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Rudager posted:A nice suit helps reinforce you aren't a weird shut-in without social skills too. As a software developer the interviewees who wear suits are way more likely to be weird shut ins (or hyper social weirdos) than the ones who show up in shorts and a hoodie
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May 14, 2015 05:44
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the talent deficit posted:As a software developer the interviewees who wear suits are way more likely to be weird shut ins (or hyper social weirdos) than the ones who show up in shorts and a hoodie
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May 14, 2015 06:28
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So it sounds like the answer comes down to personal preference. I found a decent suit, tie, and dress shirt (100% cotton) for $95 at my wife's work after all discounts. I think I may wear that. It's a consultancy firm and it looks like most people wear business casual and perhaps a blazer. I'll think it over though. I think the right choice is whatever I'll feel more comfortable wearing based on the input so far.
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May 14, 2015 06:41
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the talent deficit posted:As a software developer the interviewees who wear suits are way more likely to be weird shut ins (or hyper social weirdos) than the ones who show up in shorts and a hoodie Well of course it's not going to help if you actually are a weird shut-in.
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May 14, 2015 07:00
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Rudager posted:Well of course it's not going to help if you actually are a weird shut-in. if you're good at interviews what you wear won't matter at all but i would definitely err on the side of not trying rather than trying too hard when it comes to clothing and software dev disclaimer: i've only ever worked for startups and west coast companies, advice may not apply to weird east coast consultancies or like, ibm i guess?
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May 14, 2015 07:56
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Knyteguy posted:So it sounds like the answer comes down to personal preference. I found a decent suit, tie, and dress shirt (100% cotton) for $95 at my wife's work after all discounts. I think I may wear that. It's a consultancy firm and it looks like most people wear business casual and perhaps a blazer. If it's a consulty-type place and there's lots of client facing, I would generally dress more formally. Source: I work at a consulty-type place that is very casual (flip flops, shorts, whatever) when not client facing, but we expect our interviewees to dress business formal to show they understand adjusting your mode of dress based on context.
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May 14, 2015 12:19
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Droo posted:I would think it's more likely to cause a negative impression by not wearing a suit than by wearing one. Actually, at my company, it would tell us that you clearly are not a fit as you misunderstand the company culture and we in fact tell recruiters to make sure people dress casually. That's true for most companies in software in this city and SF AFAIK. Again: ask your recruiter!
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May 14, 2015 13:18
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I would go for something like this: http://tinyurl.com/kqllaue There is no way a $95 suit setup is going to look any good at all. Good suits are expensive and generally require some tailoring. Looking like a kid in a rented suit going to a wedding will look far worse than decent fitting 'business casual'.
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May 14, 2015 15:02
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Business casual. Khakis and a polo shirt-- maybe dress shirt and tie. According to my husband (who works in the same field on the east coast), in these here parts there's a kind of stigma when it comes to suits. You see a guy walking around in a suit and you think, "Businessman" and businessmen are the enemy. His words not mine. Sounds hilarious to me.
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May 14, 2015 15:41
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n8r posted:I would go for something like this:
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May 14, 2015 15:55
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My husband does alot of interviewing for his teams and orgs for a major west coast tech company and the last guy he hired who wore a suit got ridiculed and called fancy pants for a good year. It speaks to the guys skills that he overcame the suit problem. It's funny because I know the recruiters tell people "dress casual" but east coasters just refuse to believe it.
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May 14, 2015 16:42
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I just went ahead and asked the recruiter what the interview attire was. I'd prefer just to dress exactly what the expected dress is. As a consultancy firm I'd guess there's a chance that a suit-and-tie would be expected, but hey who knows it could be jeans and a t-shirt. I remember reading a story somewhere where a software engineer was interviewing at Google and he wore a mesh shirt to the interview. It's funny because I guess he actually got hired. The suit isn't $95, it's just on 60%-70% off clearance, plus a 25% one-day sale, plus my wife's associate discount. The jacket was originally $180, $150 for the pants, $50 dress shirt, and not sure on the tie. Luckily of the three navy suits on clearance I found a size that fits. But I agree that I don't want to have something ill-fitting and all scrunched up and the sleeves too long or short or something. Anyway since we held off buying the suit and it's on hold at my wife's work, there shouldn't be a problem. Tign I have heard that east coast interviews are much more formal.
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May 14, 2015 16:57
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Annnd.. the recruiter got back to me. Suit and tie. Wow I'm surprised.  I'll go back and ensure the fit of the suit. If it doesn't look right I have some ideas on how to make this work within budget. Macy's can do a tailored fit within 3-4 days IIRC when I bought my last one. Any other ideas where to look?
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May 14, 2015 17:08
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FYI, it's my experience in IT/development that you always wear a suit and a tie to an interview and it looks bad if you don't. It's just about taking the interview very seriously, even though no one actually wears a suit and tie to the office. Probably not always the case in every location, but that's my experience in the midwest.
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May 14, 2015 17:17
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You should have a decently fitting suit anyway as part of being an adult male human being.
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May 14, 2015 17:37
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:You should have a decently fitting suit anyway as part of being an adult male human being. Gaining weight and not fitting in your tailored suit is bad with money. I've had an array of suits. I have two now. They'll fit perfectly when I shed some pounds (which I'm working at). But on that note I went without wearing the last suit I bought for two years. I thought I'd need it for work and haven't yet. We're going to Sacramento this weekend. Maybe we'll stop by the Folsom Outlet to see what they can offer.
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May 14, 2015 17:41
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 Keep an eye on your budget, though. You have some money saved in your "clothes" account for this sort of thing, right?
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May 14, 2015 18:45
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Horking Delight posted:
No we had to drain that last month for [reason] (really don't want to go into it since it was within budget). I'll absolutely keep an eye on the budget; I'm confident I can make this work.
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May 14, 2015 18:48
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On a completely unrelated note, thanks for "liking" a status of mine of MFP, I need a kick in the pants to watch what I eat again. I lost the weight I wanted to and then stopped paying attention to what I was eating for the last month or two with the results that you'd expect.  Good luck in your interview. San Diego is beautiful, I've been there a few times for conferences and the weather is absolutely perfect there.
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May 14, 2015 19:08
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dreesemonkey posted:On a completely unrelated note, thanks for "liking" a status of mine of MFP, I need a kick in the pants to watch what I eat again. I lost the weight I wanted to and then stopped paying attention to what I was eating for the last month or two with the results that you'd expect. You bet. You're pretty consistent with those walks. Thanks for the well wishes. I've never been to the area, but it'd be great to get out of Reno's schizophrenic weather for awhile (I think I'd eventually move back here since it's cheap). Just gotta hope the interview goes well. If not though there are some other promising opportunities I'm working towards, and I'm still in no hurry. I keep getting more relevant experience so something will happen eventually if not now. But from what everyone is saying it may be worth it to plan a trip even if it doesn't pan out. The Lions are playing the Chargers in September in SD; we were thinking of going to that.
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May 14, 2015 19:23
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Knyteguy posted:Gaining weight and not fitting in your tailored suit is bad with money. I've had an array of suits. I have two now. They'll fit perfectly when I shed some pounds (which I'm working at). I've gone the other way, so now I have suits that make me look like I am 14 years old and borrowing clothes from my dad.
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May 14, 2015 19:50
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How on earth would a recruiter who probably works with tons of companies have any idea what people wear to interviews. Whatever you wear, please make sure it fits and looks decent over fitting into a certain dress code.
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May 14, 2015 19:52
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n8r posted:How on earth would a recruiter who probably works with tons of companies have any idea what people wear to interviews. Whatever you wear, please make sure it fits and looks decent over fitting into a certain dress code. The recruiter could ask his contact there 
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May 14, 2015 20:04
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Knyteguy posted:I guess I can say where it is now, San Diego! Well very near it at least. I'm still not counting on this (I'm getting excited but I'm trying to temper that), but I have begun to look at how much it would cost to live there. MrEnigma posted:San Diego is quite expensive for housing. On the beach? Must be farther north, I can't think of many businesses close to the beach in San Diego proper. Hey KG, longtime lurker of this thread. I figured San Diego when you first mentioned it was in a big SoCal city. I'm guessing you're interviewing in Carlsbad when you say it's near the beach and near San Diego but not in SD proper? I work in Carlsbad and live in San Diego, have lived here almost my whole life. It's quite expensive, take a look at some cost of living calculators then add another 3-5% as a buffer. Though it's not as bad as LA or SF, the pay is also lower overall relative to the high COL but you can probably swing it if you're making $110K + your wife's earnings. Most households need dual incomes to afford to live here, to be honest. Rent, groceries, utilities, fuel, and childcare will be more expensive. You need a car here, though you can definitely commute by bike if you live close-ish to work. For a decent 2br in a good area, expect to pay around $1500-1600, but be aware of traffic and seriously research commute times. I think you can make $110K-120K work even with the higher COL, but expenses are high. Negotiate as hard as you can for $120K+ because you will need it. The San Diego thread is active and a good resource for more specific questions. All that said, this city is beautiful and I love living here. It might be expensive but the weather, outdoor activities, people, and food are incredible. Good luck with the interview, let us know how it goes! Did you say you had family in San Diego?
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May 14, 2015 20:05
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15k gross for the wife would mean the job is mostly pointless, daycare will probably cost that much (remember daycare would be net).
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May 14, 2015 20:28
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Cicero posted:15k gross for the wife would mean the job is mostly pointless, daycare will probably cost that much (remember daycare would be net). It's actually work from home and contract hours, so we wouldn't really have to worry about child care. dead lettuce thanks for the input. If we could get a place close to the job then I'd be willing to bike, and my wife could have the car during the day. San Diego sounds really nice. Really I think I'd be happy with most places in California. I have another interview tomorrow for a company in Laguna Hills, but that looks crazy expensive. The work environment would be fun though the company is in a hobby industry of mine. n8r yes I won't be wearing lovely looking clothes. I'm researching how to wear a suit, and I'm looking up local tailors. I'm willing to bet I could do some website trade work with a tailor or something. Only one has a website and it's on par with a Geocities website (maybe not that bad but close). I did some research though and JC Penney's Stafford suits are actually pretty well reviewed and recommended, which is what that clearance suit I found is. I'll also check out our new Nordstrom Rack and thrift stores. I'll find a nice fitted shirt and check out the suit fit with that. I'm finding that being on a budget can just mean you need to get creative sometimes. Knyteguy fucked around with this message at 21:01 on May 14, 2015 |
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May 14, 2015 20:58
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Knyteguy posted:I'm researching how to wear a suit Step 3: Place your legs into the holes1 1There are two different holes, one leg goes in each one. Do NOT put both legs in the same hole. PS: Good luck at your interview, own that poo poo. Good luck on frugal suit shopping.
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May 14, 2015 21:29
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If you get a job in Laguna Hills you don't have to live IN Laguna Hills. My company has an office very near there, and the people who work there and make ~$100k or less love somewhere else and commute in, from even as far away as Chino! Mission Viejo, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Anaheim, there are plenty of places within a twenty minute drive that would work, and more even further. If you don't work from home in SoCal, just plan for some kind of commute.
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May 14, 2015 21:29
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Jeffrey of YOSPOS posted:Step 3: Place your legs into the holes1 Dammit I knew I was doing something wrong. It all makes sense now... Haha in all seriousness I meant to say how a suit should fit. Ultimate Mango posted:If you get a job in Laguna Hills you don't have to live IN Laguna Hills. Alright that wouldn't be too bad. I have some family in Oxnard/Ventura (the less lovely one I can't remember which), so if I lived within reasonable driving distance of them and potential work that would be great. I'm don't want to pretend to be some fancy OC guy. I just want to make a little more money and keep our quality of life about where it's at now. e: Jeffrey just saw your edit. Thanks. I'll do my best.
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May 14, 2015 21:34
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Tailoring isn't that expensive. Just use your discretionary fund or spend less out of another category to cover it.
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May 14, 2015 22:41
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FYI, there are tailors who can get you in and out in one day for simpler things. Shortening sleeves, pants, that kind of thing.
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May 15, 2015 00:04
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^ I found a local tailor who said they can get something down in way less than a week too for most anything, so that should work. Same day would be great also. Apparently a lot of clothing stores actually have tailors, too, if a local small business won't be able to help in time. I'm really, really hoping I can get that JCP suit to work. The biggest off the rack problem is it's tight around my upper arm, but that was with a relatively thick polo on underneath.
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May 15, 2015 00:41
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JCP suit is too small I think (by a size). I got recommended to Burlington Coat Factory for a budget suit. I'll see if there's any potential there. Had that interview at Laguna Hills. It sounds way more like an IT job than a developer job. Not sure if that one will pan out. Got some more coming up in Missoureh but I don't know I'd want to live there.
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May 15, 2015 18:46
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Knyteguy posted:JCP suit is too small I think (by a size). I got recommended to Burlington Coat Factory for a budget suit. I'll see if there's any potential there. If its living in St Louis that area is cool. The rest of Missouri: not that great.
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May 16, 2015 09:57
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Duckman2008 posted:If its living in St Louis that area is cool. The rest of Missouri: not that great. I completely spaced St Louis being there. That probably wouldn't be bad you're right. Anywhere with a football team would be cool ignoring other factors.
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May 16, 2015 15:15
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In regards to the work that Knyte-husband posted about: After much back and forth on my part and inability to figure out what it is that I really want to do with my life, I think I figured it out. The plan is that I am, after all, going to pursue transcription as a means to an end. I have been studying style guides from an online company and practicing for their exam. My goal here is to be able to make enough money to leave my retail job or, if we do end up moving, I will be able to make some money from home while watching the baby. I've been learning and practicing while he takes naps and I am getting a feel for how much I am able to do realistically with the baby. I realize there has been a lot of different things thrown out there that I was going to pursue and that I haven't had follow through, this is something I am actively working on. My end goal here is to be able to work from home (whether we move or not) so that I have weekends/nights free to pursue the career I actually want to do. After research and discussion with Knyte, I decided to pursue becoming a paralegal. This is something that will take some time and whether I would pursue the certificate online or through the local university will depend greatly on what happens with Knyte's interview. I have my bachelor's degree already so I don't need to complete the associate's degree for this career. I spoke with our university here and they offer an 8 week program to get paralegal certified. The course is only on the weekends though, which is why I'd need to be working from home before I can pursue this. I'd appreciate any advice in regards to working from home/pursuing becoming a paralegal
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May 18, 2015 18:47
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This thread would probably be a good one to ask for advice in: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3301274
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May 18, 2015 18:56
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Assuming you don't move, what are the paralegal opportunities where you currently live? What's the pay? What sort of hours do they require? How much will the class cost? What's the break even point in years? Are there any entry level step down from paralegal jobs that you can try and apply for now? I think it's definitely a good idea as long as you follow through with it. Not to be negative, but from the start of this thread until now you've talked about like 5-6 different career paths and yet almost 2 years later you have the same job. EDIT: Please note I know literally nothing about the paralegal industry, but think getting out of retail is a good idea in general. Bugamol fucked around with this message at 19:03 on May 18, 2015 |
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May 18, 2015 18:57
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Check out SWAN (statewide adoption agency) if you have them in NV, that's who they work for. Appears it's a PA-agency. Maybe there is a NV equivilent.
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May 18, 2015 19:17
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Bugamol posted:Assuming you don't move, what are the paralegal opportunities where you currently live? What's the pay? What sort of hours do they require? How much will the class cost? What's the break even point in years? Are there any entry level step down from paralegal jobs that you can try and apply for now? The job outlook in town here is pretty good, and there also appears to be more entry type level jobs. However, these don't pay well, about $3.50 less than I make now. Would it be worth it to take a pay cut if it meant getting out of retail and breaking into the law field? (This would only apply if we stay where we are though) According to BLS the median pay for paralegals is ~47,000. The university here doesn't have the cost of the program posted since the schedule isn't released yet, but I will call them and find out. Paralegals work Monday-Friday normal business hours of about 8-5. This would be ideal for our family since we'd be able to have the same type of schedule.
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May 18, 2015 19:35
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