Hey fam, have a legal interview at a space / satellite company in LA tomorrow -
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@indigostiff I've always believed that business casual should be a sport coat (no tie), slacks, pressed shirt, and a pair of dress shoes. Shoes should be polished, although not mirror polished.
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@indigostiff I would agree with @goosehd . No idea if chinos falls into the "slacks" category, but I'd say chinos + jacket/sports coat + shirt + smart shoes is also acceptable
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@Tago-Mago Chino's are borderline and dependent on the level that you are interviewing. Most entry and mid level jobs and I would give it a pass...
Although, there is quite a spectrum of chino's available in the market with some definitely dressier than others.
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@indigostiff Best of luck in the interview!!
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@indigostiff good luck man and I think @goosehd has given some sound advice.
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Business casual at a space company in LA could mean so many things. I was told a similar dress code for an interview many years ago now at another west coast space company and everyone in the interview was in jeans and old stained t shirts. Still, I was happy to be dressed in real biz casual as above per goosehd and took the note for what to wear on the first day of work if it happened.
Good luck!
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Major disclaimer- I work in Copenhagen, and in a completely different field, but that said I agree with goosehd and Tago-Mago on the definition. And leather shoes, chinos (including IH), dress shirt (tucked in) and a sports coat has been my work uniform since 2020.
I’ve also done a fair bit of recruiting , and based on that I have som observations. They’re completely subjective though:
- It’s better to be slightly overdressed for an interview than slightly underdressed.
- don’t dress like you’re going to a party - or a funeral.
- wear something that you’re comfortable enough to actually work in - if your best shirt I too tight, wear your second best.
- if you’re wearing something that you’re not familiar with make sure you know how it works. It sounds basic, but it’s not: if you never wear a sports coat, you may forget that it should always be unbuttoned when you sit down, and generally buttoned when you stand (but always leave the lowest button open). Practice before the interview.
- get a haircut, trim the beard etc., but stick to your normal routines as much as possible. Don’t put extra gel in your hair, overspray with cologne or something like that. You’re not going clubbing.
- decide what your bringing and putting on the table (a print of your application, a sheet of notes, two pens) and keep organized - get your stuff out of your bag, put it in the table and put the bag away. You can carry all sorts of extra material in the bag, but don’t get it out unless it makes sense during the interview.
- try to remember people’s names, but don’t go out of your way to show that you do - focus on convincing the interviewers of your skills.
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@TeflonDon Excellent advice and observations!!
