing in a lab.

Definitely better to be overdressed. If you're a guy, then I'd suggest dark slacks, dress shirt, dark shoes, and a tie. Don't wear a solid colored tie, that would be too formal if it's black, and too boring. I'd have to suggest a pattern, stripes perhaps.

ALSO, take a copy of your references just in case. Its convention but no one f***ing told me about it. And you can put it in a little black folder to look even cooler.

 

[kami333]

I've "interviewed" in t-shirt, shorts, and flipflops, but I already work at the hospital so it was just for switching labs

I did wear a grey suit and tie when I interviewed for the first lab though.

 

[172858]

I'm meeting with a lab director tomorrow in hopes of getting my first research position. What should I wear? It's definitely better to be overdressed than underdressed, but I really don't know to much about what is typical attire for interviewing in a lab.

kneepads. you'll thank me afterwards.

 

[Law2Doc]

kneepads. you'll thank me afterwards.

Nah, save those for med school interviews.

 

[padres0629]

I'm meeting with a lab director tomorrow in hopes of getting my first research position. What should I wear? It's definitely better to be overdressed than underdressed, but I really don't know to much about what is typical attire for interviewing in a lab.

Suit and tie is nice in the real world. I think laboratory work is a little different from other places. When I first interviewed for a lab job in a suit and tie, the investigators who hired me asked me, "Where's your black suit?" for the entire first month on the job. To them, it was hilarious that someone would show up for a tech job all dressed up. In the years I worked in academic research, I never saw a post-doc interviewee or a research tech interviewee dressed up in anything more than a button down shirt. Most of them wore casual wear - clothes they'd wear if they were working in the lab. T-shirts, untucked polos, jeans, etc. Dress code never seems to an issue in day-to-day lab work.

 

[Concordia]

Khakis and a clean button down if you are a dude (not too overdressed but still nice if you want to make more of an impression).
Dressier (then jeans) pants and a more conservative than your regular tank-top shirt/blouse if you are a girl.

 

[Law2Doc]

Suit and tie is nice in the real world. I think laboratory work is a little different from other places. When I first interviewed for a lab job in a suit and tie, the investigators who hired me asked me, "Where's your black suit?" for the entire first month on the job. To them, it was hilarious that someone would show up for a tech job all dressed up. In the years I worked in academic research, I never saw a post-doc interviewee or a research tech interviewee dressed up in anything more than a button down shirt. Most of them wore casual wear - clothes they'd wear if they were working in the lab. T-shirts, untucked polos, jeans, etc. Dress code never seems to an issue in day-to-day lab work.

A suit is probably overkill. A tie probably not overkill for the interview, even for a research lab. You often meet with the PI who will be in a tie. Once you have the job you wear what your peers in the lab wear (which is usually extremely casual, but chemical safe).

 

[Katatonic]

I'm just working a tech position in a lab at the med school/hospital here (making SDS-PAGE gels is pretty much all I do) and I dressed well for the interview (tan slacks, button-down long sleeve shirt w/tie, dark shoes). Once I got the job I continued with the same dress minus the tie, until the person training me kindly let me know that I didn't have to dress so nicely haha (hint: be more casual, you've already got the job and it gets messy working in this lab!). When in doubt, just be a little fancier than your instincts tell you to be.

 

[amph119]

A collared shirt of some kind or polo on top of khakis should be fine. Overdressing doesn't ever really hurt though.

 

[ACSurgeon]

I'm meeting with a lab director tomorrow in hopes of getting my first research position. What should I wear? It's definitely better to be overdressed than underdressed, but I really don't know to much about what is typical attire for interviewing in a lab.

Dress neatly/casual but NOT formal. Jeans and a polo or khaki and a button up shirt would do just fine (if male) and anything neat if female (kind of conservatively but again not a formal suit).

 

[CarlATHF]

Nude.

Do it.

 

[amph119]

Dress neatly/casual but NOT formal. Jeans and a polo or khaki and a button up shirt would do just fine (if male) and anything neat if female (kind of conservatively but again not a formal suit).

I'd advise against jeans, though that is just my personal opinion.

 

[135892]

Suit and tie is nice in the real world. I think laboratory work is a little different from other places. When I first interviewed for a lab job in a suit and tie, the investigators who hired me asked me, "Where's your black suit?" for the entire first month on the job. To them, it was hilarious that someone would show up for a tech job all dressed up. In the years I worked in academic research, I never saw a post-doc interviewee or a research tech interviewee dressed up in anything more than a button down shirt. Most of them wore casual wear - clothes they'd wear if they were working in the lab. T-shirts, untucked polos, jeans, etc. Dress code never seems to an issue in day-to-day lab work.

This is so true

But yeah, at minimum, wear khakis with a polo shirt and some decent shoes. Once you actually start working in the lab, you can basically wear whatever you want.

 

[186321]

I have sort of an old salt attitude with these types of things so I wore a suit to mine. No one ever commented that it was too much or anything. I got the job too.

 

[Raryn]

A white lab coat, blue nitrile gloves, and safety goggles. Like they say, "dress for the job you want."

 

[calnation]

Suit and a BOW-tie. Emphasis on the BOW. Also, if you want to stand out and be remembered, wear a yellow blazer. They go especially well with purple ties.

 

[searun]

If you are Cali, then carry your surfboard under your left arm pit, lean it against the wall, shake your hair, and say, "Dude". After you say, Dude, just wait for a response and hope your interviewer comments on your surf board. If not, then ignore your surf board and continue on with the interview and do not say, Dude, anymore, but talk about biochemistry.