Would wearing a suit at a technical interview put you at a disadvantage?

Question

Maybe the interviewer would see it as indicative of a lack of confidence?

tacostakohashi · Accepted Answer

It has worked pretty well for me. Even though I have been "overdressed" every time, you can do suit without a tie, or put your jacket on the chair at the start, etc.Even though tech / "IT" people are usually casual, I think it doesn't hurt at all to show that you take the even seriously, and that you own a suit and are not afraid of wearing it if some particular client meeting / other event ever necessitates it.

hifromLA · Answer

To be frank, I&rsquo;ve only seen new grads wear suits. The more experienced the dev the worse they dress (generally). One candidate showed up to an interview in flip flops and nailed it.

hayst4ck · Answer

As a person who has done FAANG technical interviews, I would be kinda weirded out and questioning if the person is a culture fit.
If they are wearing a suit, how familiar with the industry are they?
That's also ignoring that suits are the uniform of finance, politicians, sales, and business. I view suits in the business context as nearly synonymous with corruption. A suit is like a giant billboard saying "I am/want to be corporate," "I want to increase shareholder value," "I only care about next quarters profits," "I want to participate in the dominance hierarchy."
FWIW, cultures are very different. On the west coast dark jeans and a collared shirt is being dressed to the nines (hyperbole). I'm led to believe that suits are kind of an east coast thing.
When reading these answers, I would be very careful about understanding that the answers are a function of the answerer's culture. This question is likely to have wildly different answers between the west coast, east coast, India, japan, Europe, etc. Even the companies themselves have dominant cultures. If you're interviewing for Bloomberg, you should probably wear a suit. If you're interviewing with a company that isn't a tech company, you should probably wear a suit. If you're interviewing in the valley, a suit probably isn't the right choice.
Also if it's very clear you are from a different culture (having any kind of accent), I think wearing a suit would be seen as you being from a different culture and greatly discounted as a meaningful signal than if you are from the same culture (no accent) and wear a suit, which means you understand what the suit represents in the culture that is judging you.
At the end of the day, if you nail your technical questions, it won't matter.

allig256 · Answer

We've hired fantastic people in suits, and disastrous people, too.It's more important that you 1) look tidy and 2) are comfortable and 3) match the style of the workspace to a degree.

muzani · Answer

Suits are often worn to be manipulative. People wear them on dates to look more handsome or richer. Salesmen wear them to get more sales. Mobsters wear them so they don't look like thugs.
You might just wear it to look good, but there might also be this unconscious bias that you're using money to compensate for something.
To neutralise the look, one of my friends wears a Simpsons tie, which suggests he's wearing the suit because he wants to, not for any other purpose.

schwartzworld · Answer

If it did, you'd be dodging a bullet. Sounds like a toxic workplace. "We won't hire that guy because he dressed up for the interview."

hargup · Answer

You should focus on being comfortable and confident. Whatever dressing makes you feel that way.

factorialboy · Answer

Go business casual. A shirt, a blazer, proper trousers (not jeans) but not a full blown suit.
The blazer may come off as the meeting starts.
And if you speak and interact well, there is no chance they'll misunderstand being well dressed for lack of confidence.

yuppie_scum · Answer

Frankly I think the only expectation is a collar.A well-fitting tailored suit would make you look sophisticated, but if you&rsquo;re wearing a crappy off the rack Kohls suit that&rsquo;s all baggy and stuff, you&rsquo;re just gonna look like a goof.

wglb · Answer

It depends on the company. Fewer and fewer companies go beyond "business casual" these days. Large law firm? I would wear a suit. Ycombinator startup? Likely put you at a disadvantage.

pestatije · Answer

In my opinion looking different puts you at a disadvantage, that's why so much debate about women in stem(science technology engineering and maths), and also about minorities

hxugufjfjf · Answer

As someone who&rsquo;s interviewed and been interviewed for numerous roles; wear a suit, even if the job is collecting garbage.

jjgreen · Answer

Some people look good in a suit, I look like "the accused"

Would wearing a suit at a technical interview put you at a disadvantage?

Maybe the interviewer would see it as indicative of a lack of confidence?

To be frank, I’ve only seen new grads wear suits. The more experienced the dev the worse they dress (generally). One candidate showed up to an interview in flip flops and nailed it.

We've hired fantastic people in suits, and disastrous people, too.
It's more important that you 1) look tidy and 2) are comfortable and 3) match the style of the workspace to a degree.

If it did, you'd be dodging a bullet. Sounds like a toxic workplace. "We won't hire that guy because he dressed up for the interview."

You should focus on being comfortable and confident. Whatever dressing makes you feel that way.

Go business casual. A shirt, a blazer, proper trousers (not jeans) but not a full blown suit.
The blazer may come off as the meeting starts.
And if you speak and interact well, there is no chance they'll misunderstand being well dressed for lack of confidence.

Frankly I think the only expectation is a collar.
A well-fitting tailored suit would make you look sophisticated, but if you’re wearing a crappy off the rack Kohls suit that’s all baggy and stuff, you’re just gonna look like a goof.

It depends on the company. Fewer and fewer companies go beyond "business casual" these days. Large law firm? I would wear a suit. Ycombinator startup? Likely put you at a disadvantage.

In my opinion looking different puts you at a disadvantage, that's why so much debate about women in stem(science technology engineering and maths), and also about minorities

As someone who’s interviewed and been interviewed for numerous roles; wear a suit, even if the job is collecting garbage.

Some people look good in a suit, I look like "the accused"

Would wearing a suit at a technical interview put you at a disadvantage?

Maybe the interviewer would see it as indicative of a lack of confidence?

To be frank, I’ve only seen new grads wear suits. The more experienced the dev the worse they dress (generally). One candidate showed up to an interview in flip flops and nailed it.

We've hired fantastic people in suits, and disastrous people, too.It's more important that you 1) look tidy and 2) are comfortable and 3) match the style of the workspace to a degree.

If it did, you'd be dodging a bullet. Sounds like a toxic workplace. "We won't hire that guy because he dressed up for the interview."

You should focus on being comfortable and confident. Whatever dressing makes you feel that way.

Go business casual. A shirt, a blazer, proper trousers (not jeans) but not a full blown suit.The blazer may come off as the meeting starts.And if you speak and interact well, there is no chance they'll misunderstand being well dressed for lack of confidence.

Frankly I think the only expectation is a collar.A well-fitting tailored suit would make you look sophisticated, but if you’re wearing a crappy off the rack Kohls suit that’s all baggy and stuff, you’re just gonna look like a goof.

It depends on the company. Fewer and fewer companies go beyond "business casual" these days. Large law firm? I would wear a suit. Ycombinator startup? Likely put you at a disadvantage.

In my opinion looking different puts you at a disadvantage, that's why so much debate about women in stem(science technology engineering and maths), and also about minorities

As someone who’s interviewed and been interviewed for numerous roles; wear a suit, even if the job is collecting garbage.

Some people look good in a suit, I look like "the accused"

We've hired fantastic people in suits, and disastrous people, too.
It's more important that you 1) look tidy and 2) are comfortable and 3) match the style of the workspace to a degree.

Go business casual. A shirt, a blazer, proper trousers (not jeans) but not a full blown suit.
The blazer may come off as the meeting starts.
And if you speak and interact well, there is no chance they'll misunderstand being well dressed for lack of confidence.

Frankly I think the only expectation is a collar.
A well-fitting tailored suit would make you look sophisticated, but if you’re wearing a crappy off the rack Kohls suit that’s all baggy and stuff, you’re just gonna look like a goof.