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Discussion

Interview Attire Recommendations

Hello, I am a 21 year old male, new graduate RN. I am interviewing at a Level 1 Trauma Center/Magnet Status hospital for an internship/residency program for new graduates. Upon completion of the program a job is guaranteed. I have an interview coming up soon and was wondering what to wear. The hospital never informed me on dress attire.

Business casual? I was thinking dress pants w/polo type button up shirt and tie. Is a suit necessary?

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    • Experts

    Apparently not anymore, although I always have worn dress slacks, a cuffed shirt and tie, and sport coat, if not a full suit to an interview. Probably always will, too - but according to some of my colleagues, I was interviewing for jobs before they invented dirt, so you probably shouldn't take sartorial advice from me.

    Ultimately, you want to appear professional and competent, so neat, clean, pressed, and well-turned out is the key. Shirt, tie, and slacks should be more than sufficient. And I personally recommend removing any earrings, facial piercings, etcetera, and covering visible tattoos. Not to say that there is a problem with these forms of personal expression (my ears are double pierced and I have surgical steel hoops in them) but you want the prospective employer to focus on your qualifications and your professionalism, not your appearance, so ironically, you need to focus on your appearance.

    Hope this helps.

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    Professional dress. At a minimum, dress slacks, button down dress shirt and tie. And of course dress shoes and belt. If you have a suit, go for it. Dress as nice as you can because there are many other strong applicants and you'll want to do everything you can to impress. And dint other to have a clean haircut and to shave.

    Good luck with your interview.

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    You will never look unprofessional in a suit. It shows you are serious about the job.

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    I didn't feel an authoritative getup would be appropriate, so I wore a blue blazer, light slate blue shirt (non-button-down), khaki pleated dockers, brown wing-tip suede shoes, and a rep tie (cinnamon with white and blue stripes). I'm over 50 and have a crew cut, so I wanted to soften the edges.

    Since you're a young new grad, you might want to wear a very slightly more authoritative look. The above (I imagine every male on the planet owns a blue blazer and gray or khaki pants, or a dark blue suit), with the only changes being a white shirt and black shoes, will add "weight" to your image.

    I wouldn't wear a pinstripe suit or anything that made me look like a businessman, lawyer, or accountant (that look would be jarring in this situation), nor anything trendy. Dress as you would for your mom. Be neat. Be early.

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    I wore a black sport coat (or is it called a blazer?), lighter blue dress shirt, tie, khakis, brown dress belt and brown dress shoes. I definitely thought it would be in my favor to dress more conservatively than to dress in less formal attire.

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    • Experts

    Advice I have for everyone: make sure your clothes FIT.

    (Guys and gals) Pull up your pants, choose a sizes (shirt and pants) that isn't overly baggy, have pants hemmed so they don't drag and avoid logos.

    (Gals) Skirts no shorter than just above the knee, wear tops with sleeves, no flashy clunky platforms or stilettos, avoid overly tight anything and excessive accessories.

    Interview wear should be pretty neutral but it's OK to express yourself with a tasteful but flashy tie or a piece of bold jewelry.

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    It's this simple, no one will ever fault you for wearing a suit. Anything less is taking a chance.

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    When I was in a somewhat similar boat (a young new grad male RN) I struggled with the same question. I started off dressed as anonymurse described above, then moved into a sharp-looking suit. In all honesty I don't think the change in clothes made too much of a difference--I got the interview for the job I ultimately was offered based on a recommendation from another manager who I interviewed with while wearing the blazer outfit.

    As others have mentioned, being clean and neat is the most important thing. Wear something you can be confident in. Try to wear something that doesn't make you look too young, either. Good luck!

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    • Experts

    I would recommend that you wear a suit if you own one, or at least a dress shirt and tie...and buy some tailored-looking pants. It's probably not necessary, but in this economy, when hospitals have nurses knocking down the door for jobs, my opinion is to dress to impress. You will stand out among others when your appearance is professional.

    Get a haircut, shave, avoid cologne, have your suit cleaned and your dress shirt pressed. Wear clean, shined shoes...listen, if you want this job, go all out.

    Best of luck!

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    Hi there guys-

    I'm soon to be a new grad and will be off to some of my first interviews in a few months. I was wondering what you guys would wear to the interview? Button/color shirt/business casual pants?

    I was thinking a suit might be over-kill. I don't want to show up looking like a drug rep. Thanks again

    catamounts

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    Why would you wear anything other than a suit and tie???

    Apologies to the OP; but I can't take another thread about interview attire. Wear a suit!!!

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