Suit for 2nd interview day?

[tr]

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Any opinions? I have several two-day interviews, for reasons of research (1 day is dedicated to research interviews, the other is the regular interview day). Do I need to wear a suit for the research day?

I am leaning towards no since researchers tend to be more laid-back than clinicians. I do have a second suit I can wear but I don't want to look overdressed.

 

[Bertelman]

I'd wear the same suit, different shirt and tie. I think
a) Most wouldn't notice
b) None would expect two suits.

Besides, it sounds like two distinct groups will be interviewing you. Other than the Coordinator, who will know what you wore the other day?

I'm not interviewing for research positions, so I don't know, but I wouldn't be comfortable with the logic that "researchers tend to be more laid back". I'm going for Anesthesiology, which is certainly on the laid-back side of medicine. Hell, we wear pajamas to work. I would be resigning myself to scramble if I showed up to interview without a suit.

 

[4424]

if anything change your shirt color (or tie if applicable)

 

[gutonc]

I had the same issue last year. I ended up on a 7 interview trip w/ 2 of them being 2 day affairs. I took 3 suits with me (black, brown and blue) and rotated them. it was probably overkill but it worked out. If you're going to one place and staying there for 2 days I think 1 suit w/ different shirt/tie is fine.

And FWIW, I would wear a suit for the research day. Everybody else will be wearing one and unless you're one of those people who can stand out in a good way by bucking the trend, you're better off following it.

A grad school friend of mine went to his post-doc interviews in shorts and a T-shirt and got offers from UCSF, Rockefeller, NIH, Dana Farber and Stanford. If I showed up dressed like that, even w/ his background I would have been laughed out of the place, but somehow he made it work.

 

[tr]

I had the same issue last year. I ended up on a 7 interview trip w/ 2 of them being 2 day affairs. I took 3 suits with me (black, brown and blue) and rotated them. it was probably overkill but it worked out. If you're going to one place and staying there for 2 days I think 1 suit w/ different shirt/tie is fine.

And FWIW, I would wear a suit for the research day. Everybody else will be wearing one and unless you're one of those people who can stand out in a good way by bucking the trend, you're better off following it.

A grad school friend of mine went to his post-doc interviews in shorts and a T-shirt and got offers from UCSF, Rockefeller, NIH, Dana Farber and Stanford. If I showed up dressed like that, even w/ his background I would have been laughed out of the place, but somehow he made it work.

Wait, really? People were all wearing suits on the research day? Geez. I am interviewing with some basic-research PhD types, I feel like they are suspicious of people in suits. I know if anyone had come to my PhD lab to interview in a suit everyone would have thought it was weird. For postdocs I totally would have interviewed in casual clothing (maybe not shorts), but I think doctor-types might be a little more put off by it so I am trying not to make waves.

Also I am interviewing in psychiatry, perhaps this is overly paranoid of me but I don't want to send out any Axis II vibes by dressing in an overly unconventional manner. (I have already been informed by the goodly population of the Suit Thread for Women that I am pushing the envelope by wearing a sage-green suit, so I think I have used up all my sartorial-scandal units already.)

Re trend-bucking: I am a woman, it seems there are more 'professional-looking' non-suit options for women than for men. In general I feel like we have more wardrobe latitude (but hence also more room for error maybe).

I was leaning away from the suit but now I am leaning towards it. 🙁

 

[Samoa]

One of my interviews involved a day at the NIH talking to the research guys. All 15 of us wore suits. Mostly black, with some grey and navy and pinstripes thrown in. One girl wore beige dress pants and a coordinating (but not matching) beige jacket. She stuck out a bit.

However, I should also mention that I'm interviewing in a very conservative specialty, and I doubt any of us even questioned whether or not to wear a suit.

Maybe your best bet is to call the coordinator and ask if people generally wear suits on the research day.

 

[Bertelman]

OP:

Ignore my post. Then shoot me for being sexist. I read yours, heard the word "suit", saw no gender implied, and assumed male. You're right, women do have more latitude. Check with someone in your field, maybe they'll have advice.