School leaver college interview, what to wear?

Southend1

You can never dress too formally for an interview. Having said that, a teen going for an interview at a FE college should be fine in smart casual e.g. Chinos and shirt without tie. I wouldn't send him in jeans though or t shirt, even if that's what the students normally wear at that college.

peachyprice

squibbs25 wrote: »

This is more along the lines of what ds and hubby are thinking.

Peachy the letter states allow up to 2 hours for the interview :eek:
:rotfl:

Welcome to the real world kids.............

It can take quite a while if your file it as the bottom of the pile waiting to be seen, I can guarantee that he won't personally be interviewed for 2 hours.

The 2 hours may also include a tour of the college as well, if a lot of the attendees haven't been to an open evening. They usually ask, if everyone has already been they miss that bit out.

Mum1972

My daughter had her college interview today. She wore smart skinny jeans a nice top and a blazer(not a school one) and she was the smartest there. The other kids all looked a bit scruffy. So I would go with smart casual.
Good luck to your son.

Mr_Toad

19lottie82 wrote: »

No, but it doesn't hurt to encourage a teenager to make an effort to dress smartly for situations like this. I would suggest he wears smart ish trousers (not jeans) and a nice shirt.

I doubt any of the other students will be in any way dressed up. He could end up looking like a fish out of water, or worse, like mummy dressed him.

He's making a transition from school to college, from schoolboy to student let him dress as he wants.

Oh, and as far as the college is concerned they're probably more interested in bums on seats for their funding and are simply checking that said student actually exists and consider it a bonus if they can read and write.

Mr_Toad

In addition to my other post.

Before taking early retirement I had a very good job. One of my last meetings was a regular weekly affair at head office in London with the Chairman and CEO along with 8 or 9 others including me.

There wasn't a single tie round the table and several weren't wearing suits. As far as I'm concerned this is a good thing, a suit looks great, I have a lot of very good suits, but they don't mean anything.

You don't employ the suit, you employ the person in it and I think business is finally getting the idea that this is what matters, getting the right person for the job not the right suit.

Sadly there are still people with the "Well I wouldn't employ anyone who looked like that" attitude but it's very short sighted and they may letting the perfect candidate go simply because they chose to wear jeans, their loss.

Anyone who interviews the clothes and not the person is the wrong interviewer.

cgk1

If they are selecting students based on their shoes or shirt, I'd check you haven't wandered in a clown college by mistake.

mrcow wrote: »

Edit: and if he has any piercings, take them out!

Do you think the interview is for a college or a nuns convent? Nobody in an bog-standard FE college will blink at some piercings.

19lottie82

Mr_Toad wrote: »

In addition to my other post.

Before taking early retirement I had a very good job. One of my last meetings was a regular weekly affair at head office in London with the Chairman and CEO along with 8 or 9 others including me.

There wasn't a single tie round the table and several weren't wearing suits. As far as I'm concerned this is a good thing, a suit looks great, I have a lot of very good suits, but they don't mean anything.

You don't employ the suit, you employ the person in it and I think business is finally getting the idea that this is what matters, getting the right person for the job not the right suit.

Sadly there are still people with the "Well I wouldn't employ anyone who looked like that" attitude but it's very short sighted and they may letting the perfect candidate go simply because they chose to wear jeans, their loss.

Anyone who interviews the clothes and not the person is the wrong interviewer.

I understand what you are saying but I would always try and make a good first impression, it shows you care about the interview you are attending. this is ALWAYS a good thing.

A lot of interviewers would negatively reflect on someone turning up to a job interview with jeans on, and rightly so IMO. I doubt they would be expected to wear a suit in the office all the time but I would expect an interviewee to make the effort for the interview. To turn up in jeans for a professional job interview is just lazy.

michael243

I went to a college in a "posh" area, well much posher then where I live and where my secondary school was, I never seen one person who was having an interview wearing smart clothes or school uniform, it was just jeans and polo etc.

I doubt its changed in the last two years..

trinity_enigma

I would say smart casual would be good. Decent trousers and a shirt so he looks smart but not that different from what teenagers/young adults often wear day to day.

Personally if I was applying for a course that was oversubscribed I'd prefer to look like someone who wants to be there and is making an effort than someone who can't really be bothered and is only going to college so I don't have to get a job. Basically- trying to make a good impression can't do you any harm, but I couldn't say the same of the reverse.

fluffnutter

I wore a short red leather skirt and Doctor Martens to my university interview (and a top obv).