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American company in Tokyo. Funny thing, the guy interviewing me is the same guy I interviewed 3 months ago.

At that time he wore a suit, I was in regular work clothes (black T shirt, long pants)

What do you guys think?

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    Highly depends on the culture of the company. If in doubt however, it's always better to overdress rather than underdress. – berry120 Jan 30 '18 at 09:37
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    As much as I agree with @berry120, I would like to add that if wearing a suit would make you feel uncomfortable (and negatively impact your general performance), it might be better to dress business casual (button down shirt, plain trousers and smart shoes). – Raf M. Jan 30 '18 at 09:57
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    It's risky to overdress too much. If you wear a suit, and you're interviewed by a guy wearing a t-shirt and shorts, in a company doing the same, you're going to stick out, and not in a good way. – Erik Jan 30 '18 at 10:26
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    I agree with @Erik, I once had an interview and was all dressed up in a suit. The guy that opened the door for me wore shrugged jeans, a metal t-shirt and had long hair. I felt very wrong there... – Lehue Jan 30 '18 at 10:40
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    @Erik has a point. I once interviewed at a place where I wore a suit and the panel were all in t-shirts. Designer t-shirts that probably cost more than my suit. I decided the culture there wasn't for me and declined the offer of a second interview. – Jonathon Cowley-Thom Jan 30 '18 at 11:30
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    @berry120 That comment should be the answer. – Neo Jan 30 '18 at 18:49
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    Also remember that this is in Tokyo where the culture may be substantially different concerning dress. Call the HR rep and just ask whether a suit is most appropriate. – HLGEM Jan 30 '18 at 19:34

1 Answers1

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Generally speaking for first impressions, it is always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Ultimately you as a candidate sitting in front of the interviewer(s) may come across better, and you might even feel more confident wearing something smarter than sitting in a t-shirt and flip-flops.

Saying that, it depends on the company and position. For example a consultancy, client-facing, or management positions will potentially expect you to be more presentable. It's perfectly fine to enquire what the culture is like in terms of dress if you aren't sure and you can act accordingly (perhaps what their normal is but a tiny bit smarter). For example, my last interview was for a smaller start-up sized consultancy and I was told by their recruitment to dress casual as for that sort of company culture mattered a lot (I also had an hour long 'cultural fit' interview). This doesn't mean to say that you won't get the job for dressing too smart in this sort of situation, but the companies criteria could be anything.

It's a difficult balance and it will vary from company to company. If ever you're in doubt and it's still unclear after some investigating, it will hurt your chances less to dress smarter than it will to dress casual.

Smittey
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